I'm a teacher too. I teach special education and my children were left behind a long time ago. This insane little legislative piece says that only 1% of special ed is exempt from the grade level test. My students live in poverty and at best have one marginally competent parent. Most of them are being raised by people who shouldn't have been allowed to babysit let a lone have a child. For example I have a student who is late and exhausted for school because his father wakes him up late at night to play games with him. The father is usually drunk and just wants company and gives no thought to how hard the student already struggles to learn without sleep deprivation. I am somehow ( thanks to this law) expected to compensate for extraordinarily poor parenting, brain injury, learning disabilities, previous teachers, poverty, abuse, and a multitude of other problems. I am supposed to teach them respect, consideration for others, self discipline, higher order thinking skills, and to read, write, and calculate on grade level. All in 45 minutes a day and if I can't fix all these problems by the end of the year, a newspaper report will be published listing me as a failing teacher to shame me in to working harder and better. I work 70-75 hours a week for an average of $3 an hour. My students have my home number and call it regularly when they need help and comfort. I spend between $1000-$1500 a year on food for the students who have none, clothes for those who have none, supplies for the class, books, and materials to supplement. All to watch my students recieve those pretty certificates of completion because their learning disability and severe home problems make it nearly impossible to pass the test. I think the law should reall y be renamed for what it is. NO WHITE MIDDLE CLASS VOTING DEMOGRAPHIC CHILD LEFT BEHIND

"Democracy requires an educated public." I was told that by one of those so-called "liberal" professors back in the 80s.

The class was called "The Philosophy of Rhetoric". Scary, and getting scarier with every passing year. Talk about an education...

(Thanks for spreading the word, Static)

Good Christ! This is just the height of sheer idiocy! What in the Hell are those individuals with "Certificates of Completion" supposed to do if they can't attempt college or university, service the armed forces, take out loans or do anything important or required in everyday life? And here I thought my home province of Ontario's decision to can OAC (Ontario Academic Credits, or a 5th year of high school designed to prepare a student for university through "university-level courses for all you Yanks) was the cat's meow of brain dead acts....

Preach on Static! The Signal must go out on this horrific act!

BEB

As a concerned and intensely pissed off Canadian eight-grader, I would really like to know if such an act will ever be put forth by Harper, or if there is even the slightest possibility that it could happen in my beloved country, in my province?

WHAT THE HELL!??

A round of applause for the browncoat who's bringing this to people's attention.

Wow. Just wow. I already knew that NCLB was just about the lamest piece of legislation in recent days, but I had no idea it was this horrendous.

There is a No Child Left Behind Act in the RWED section. Perhaps we should revive it?

I hear yah, Static... I sometimes say I was educated despite the school system -- not because of it.

But don't underestimate the few quality, caring moments you spend with your students. A single moment can and often will be remembered for a lifetime. I still remember a kind moment a coach spent with me over a toy brontosaurus in elemntary school where some kids were teasing me cuz I liked playing with it (I was a Wash before there was a Wash)... I even remember the dinosaur's name : Gus. And how that coach spent a few kind moments with me telling me it was OK to have a toy dinosaur.

Wow, no option? That's... well... huh.

But, posting this in the RWD section would certainly get it to a wider audience. I really think that this needs to be spread.

Wow, I understand totally, I was taught the right way but I see so many young kids, even people my age act with out pride and respect, I live in Australia and beleive me its not just America that's experiencing this problem, its a worldwide epidemic that needs to be cured now before the world explodes into chaos.

I think my mind just broke. Is that actually true? I must go investigate.