"Yes" to Long-Needed Reform

“No Child Left Behind,” one of the most renowned statutes remaining from the Bush Administration constitutes several measures attempting to improve our education system. In summary, “No Child Left Behind” focused on standards-based education, requiring states to set certain goals for which their students to meet. While formulated in good taste, “No Child Left Behind” has been utterly disappointing in benefiting our education system. This is primarily due to the standards that states set for themselves. Schools that struggle to meet their goals begin to lower expectations, cheating their students of a thorough education. Too much emphasis has been placed on standardized testing, so much so that these tests have been completely watered down in order for more students to do well. “No Child Left Behind” has left significant adverse effects on our education system. Unfortunately, hundreds of children are being left behind. Schools attempting to improve their ratings are shunting less adept students aside instead of focusing on their needs as expected. Schools deemed “not up to expectations” receive little monetary help to improve their situation and left to fail. Wrapped up in this law, schools focus more on meeting the numbers than on the true education of their students. What does this mean for the future of America? Our youth is not receiving the knowledge that they deserve. Future doctors, lawyers, politicians are lacking the basis of a strong education. Perhaps, many of those aspiring doctors, lawyers, and politicians won’t ever attain their goals due to their lack of proper education.

I find this outrageous and completely unacceptable. Barack Obama’s suggested overhaul of the “No Child Left Behind” law could not have come soon enough. Finally, something is being done to right all the wrongs of this ineffective attempt to better our education system. Don’t get me wrong, I recognize the good intentions behind President Bush’s law. Yes, it has caused some improvements. But not enough. I simply point out that Obama’s suggestions take on a whole new—and might I add, better—approach. By providing an improved set of guidelines by which to evaluate schools, less emphasis will be placed on standardized testing, allowing for a more wholesome education for students. Instead of grading schools mainly on standardized testing scores, Obama supports looking at graduation and attendance rates as well. Rectifying one of the most troublesome aspects of “No Child Left Behind,” Obama’s reform of the law calls for rigorous intervention for failing schools. Prospects look promising for this all-encompassing and detailed plan to change the current education law. It looks like now, truly no child shall be left behind.