As hard as you try to push square pegs through round holes, it won't work. Children learn in different ways.
The narrow-minded No Child Left Behind Act intends to leave some children behind. Any child who doesn't learn standardized curriculum designed to get students to pass a standardized test will be left behind. Teachers who pride themselves on teaching in a creative way that extends beyond the standard curriculum also will be left behind.
NCLB is hard on administrators; schools that don't meet minimal performance will be "taken care of" by the government. After we meet the minimums, then what? Are we to endorse flawed rules for evaluating schools and take them to their logical conclusion? The Fresno Unified School District needs to fight this mentality. Stop hiring administrators to enforce needless rules and ask teachers what they want and need to teach children.
Compliance with NCLB is enough. Remove as much testing as possible. Add arts and music, not more minutes to teach testing. Mend the torn system by supporting teachers. Ask them what they need and want to get children to learn. The teachers are the school's true assets. Give them the tools they require.
Carrie Krikorian Zuleski
Fresno
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