California Schools Threatened By Federal Government

Helping Or Hurting?
It has been slightly more than three years since the Federal Government enacted the No Child Left Behind Act. The aim of this law is to "leave no child behind." That has been interpreted to include even those children that will do no work whatsoever. Schools that fail to motivate the unmotivated are threatened with punishment.

This law requires that all public schools in the United States must raise test scores by a certain amount each school year. As one goal is accomplished, another even harder to reach annual goal is automatically set.

The EdWonk can certify that all this additional work has ment no additional income, as salaries have been frozen for three years in his school system. Of course the cost of living is continues to increase. The translation is that teacher salaries have less buying power. In effect, teachers are working harder for less money.

Few, if any, extra teachers have been hired as a result of this legislation course there has been plenty of money for the hiring of legions of additional bureaucrats to oversee the various program. Many of these bureaucrats have little, if any actual classroom experience. These new bureaucrats regard themselves as an elite, and do not hesitate to wield their power of classroom teachers, often to the detriment of their students.

The San Diego Union Tribune is reporting that, thousands of California schools could face federal sanctions because they are not reaching these new goals. It is notable that a number of the schools threatened with sanctions have been recently recognized as "California Distinguished Schools."

Penalties grow increasingly unpleasant each year a school continues to miss its higher yearly objectives. These sanctions range from having high-paid outside consultants literally invade a school and mandate changes in curriculum and/or teaching styles, to the replacement of ineffective teachers and administrators. The harshest penalty that may be applied to a school is its actual shutting down. The unfortunate school's faculty is either dismissed or reassigned.

The buzzword that educators are constantly hearing is the need for "accountability" in the public school system.

This is all well and good, but what is missing from the Federal law is any accountability of the parents or students. Until they are required to participate in meaningful reform of the Education Industry, there will be many careers ruined, and plenty of children "left behind."