Don’t leave NCLB behind

Published 11:48 am Friday, August 12, 2011

Letter to the Editor

Rebecca Fredrickson, Glenville

How unfortunate for our public school children that Minnesota will opt out of No Child Left Behind standards in education, after President Obama announced changing the current mandates.

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But it comes as no surprise. (He is the master at changing the subject when faced with negative publicity). Ten years of standardized tests have proven the current public school educational system is failing our children. What is the government’s answer to our educational system’s inability to meet the needs of our kids? Think about the parallel between the governments response to the rating agency, Standard and Poors, lowering the U.S. credit rating: their analysis is wrong!

The same principle applies to NCLB. Our educational system is failing our kids. Over 10 years of data have proven that. What is the government’s answer to our children failing in education? The analysis is wrong; too many factors are involved; so lower the standard; get rid of the law that mandates quality in education. Then, there is no accountability.

Rather than take responsibility, the government’s answer has consistently been to change the rules and lower the standards so they do not have to be accountable. No matter who is in office, the success of our children should be paramount. The current U.S. economy/credit is looked upon by other countries as a failure. Now our education system, which already ranks about 24th worldwide, will be looked upon by the world as a failure. We used to teach our kids the old cliché, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Today’s message is quite clear: If at first you don’t succeed … we will change the rules of the game.

What we are now left with is most children will be left behind in an economy that will be left behind. What a great legacy to leave our kids.