How to Help Our Students (Jeb Bush and Mike Bloomberg Op-Ed)

Washington Post ^ | August 13, 2006 | Jeb Bush and Michael R. Bloomberg

[RWR8189]

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 sent an enormously important message to politicians and educators across America: Stop making excuses for low student achievement and start holding your schools accountable for results.

Florida and New York City are leaders when it comes to accountability in education. We have set high expectations for all students, and in key grades we have eliminated social promotion, the harmful practice of pushing unprepared students ahead. We grade schools based on student performance and growth so that parents and the public, as well as school administrators, know which schools are working well and which are not. Our emphasis on accountability is a big reason our schools are improving, our students are performing at higher levels and we're closing the achievement gap between poor and minority students and their peers.

The No Child Left Behind Act brought the same emphasis to thousands of schools across the country -- some for the first time in their history. Yet since the law's passage, we have learned some things about how to put the principles of accountability into practice in a way that most effectively promotes student achievement. As Congress begins to consider reauthorization of the act, we believe it should be guided by four main lessons:

· Make standards meaningful. Ensure that every state sets a high standard for proficiency. The existing law left room for states to define proficiency levels, and some have dumbed them down to create the illusion of progress. We need a uniform measuring stick.

[mysterio]

What does Bloomberg want to do? Give the kids hourly urine screens to make sure they aren't smoking tobacco?

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I sure hope Jeb hasn't been hanging out with Bloomie! It is bad enough that 41 adopted Slick Willie!

[Nextrush]

Tough standards should be set at the state and local level, but knowing how angry the National Education Association is, No Child Left Behind has its good points.

Education needs to be reformed with accountability (people lose jobs) and tough standards. Elected people who are NEA's puppets need to be taken out everywhere including state legislatures and local school boards.

Its sad but true that the "education association" routinely supports almost all Republicans who run and get elected to the state legislature in my area.

Parents need to hold their children to high standards, too. That's the one thing I will always agree with classroom teachers on.