EDUCATION / NCLB

The No Child Left Behind Act was enacted with a good purpose, but it needs reform to achieve our desired result. The current testing-based system has unfortunately been circumvented by certain states and schools who lower testing standards to get by, thus resulting in poorer student performance, not better. Though standardized testing may always be necessary, I believe we should include other benchmarks, such as college acceptance rates, when we evaluate school performance. For younger students, we should consider allowing parents to provide feedback and rate teachers on their methods and results. These reforms will give us a clearer view of school performance, allowing us to reward and encourage quality teachers, moving non-performing teachers to a different career track that better suits their capabilities, and ultimately resulting in better education for all of America¡¦s children.