Schools around New Hampshire are scrambling to prepare for a brand new set of federal rules. The “No Child Left Behind Act” offers schools new money but it also requires a host of changes, including a steady rise in student test scores. Teachers and administrators are still trying to figure out exactly what the law will do. But as they look at it, some are skeptical of the government’s motives. In the second of our series of reports on “No Child Left Behind”, NHPR’s Trish Anderton looks at the philosophy behind the law.
THE BASIC IDEA OF NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND IS: SET GOALS FOR SCHOOLS, AND REFORM THE ONES THAT FAIL. UNDER THE NEW PROGRAM, STATES HAVE TO TEST STUDENTS EVERY YEAR. THE STATES WILL SET TARGET SCORES. IF THE SCHOOLS LAG BEHIND, THE STATE CAN TAKE VARIOUS CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. THOSE INCLUDE CHANGING THE STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION OR REOPENING THE FACILITY AS A CHARTER SCHOOL.
HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PHILOSOPHY OF NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND DEPENDS PARTLY ON HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS. REPUBLICAN KEN WEYLER, A STATE REPRESENTATIVE FROM KINGSTON, SAYS IT’S HIGH TIME THEY WERE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. WEYLER SAYS HIS CONTACT WITH SCHOOL OFFICIALS HAS ALWAYS BEEN FRUSTRATING.
57 122 no one is allowed to criticize … if you go to school board meetings, they say you must be a child abuser if you question our budgets
WEYLER SEES SCHOOLS AS A MONOPOLY. HE BELIEVES THE NEW LAW’S NO NONSENSE APPROACH IS JUST THE THING TO MAKE THEM LEANER, MORE EFFICIENT, AND MORE RESPONSIVE. BUT DEMOCRATIC STATE REPRESENTATIVE ART PELLETIER DISAGREES. PELLETIER SAYS SCHOOLS DON’T NEED THREATS. THEY NEED SUPPORT, IN THE FORM OF SMALLER CLASSES AND BETTER TEACHER.SALARIES.
48 141 they’re not arrogant. They’re not opposed to change. But change, meaningful and effective change in education will take time. This kind of plan kind of reinforces the instant fix mentality.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND RAISES A HOST OF DEEP SEATED ISSUES. ONE MAJOR QUESTION IS THE BLANCE BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND THE STATES. DR. CHUCK OTT IS SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SOMERSWORTH SCHOOL DISTRICT. HE SAYS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOESN’T, AND SHOULDN’T, PLAY SUCH AN ACTIVE ROLE IN EDUCATION ISSUES.
This is a fed repub and we have always looked to the states as laboratories of democracy. When a fed order comes down to impose fed control over ed decision making and let there be no doubt nclb does this, it is not healthy.
BUT FEDERAL OFFICIALS DENY THIS IS ANY KIND OF POWER GRAB. RECENTLY UNDERSECRETARY OF EDUCATION GENE HICKOK CAME TO NEW HAMPSHIRE TO GIVE LAWMAKERS THAT MESSAGE.
You will not see in nclb or anytime soon a national curriculum. National standards. Natl testing. This is not a nationalization of ed polcy.
LASTLY, SKEPTICS SAY NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND JUST ISN’T THE NEW HAMPSHIRE WAY. THEY POINT TO NEW HAMPSHIRE’S RURAL CHARACTER, AND ITS HISTORY OF LOCAL CONTROL OVER SCHOOLS. MARK JOYCE HEADS THE NEW HAMPSHIRE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS ASSOCIATION. HE SAYS HE FAILS TO SEE WHERE PROVISIONS LIKE THE ONES DEALING WITH VIOLENT OR DANGEROUS SCHOOLS ARE RELEVANT HERE.
Many aspects seem aimed at urban school dists and don’t apply to nh. I think it’s a very un-nh and unrepublican initiative, and that’s why its hard to make it work in nh.
BUT FEDERAL OFFICIALS INSIST THEY WROTE THE LAW WITH A WIDE SPECTRUM OF PEOPLE IN MIND. NEW HAMPSHIRE SENATOR JUDD GREGG WAS A KEY ARCHITECT OF THE LAW. HIS SENIOR EDUCATION ADVISOR, DENZEL MCGUIRE, SAYS THE NEW LAW GIVES DISTRICTS A LOT MORE CONTROL OVER HOW THEY SPEND THEIR FEDERAL EDUCATION MONEY. SHE SAYS RURAL SCHOOLS IN PARTICULAR WILL BENEFIT.
One third of rural dists get unprecedented flexibility to consolidate funds and spend them on local priorites. So I think this is very much in tuen with how nh treats edn with regard to local control.
THESE DISAGREEMENTS OVER VALUES AND PHILOSOPHY WILL PLAY A TELLING ROLE IN THE COMING MONTHS. STATE OFFICIALS WILL MAKE KEY DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT ANNUAL GOALS TO SET, AND HOW TO TREAT FAILING SCHOOLS. TESTING WILL ALSO BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT. AS THE STATE MOVES FORWARD, IT’LL BE WADING INTO A CONTENTIOUS DEBATE ABOUT HOW TO TEST, AND WHETHER TESTING REALLY CAN BE A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND SCHOOL REFORM. FOR NHPR NEWS I’M
TRISH ANDERTON.
