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.
