'The law ignores the realities we face as teachers’
Joan Prendergast applauds the concept of leaving no child behind. The veteran Oaklawn, Ill., teacher says that any effort to ensure that all children receive a first-rate education is well worth the time and money.
As a result of NCLB, the veteran teacher notes that staff at her elementary school are increasingly working in grade-level teams to coordinate what’s being taught, and the school is taking seriously the need to intervene on behalf of students who don’t test well.
But the law has brought its share of problems as well, notes Prendergast, who says key aspects of it “ignore the realities we face as teachers.”
The Southwest Suburban Federation of Teachers member is particularly critical of what she calls NCLB’s one-size-fits-all approach to testing.
“We should be using these tests to measure growth and to make sure students get the tutoring or other help they need,” she says. Instead, the law’s testing provision is putting undue pressure on teachers and students alike: “I feel like I have to teach to the test, because if my kids don’t do well, we’re all going to be graded and those grades will appear in the local newspaper.”
The law’s testing requirements fail to address the challenge of reaching kids from homes where English is not the first language, or those whose parents are too busy scraping together a living to help with school, or those with serious emotional problems. “We need more support systems in the schools, like guidance counselors and social workers,” says Prendergast. “I know that takes money, but it seems like some of the money we’re spending on the high-stakes testing could be better spent on providing teachers and schools with additional support staff.”
(Reprinted from the American Teacher May/June 2005) |
