Don't Toss Out The Baby With The Bathwater: Why NCLB is Worth Reauthorizing By Debbie Smith PATHS Through School Choice March 9, 2007
As lawmakers look to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), it is important to review the strengths as well as the weaknesses of the law.There is little doubt that by setting standards and demanding accountability greater attention has been brought to the actual performance of our schools.And there is little doubt that NCLB has achieved like nothing before it, focusing our efforts on the unacceptable achievement gaps that exist among students.
Therefore, the reauthorization of NCLB must include rigorous national standards set by the federal government.The federal government’s responsibilities should also include testing students (by the establishment of a national test), the collection and dissemination of data (to provide better information on local school performance to parents), and the distribution of funds (most efficiently accomplished by attaching education dollars to each student).
All other reform priorities, such as setting class size and the hiring and firing of teachers, should be established by states and local districts.School leaders and state and local leaders must be empowered with the authority to get their jobs done. Increased local control over setting priorities also gives parents greater control over the education of their children.