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‘No
Child Left Behind’ is a concept we all strongly embrace in a democratic
society. All of us.
The guiding efforts behind all of public education have always been
— and should always remain — rooted in the goal of reaching
all children and helping them achieve their full potential.
I have been a fervent supporter of the concept of No Child Left Behind
since it was first coined decades ago as the operating principle and
motivational mission statement of the Children’s Defense Fund.
For this reason, I was happy to see our federal administration adopt
that slogan as its own when it signed educational legislation into law,
underscoring the egalitarian foundation of public schooling in our nation.
We must always remember, as we seek this lofty goal, to celebrate what
is different in every child and help their unique strengths flourish.
We must craft a system that gives every child access to learning the
same base concepts as every other child without attempting to have all
children end up the same. If that were our goal it would be unattainable.
One size does not fit all. The world would be a boring place, devoid
of creativity, innovation, and delight, if we were all alike in every
way.
There must be standards and accountability for the academic success
of all children, and we work hard in our classrooms every day to help
all children reach their full potential and attain those standards.
That is the basis of the current accountability systems both in our
state and as put forth by new federal law.
Here is the problem: A very good concept, with excellent intent, can
be transformed by cumbersome compliance regulations and details that
are not only counterproductive, but also unattainable. The congress,
meaning well, can create regulations without knowledge of how children
learn and succeed, or the ways in which good schools operate to make
genuine progress in learning, rather than merely imparting test-taking
skills.
Sadly, parts of this new legislation may have fallen into that trap.
It is extremely specific and prescriptive, detailing letters to parents,
tutoring, transfer rights, transportation rights, etc., as a result
of student’s performance on standardized tests, and unyielding
in the speed at which these changes must be implemented. Sanctions kick
in based on tests taken from 1998-2000, which in many cases preceded
reform efforts. In California and in Michigan, where highly rigorous
standards were put into place, and high growth targets created, more
schools fail to meet performance criteria than in states such as Arkansas,
Alabama, and Texas, where the bar was not set nearly as high.
We can be proud that California has set such high standards for all
its school children and particularly pleased that schools — especially
those in Santa Barbara County — have continued to meet these new
challenges.
Each year new groups of students at a given grade level arrive with
different sets of skills and needs, so it is possible that scores will
dip in a given year and growth targets based on the performance of students
at that grade level the previous year will therefore become unmet. By
early October we will receive news of growth targets from last year
and it is possible new schools will join the list of those statewide
receiving sanctions. But I remain confident that our schools will continue
to rise to that challenge, if it occurs, and rededicate themselves to
helping all children.
We are committed to two pillars for reform. First, we must strengthen,
not weaken, local control and creativity, while designing an accountability
system that measures real progress in knowledge and skills. We intend
to continue to press the legislature and congress for the restoration
of local control.
Second, we support setting clear goals and high standards that are attainable
and designed to make sure no child is left behind. We are fully committed
to do all we can to help districts meet both the spirit and the letter
of the No Child Left Behind Legislation, along with the California accountability
program. The goal of giving every child access to the same excellent
educational opportunities as every other child is right on target.
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