"As a school superintendent, I understand the symbolic power of high aspirations. I am responsible for inspiring those engaged in the difficult work of improving public education. Yet, I am also keenly aware of the danger of asking educators to achieve impossible, nebulous goals. While initially inspiring, they eventually become debilitating. This is where I am with NCLB. Rather than supporting my efforts to improve student achievement, the law’s dependence on punishment and unreasonable mandates are among my largest obstacles."
Carl Cohn, Superintendent of San Diego Unified School District
"Teachers have always been concerned about accountability and authentic assessment but
the survey shows that this law really misses the mark on exactly what it is supposed to
be targeting-and the unintended consequence is more teachers are leaving because of the
law."
William J. Cirone, Superintendent of Santa Barbara County Schools
and Chairman, Teachers Network Board of Trustees
"The massive media and bipartisan support managed to make a lot of folks "out there" on
the ground think we were crazy, out of synch, and powerless. It's encouraging to see
that we have not been alone and that the voices of teachers and parents are finally being
heard. We might be able to get the reform movement back on track. Thanks for
undertaking this."
Deborah Meier, Senior Scholar, New York University Steinhardt
School of Education
"Most teachers across the nation justifiably oppose NCLB's overreliance on testing and
punishment. Educators see it narrow curriculum, hurt learning, and drive out
good teachers. The law must be overhauled so that it strengthens teaching and schools. Assessment
can and must become a tool to help the learning process, not bludgeon students and teachers."
Monty Neill, Executive Director, FairTest
"As we look at this data, it seems very clear that from the teachers'
perspective, NCLB is a top down mandate about which they feel
greatest pressure for their students to pass high-stakes tests
coming from their district administrators. This deprofessionalizes
the teaching force, pushing teachers towards rote instruction
that bypasses curriculum areas that are not tested and minimizes
teachers' efforts to be responsive to the specific needs of learners
in their classrooms."
Professor Frances Rust,
New York University Steinhardt School of Education
No wonder more and more teachers are lamenting, "I love to teach
but I hate my job!" The NCLB's wrong-headed regulations were immediately
obvious to teachers and are so very harmful to our most vulnerable
students. If unaddressed, this purportedly well-intentioned legislation
will result in the dismantling of public education - beginning
with urban schools. We want accountability, but the kind that makes
sense to the collective wisdom of teachers. And NCLB obviously
ain't it.
Adam Urbanski, Director, Teacher
Union Reform Network
"Every parent and policymaker agrees that the single most important factor in the quality
of any child's education is his or her teacher. And yet, when it comes to policy,
we seldom listen to the wisdom of teachers in the field. This survey sheds more light
on how America's teachers, those who are expected to do the work of improving schools, see
NCLB and should alert us all to the serious problems in the legislation." George
Wood, Director, The Forum for Education and Democracy. |