"High Stakes Community Schools" Debate

During this week for our Monday night lecture, our classes performed a mock debate. each of our discussion groups posed as a different viewpoint concerning the plans of the bipartisan act entitled No Child Left Behind (NCLB). In this certain case, our groups were presented with the various laws and new requirements that would be implemented into the education system and into the curriculum at the "High stakes Community Schools". After reflecting upon this debate, I noted a few key concepts concerning NCLB. This program affects many different subjects: teachers, a wide array of students, parents, community members, and business owners, just to name a few. The laws can have many idealistic outcomes, but can put a damper on many of these groups of people, especially low achieving students. NCLB is also a program that has many considerable outcomes, but also is far from perfect, one example being the requirement to keep students' grades in reflection of a bell shaped curve. Honestly, I think that our education system needs some serious attention and help, especially to be competitive, but I also find high value in many other social learning aspects that are not necessarily testable, but nonetheless important. As a future teacher, I must be aware of the future of NCLB, and learn to try and work with the system, but also voice my concern in order to make the program more efficient as well as applicable to my students.

Here's a link to more information on NCLB!
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml