Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Uncommon Knowledge: Hanushek and Peterson on No Child Left Behind
In the most recent episode of Uncommon Knowledge, I sat down with Rick Hanushek and Paul Peterson — two members of the Hoover Institution’s Task Force on K-12 Education — to discuss some of the major issues facing America’s schools. In this clip, they consider No Child Left Behind — whether it made a difference and how it’s been diminished in the years since its passage:
Published in General
No Child Left Behind was like minimum sentencing laws. Had the school systems done their job and educated, instead of dumbing down to keep graduation rates up in the pursuit of federal dollars, it would have never existed.
Now Common Core is the left’s way to codify their social engineering disguised as schooling.
I send my kids to school and the reeducate them when they get home.
Hurm… I’ll have to watch the whole thing, but my suspicion is NCLB’s “positive impact on learning” had to do more with teaching to the test than any real improvements in educational outcomes.
My kids have been in “Core Knowledge” (not to be confused with Common Core) charter schools since 2009. The emphasis is on literacy and, in particular, understanding Western heritage through a content-rich curriculum. It’s an education owed to every citizen of the United States, but it won’t happen through federal legislation like NCLB. It will happen through school choice and proven success, as demonstrated by the Hillsdale-model charters already doing this tremendously important work.
I think the net result of NCLB was negative. I base this on the following. Parents are responsible for the education of their children, therefore anything that reduces the influence parents can have on the process has a net negative result. NCLB reduced parents influence on the process. I am in favor of small localized government whenever and wherever possible, because that is what works best. The idea that a politician in DC should be telling the parent of a 3rd grader anything about the child’s education is repulsive.
As a teacher in the Republic of Ireland – it amazes me that in America and in Ireland (and I might add the UK) what is a major component of all problems in the education sector is: THE UNIONS.
In Ireland they are led by the far left, in UK, and in USA. I have no beef with representing teachers interests and protecting them from frivilous lawsuits and decent wage, but I cannot stand the fact that they are behind dumbing down generations through protecting incompetent or criminal teachers and refusing to accept basic standards in education.
Most teachers are only members of the union in my experience to protect them from getting sued or fired unfairly. Rarely for love.