The Legacies of NCLB: Build It and They Will Come--or Will They?

In my mind, the 9/11 image above is one of the saddest in U.S. history; it brings to mind the terrifying day of tragedy that wiped out so many innocent human lives in flames of unimaginable horror and sets it against the backdrop of the President trying to peacefully read a book to a room full of little people full of endless potential.  Unfortunately, the picture also forever links in my mind that day and moment with No Child Left Behind.  The bill had already been passed by both houses of Congress and was soon to be signed into law by President Bush.  Off hand, the legislation set lofty, albeit entirely unrealistic goals:  "Build it and They will come."

By setting high standards and using measurable goalposts reflected in AYP ratings (Adequate Yearly Progress), the act established a litany of "corrective" policies for "failing schools," possibly culminating in lucrative corporate charter takeovers which might line the pockets of private interests.  The act ultimately decreed the impossible:  one-hundred percent student proficiency by the close of the 2013-2014 school year.  Well, here we are in 2014.

It was built, but where are They?  Some are still waiting for Them to come.  And, they blame teachers for the barren, burnt out nature of a blighted landscape.  If all students have not achieved proficiency (indeed, 70% failed the NY state 2013 Common-Core tests), grossly ineffective teachers must be blamed.  Today, RttT seems no less misguided.  RttT professes the same sickly obsession with high-stakes testing and the favoritism shown charters.

Why doesn't the U.S. government just dictate perfection, one-hundred-percent proficiency, in all of its policies, foreign and domestic, establishing a litany of measurable goals, penalties and a "fall guy." Then, it can sit back and wait and wait and wait some more...

To begin with, the situation in Iraq worries me greatly.  We would all like peace there.  I think we would all like an inclusive, democratic government based on a respect for diversity.  So, why don't we just decree it.  If the goals are not met, why don't we blame our men and women in uniform?  They are used to defending themselves and others from bombs and bullets, not this nonsense.  We could court martial them one by one and simultaneously try to relieve them of their pensions!  We could replace them with a corporate-owned army of mercenaries!

Then, we could dictate that there should be no more destruction caused by fires.  No one wants to see buildings or forests burnt to the ground and innocent lives threatened.  If the government's goals are not met, we can just blame the firemen, and any women, for their failure to extinguish flames fast enough.  We can fire them!  Their hoses and extinguishers won't work against such absurdity!

We don't need to dictate an end to poverty because it's already been determined that teachers are the sole force standing between every single American and a comfortable lifestyle.  Why, if such and such had only had three highly effective teachers in a row, then....

We live in disheartening times, especially if you have the misfortune of trying to help kids in classrooms across America!  You make a convenient scapegoat!  So, I'm sure even if They did come, They wouldn't want to stay!  And, who could blame Them?