robot-heart-politics:

azspot:

As I listened to the day’s discussion, it became clear that NCLB’s remedies were not working. Students were offered the choice to go to another school, and they weren’t accepting the offer. They were offered free tutoring, and 80 percent or more turned it down. Enough students signed up to generate large revenues for tutoring companies, but the quality of their services was seldom monitored. I recalled a scandal in New York City when investigators discovered that a tutoring company, created specifically to take advantage of NCLB largesse, was recruiting students by giving money to their principals and gifts to the children; several of the firm’s employees had criminal records.

Adult interests were well served by NCLB. The law generated huge revenues for tutoring and testing services, which became a sizable industry. Companies that offered tutoring, tests, and test prep materials were raking in billions of dollars annually from federal, state, and local governments, but the advantages to the nation’s students were not obvious.

I think it’s interesting that many of these critiques were the very critiques put forward by many educators at the time these laws were passed. The only people surprised by the fact that NCLB failed are the people who created it. Surprisingly, a lot of people in high places still haven’t figured out that it isn’t working…to the detriment of public education.

It’s frustrating.

Very frustrating.