An article in the National Review seems to show Michael J. Petrilli, one of the major writers of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, and co-author of the book "No Child Left Behind: A Primer" has concluded the NCLB "as enacted is fundamentally flawed and beyond repair."
Among critical problems he cites:
The mandate of "highly qualified teachers" was a good idea, but the NCLB stated that local school authorities were in charge of defining what was highly qualified, leading to a "race to the bottom".
Schools have become "test-prep factories." They teach to the new standardized tests instead of developing real academic skills.
School choice laws are meaningless because there aren't enough really good schools, and no useful mechanism to improve poor schools.
He reportedly says that he still believes in the underlying theories that inspired the law, but that the mechanism of the NCLB is fatally flawed.
As for one who is a teacher, and has seen my wife teach in the "test-prep factories" of California...
DUH!
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