No Stress, Little Kiddies

It's that time of year!
For those of you who have kids in grades three and higher, you know what I am talking about: The ITBS's.

No biggy, right? Well, it wouldn't be...except for this:
The No Child Left Behind Act. A wonderful government program! (It must be. Just look at the name. I mean, who wants to leave a child behind? Who's gonna dispute THAT?)

I admit it. Until this last year, I did not know much about this particular program.

Then, at the start of the school year, we received a letter in the mail stating that in accordance to the No Child Left Behind Act, my children's elementary school was put on probation. Too many of the students failed to score high enough on the ITBS's and/or failed to meet the attendance requirements. The parents were given permission (the one's who had children with low test scores) to move their children to a better school. Busing would be provided. We were informed that the school would have a designated time to get the test scores back up, and if it didn't, then the school would be closed--the teachers and staff let go.

This letter infuriated me for two reasons:

1) We have been at this school for five years and couldn't be happier with the staff and teachers. They have provided my children with a high-quality education. Proof? My daughter (who still could not read halfway through her first grade year) scored in the top 1% of the state on the ITBS in the reading catagory (and I give the credit to her teachers who worked tirelessly with her...I have been a lazy mom, scholastically speaking.) These teachers cannot work any harder than they currently are working! Their jobs should not be on the line here!

2) The sole reason for children performing sub-par on the ITBS at this particular school is this: the majority of them are coming from unstable homes. To put it mildly, they come from homes that do not put a priority on education. They do not care about getting their kids to school on time--or even at all--and they certainly don't care about the ITBS's. They don't care about their children's test results or future. Proof? At the most recent PTO, it was mentioned that NOT ONE of the families offered permission to transfer to a different school took up the opportunity. Not one. They just don't care.

So what happens when the school closes and all the kids are forced to go to a different school? The same thing! Over and over again, a vicious cycle!

No Child Left Behind does not improve our school system. It places the ENTIRE responsibility on the shoulders of the teachers. The truth: the only ones who have the power to impact the test scores are the parents. Unless we can find a way to improve the deterioration of families in this country, the problems in our schools (test scores included--though I predict they will not necessarily be the most urgent dilemma) will only increase!

So...no pressure, Laura and Lincoln, but the future job security of your beloved teachers rests on your test performance next week! Get working!