A Trojan Horse in American Education Reform (The First Day of School)

I began my education career over 10 years ago at a nearby University.  At the time, I was 21 years old with an Associate degree from a community college.  I enjoyed the sciences (Biology and Chemistry) so I thought I would love to make a living teaching these subject areas to junior high and high school students.

Oblivious to education reform, past and/or present (at the time), I landed my first job.  Single, independent, and eager. I was 23 years old with a solid foundation of content knowledge and pedagogy, child development, and the confidence of a general.

After using trial and error through my first couple of years, I felt that I finally had a hold on the world of education - classroom discipline, professional development,  and small town politics.  I had also gotten very familiar with the NCLB Act of 2001.  By familiar, I mean frustrated.

Bipartisan efforts to elevate standards for students across the nation caused massive amounts of paperwork, millions in assessments and rising tension as AYP determined the "success" of schools.  After so many years of missing AYP, schools had few options as did teachers.  Ultimately , according to NCLB, the requirement was to have 100% of students, including disadvantaged and special education, reaching the same state standards in math and reading by 2014.

This seems to be much like saying that if the right federal programs are implemented, persons living below poverty levels will reach 0% in 10 - 15 years, for example.  Or that a child with severe mental and physical disabilities should be able to do what the top athlete and academic star in the school can do.  That's what NCLB says anyways, but in not so many words.  These skewed values represent and i In some cases, teacher salaries were put on the line as motivation - the better the students performed on state tests, the more money they would get.  (in a nutshell)  I have led my horses to the water but they will not drink.

Let me be clear - I am not in a teachers union.  I'm simply just a former teacher that's lived education reform.  If you are a parent of a child in secondary school follow me.  The first day of school is over.