1+1=3?

The No Child Left Behind Act was an attempt at making schools and educators more “accountable” for student improvement throughout the school year and as an aid to what the government considers disadvantaged children. All that it ended up accomplishing was an amplified amount of pressure for schools to benchmark to ensure their survival and that pressure trickled down to the students. I agree with the following blog, The Isn't Mayberry ,that the act resulted in ridiculous school environments, having begun with good intention. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Teachers being allowed to teach the fundamentals and even create a more challenging curriculum should be priority. If the kids can pass the curriculum, then by logic be able to pass the annual standardized exams. Instead anxiety, stress of being able to meet the expectations and keep their school afloat is the curriculum of the day.

No bilingual education? I agree that our young ones lack a firm grasp of the English language as a whole. It is evident in social media postings, and the same standardized testing that was meant to reflect improvement. I do not advocate for a one specific language or another, but recent studies in neuroscience reveal that bilingualism actually improves cognitive function.  Studies as recent as March 2012 are revealing bilingual activity actually improves cognitive function, and not only in language skills alone. It improves the brain’s executive functioning, or our command system that directs our attention processes for planning, solving, and preforming mentally demanding tasks. Research is also reflecting a potential to delay dementia. Aside from the cognitive improvements, it allows exposure to other cultures not otherwise introduced at home or perhaps only reflected to the student through methods such as TV or social media. The U.S. need not acknowledge our home field language of English, but dismissing the benefits of bilingualism need not be abolished as well.

I opted for alternative learning with my own offspring because I did not feel that the current established curriculum and expectations from the public school districts were sufficient for the skills that they will need when it is time for them to burst into the adult world. They have benefitted greatly from the smaller class size and above average curriculum of a charter school while still receiving benefit of the ever important socialization. The blog is very matter of fact and has a good flow from one point to another. Citing case studies or introducing specific solutions as an alternative to improve the situation would have lent to a more solid argument.