The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act, in theory, strives to have each and every child, no matter race, social background, sex, etc. So, in order to do this, all children are classified into subgroups and tracked accordingly. Each subgroup must pass the government’s criteria for improvement or the schools does not meet Adequate Yearly Progress(AYP).

One BIG problem. There are many children who are mentally challenged that are expected to meet the same criteria as a child who is considered “normal”. For example, let’s take two kids, Jake and Bob, two eighth graders. Jake is considered a “normal” child and has average grades for a middle school student. Bob is severely handicapped, to the point where he can only function at the level of a second grader.

The problem here is that Bob is expected to be tested and pass the same tests as Jake. As an educator, let me tell you that this will not happen. No matter how much you want Bob to succeed, he is incapable of passing the eighth grade test. As I said earlier, he can only function at a second grade level.

Another issue with NCLB is funding. You get penalized for not meeting AYP by losing funding, and even requiring a school to be shut down or reorganized. While closing or reorganizing a school can be beneficial, it is not always the solution. Generally, what is required to meet the NCLB requirements is additional funds to provide the services needed to adequately tutor or remediate the students. Unfortunately, when schools fail, the funding is cut and other sources of funding in the school district must be diverted to provide these remedial services.

Luckily we are in the last legs of President Bush’s term. Let’s hope that whoever takes his place will have a better solution to our education problem. NCLB is certainly not a solution.