Jennifer N Gant

No child left behind was a government act established in 2001 for Elementary and Secondary Education. The law sets deadlines for states to expand the scope and frequency of student testing, revamp their accountability systems and guarantee that every teacher is qualified in their subject area. NCLB requires states to make demonstrable annual progress in raising the percentage of student’s proficient in reading and math, and in narrowing the test-score gap between advantage and disadvantaged students. In my opinion, this act is five years old I really don’t see a change in the public school system. I am from Chicago and I can only base my opinion from what I have seen in the public school system. My little sister attends an elementary school in Chicago. I believe this act is not working. Classrooms are still over crowded, books are very old. I don’t see the results the government is trying to accomplish. During my senior year of my undergrad I did some community service for an after school reading program in an urban community. I was helping a young boy that was 9 in the first grade. He didn’t know how to read a first grade book; it was very difficult for him. The thing that interests me was, not that he didn’t know how to read the book, I can understand some people having trouble reading but, he knew so many music songs word for word, and curse words also. All I can say to myself was, “that’s his parents fault, he knows every single song on the radio, but cant read at the first grade level. He wasn’t mentally challenged; he just didn’t want to put up the effort. Today, nearly 70 percent of inner city fourth graders are unable to read at a basic level on national reading tests. Another reason I feel that inner city schools have poor scores, are the teachers. Some teachers are just there for a check; they don’t want to take that extra time to help students when they need help. Most teachers feel they are underpaid; they feel they don’t get paid enough to go that extra mile. Even in my high school it was not set up for you to go to college. Like some suburban schools we didn’t have a prep coarse for the ACT or SAT. Our books were 30 years old, or maybe older. I feel that the ACT and SAT tests are bias. In my opinion public school are not preparing kids for the future. It wasn’t till I got to college I really learned how to write a paper. Some people might think oh that’s just your school every school is not like that, but that’s not the issue it’s a lot of schools on academic probation, and just not meeting the require scores. So who’s at fault the teacher, student or parent. I believe all three. As a tax payer, where is my money going for the NO Child Left Behind act, because I don’t see a result. I also believe learning is power, but if there’s no type of structure with in the school then that’s just setting up kids to fail.