BATRA: Busby misses value in No Child Left Behind

The North County Times ^ | 10/24/09 | Sunana batra

[cold666pack]

"In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made school boards."

In 1897 Mark Twain wrote that and it came to mind last week as I read former Cardiff School Board member, Francine Busby's editorial criticizing Rep. Brian Bilbray for supporting an effort to hold public schools in California accountable for the progress, or lack thereof, made by students with learning disabilities. She said, "One of the most-needed changes (is the need to) waive the requirement that test scores for students with learning disabilities … be included in determining the overall performance of a school."

She'd rather we marginalize kids with special and unique challenges by not including their success or failure in the schools assessments, as required of all other students. (snip) ... It also minimizes the responsibility of teachers and administrators, ironically, the "praise-for-no-reason" crowd, for their progress.

Admittedly, The No Child Left Behind initiative has its flaws, first and foremost that it does not set forth "national" standards, instead leaving that to the states, where standards are all over the board. But liberals like Busby who trash it should answer one question, name one sector where accountability has been removed yet the results improved? She can wail all she wants about the need to "support our schools" but when they fail at teaching our most vulnerable children to read, her impulse is to wonder whether the expectation level for schools should be re-evaluated. Most Americans would agree, we need to set the bar higher, not lower.

We elect our leaders because we think they have good judgment and values that match our own, I for one, don't trust Busby's judgment about North County Schools.

SUNANA BATRA writes from Encinitas. Reach her at sunanabatra@gmail.com.

[cold666pack]

Now more than ever in history we need solid clarity and solid facts to guide us. We all need to wake from this bubble. It was fun, it had flavors of the 60’s free everything but it just aint cutting it anymore.

Kindness but truth is needed more than ever.

[stockpirate]

No dollar left untaxed!