The Children Can't Wait

Feb. 26, 2005 -- -- Remember when you were a little "shortie" and you'd be walking with a group of family or friends? Like most little kids you always seemed to be lagging, bringing up the rear. You couldn't keep up with your stubby little legs. Someone who cared a lot about you would invariably look back and warn, "You better keep up or we're going to leave you behind."

No children want to be left behind. Most parents don't want their children left behind. But, more and more, parents are worried that their children are being left behind by the public schools they attend.

What's ridiculous is that is it not so uncommon to find high school graduates who do not read, write or speak very well. Most of these ill-equipped students came from poor families, and from poor communities with poor schools. The parents forced to live in these poor communities can't scrape together enough money to pay for private or parochial schools. And, they can't afford to pick up and move to an area with good schools. That means for the 13 years their kids are in school, these families are stuck. Their kids, who need the most academic support, go to schools where they aren't learning.

It was with that in mind that President Bush proposed and Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002. Not since 1965 have there been such sweeping changes made in the federal government's role in public education. In the simplest terms, it holds schools responsible for properly educating students. The law includes measures that:

Everybody was optimistic. But, a funny thing happened on the way to "leaving no child behind." The law is under fire. Nine states have considered filing lawsuits against it. A new study issued this past week says that it isn't working.