No Child Left Behind

The No Child Left Behind law is one of the most controversial educational issues right now. It is something that every teacher is familiar with and I thought the group did a great job presenting the issue from both sides. I enjoyed all of the videos they played, especially the one that interviewed the teachers and principals. I was not aware of all of the specific goals of NCLB, I just new it involves a lot of testing and took money away from schools that did not meet the standards. I learned that to be highly qualified, teachers must have a bachelor's degree, full state certification or licensure, or prove that they know each subject they teach. I was a little disappointed by the fact that health and physical education teachers do not have to be highly qualified to teach because it isn't a core subject. I think it should be included with the other subjects. The group also discussed the goal that by 2013-2014, all students will reach high standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading and mathematics. Some of these goals just don't seem attainable by that date. I think the basic idea of No Child Left Behind is good, but there needs to be something done with this law. It will be interesting to see what is done with the law now that there is a new president.