‘Things Can’t Go Back’
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has had the thankless task of being the primary spokesman for No Child Left Behind. But her commitment has never wavered.
It can't be easy for U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. She's passionate about all things to do with school. "This is my life's work, my calling," she says. Yet, here she is, in the final year of the Bush administration, and instead of continuing the grand work of remaking America's schools, she's stamping out brush fires in college-lending caused by the credit crunch and rattling the cages of fat cats in higher education. She doesn't like to say it out loud, but despite her very best efforts, things haven't worked out like she (or her boss) had planned.
At lunch this week with NEWSWEEK, she was determined to look forward, not back. She's had a great ride. She came to Washington, first as senior domestic policy adviser in 2001, with a popular Republican president who promptly wrested education away from the Democrats, the ones who had traditionally dominated the issue. Back then, President Bush spoke loud and often about the raw deal poor and minority kids were getting in public school. Instead of a bleeding heart, he showed a kind of flinty compassion for the poor by condemning what he famously called the "soft bigotry of low expectations" that plagued our inner cities. He coupled that with an inspired can-do attitude about making real, lasting change that disarmed even his fiercest opponents.
Within a year, the president had, with bipartisan support, come up with what seemed like a clear-eyed solution—passing the wide-ranging No Child Left Behind reform, which Spellings helped draft. Finally, someone was holding teachers and principals accountable for the chronic and systemic failure that was plaguing America's schools, particularly the poor ones. With the support of Congress, the president forced states to set goals for schools and put pressure on them to meet them. In 2004, Spellings became Education secretary—and the torch bearer for one of Bush's signature domestic policy.
That was then. Seven years later after the law was enacted, No Child Left Behind is chiefly known by its flaws. Yes, states have standards, but some are laughably low. Local leaders, frightened by failing schools further eroding already tanking property values, have turned many schools into test-prep factories where teachers slavishly follow "standards" to teach the most basic curriculum, often in the most boring way. Kids endure weeks of teaching to the test and, in some locations, attend test pep rallies before the big day where they cheer each other on to get higher scores.
Because of the law, some formerly lackluster schools have become engaged in an often-heroic struggle to teach disadvantaged kids more, but because of the act's broad language, many are still designated as "failing." At a time when the numbers of Latino children in our public schools are skyrocketing—and schools are held responsible for making sure they learn—we still haven't mastered the process of making sure native Spanish speakers keep up.
To make matters worse, the rhetoric between the teachers unions and policymakers has rarely been more harsh. "No Child Left Behind may be the most negative brand in America," Rep. George Miller of California, the Democratic chairman of the House Education Committee told The New York Times. He should know. His attempt to broker some kind of nonpartisan agreement on how to fix the controversial law blew up in his face last fall.
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Member Comments
Posted By: patrymenia@hotmail.com @ 05/07/2008 10:28:58 PM
Comment: Excuse me, Newsweek. What the hell do you think went on in schools before NCLB? Were all the teachers incompetent? Did everyone just sit around and do absolutely nothing all day in all the public schools across the USA?
Well, Thank the Lord for the great savior of America's public school children, George "the humanitarian" Bush.
As usual, Newsweek panders solely to the republican agenda and ignores the truth. Must be nice to sit up there in your ivory tower of what used to be credible journalism and pass judgement on something you kinow absolutely NOTHING about. NCLB has been a disaster. Deal with it.
Posted By: jlemke @ 04/30/2008 12:26:12 PM
Comment: In a Utopian Society, it would be nice if everyone took responsibility for themselves and the ones they spawn; however, we do not live in Utopia. We live in the REAL world. Simply put, the government is trying to find a way to elevate the median educational standard by setting standards of achievement. I have never heard of an effective business without a business plan, goal, or mission which is what NCLB is trying to do for education. And while it is true that schools' scores are published in newspapers and publicly announced on television, why shouldn't they be? This is the public's right to know. The government does not desire to see students fail as you imply. It simply wants the people to know the facts as they are. If we are failing as teachers, we should admit that and move on to figure out how we can be better despite the conditions from which students come. The first part of getting better is to know where you stand and then focus on where you would like to be. Set a time goal. Determine what you need to make your goal achievable. And make every effort to achieve it. To complain that NCLB is "designed to give public schools a failing grade" is not helping the status quo. If you know students are not being provided a quiet place to do homework, then provide them with what they need in class. Quit giving them homework. Do not complain about what you cannot fix. I must admit that, I, too have felt the frustration and longing for things as they used to be, but our society is different. Parents do not do as they should. Teachers are the parents of today. If that is your calling, your purpose by and of God, then you will find a way to make miracles happen. But if you are complacent and reticent to change the ways you have been teaching because you cling to the ways things "should be", your teaching will never be all that and a bag of chips for you and more importantly, your students. Finally, I have never heard of a teacher being fired because of scores. I have heard of a teacher being given suggestions in a written evaluation on how to improve job performance. Teachers are not expected to "do it all". They are not "held responsible for the success or failure of the school or the district." That is laid at the doors of the principals and the superintendents. When things are that bad, more than what is going on in one classroom is going wrong in the school or district. Try not to be so imbalanced and emotional when you write as a teacher, it makes people not want to see reality or listen to the truth. Teachers work hard. We do more than teach in a class room, we parent. We get paid very little. Good teachers will come to the professions if incentive is there. The job is too hard for the lazy and the unwilling.
Posted By: jlemke @ 04/30/2008 11:37:43 AM
Comment: Don't get me wrong; there are some areas of the NCLB act I could pick apart, but there is one strength to which I must give credit to NCLB. Prior to NCLB, there were no standards at grade levels across schools, states, and the nation that were consistent. Prior to NCLB, in one math fifth grade classroom, students could be studying one skill during the first six weeks, while in another classroom elsewhere, students could be on a totally different metaphorical page. Students transferring from one school to another could be lost due to the fact there was no consistency in the scope or sequence of curriculla across the classrooms of America. In a society that is very transient, this presents problems for teachers in which there is a high rate of incoming and outgoing students. At least now, all students are held accountable for learning a minimum of information within a school year, and if they learn more that is wonderful! And for teachers, not all lesson plans must look the same, but their content must be the same. At least now, I don't have to worry that a first year teacher will not know what to teach my student within any given school year. This portion of NCLB is a blessing for which I am grateful. As for other areas of NCLB and assessment (specifically Special Education and English Language Learners), I still have some issues, but I don't wish to throw the baby out with the bathwater. There are ways that NCLB could be revamped to make it a better educational reform.
Signed,
A concerned public school teacher and parent