No more No Child!

It is a sign of the times that House education committee chairman and co-author Rep. George Miller has recently spoken out against the No Child Left Behind Act, which comes up for renewal in September. The law, which has fervent supporters and opponents on both sides of the aisle, favors standardized testing rather than letting teachers do what they do best: teach.

No Child grades schools on their collective standardized test scores, and then threatens to close those who 'earn' a grade of unacceptable. But with schools from Houston to El Paso scoring 'unacceptable', is closing dozens of Texas schools really the way to educate our children? Clearly not.

Rep. Miller said that changes need to be made to No Child. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. If this act is to be effective, a major overhaul is necessary for this 'cornerstone' of Bush's domestic policy. Instead of being taught tests, kids should be learning appropriate curriculum. As Congress takes their latest vacation, and children start going back to school, let's hope that No Child is not left behind when Congress reconvenes.