No Child Left Behind will CONTINUE to leave MANY children behind

For those conscientious objectors to standardized testing as part of No Child Left Behind, it doesn't appear testing will go away anytime soon.

AP:

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration is committed to the school accountability at the heart of the No Child Left Behind law championed by former President George W. Bush but also wants to make changes, says Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

Duncan credited the law for shining a spotlight on children who need the most help, according to a speech prepared for delivery Thursday. No Child Left Behind pushes schools to boost the performance of minority and poor children, who trail their white peers on standardized tests.

Duncan agreed with critics that standardized tests are not ideal measures of student achievement. Yet "they are the best we have at the moment," Duncan said.

"Until states develop better assessments," he said, "we must rely on standardized tests to monitor progress."

Duncan noted the administration is giving states money through the economic stimulus law to come up with better assessments.

I'm not against accountability, I'm against this constant teaching to a test where our children become robots and don't learn anything else...except how to sit quietly and take a three hour exam.

And it seems apparent that some parents in Clark County agree. I found this anonymously written on another Web site while doing some research:

Terrible schools!  I've lived here for 19 years and would never enroll my children in a CCSD school.  The teachers are lazy.  They "teach the test" before required standardized testing is held.  They're only concerned with acceptable scores - not actually teaching.  Teachers leave as soon as they can at the end of the day.  They don't offer help or make themselves available.  If a student doesn't do well they blame it on the parents.  Administrators are defensive and only interested in protecting their jobs, decent standardized test scores and keeping a low profile. Never enroll your child in one of these public schools.  CCSD has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country.  Students can't pass the required proficiency exam because they were never taught the material - they were only taught enough to pass the required standardized testing that makes the school look good every year.  Put your children in a private school!

Looks like Vegas Valley View will be focusing on CCSD for the foreseeable future.

E.C. :)