Not Just Children, Now States Are Left Behind
On July 25, there was an article that ran in the New York Times about how the No Child Left Behind Act's provisions are not being met by entire states! This candid article explains the results of the most recent reports from the Department of Education.
This article sheds light on the fact that the No Child Left Behind Act is very punitive in nature. Its system, instead of being one of incentives, is one full of punishments. Unless your students perform at certain standards (high-stakes standardized tests) millions of dollars of federal money will be taken away or never rewarded in the first place. Furthermore, some states are even being fined millions for their underperforming educational programs. This seems extremely backward, and provides further evidence for why our federal government is dangerously out of touch with the needs of local public education systems.