Bush Urges Continuation of No Child Left Behind
EmailABC News’ Kirit Radia Reports: In what he said would be the final policy speech of his presidency, President Bush traveled to Philadelphia to tout his controversial education program No Child Left Behind, signed seven years ago today, and to urge policymakers to continue it after he leaves office.
"I firmly believe that thanks to this law, more students are learning, an achievement gap is closing. And on this anniversary, I have come to talk about why we need to keep the law strong. If you find a piece of legislation that is working, it is important to make sure the underpinnings of that law remain strong," Bush said in remarks at the General Philip Kearny School.
"I’ve come to herald the success of a good piece of legislation. I have come to talk to our citizens about the results that this reform has yielded. And I call upon those who can determine the fate of No Child Left Behind in the future to stay strong in the face of criticism, to not weaken the law — because in weakening the law, you weaken the chance for a child to succeed in America — but to strengthen the law for the sake of every child," he said.
The president was adamant in support of the initiative, listing the program’s successes:
"The most important result of the No Child Left Behind is this: Fewer students are falling behind; more students are achieving high standards. We have what’s called the Nation’s Report Card. For those who wonder whether or not we should strengthen No Child Left Behind, I want you to hear this: 4th graders earned the highest reading and math scores in the history of the test. Minority and disadvantaged students made some of the largest gains, with African Americans and Hispanics posting all-time highs in several categories," he said.
President Bush came to office in 2001 promising to overhaul the nation’s education program. No Child Left Behind was launched in 2002. It sought to raise school standards and provide more flexibility for parents seeking to place their children in different schools.
Today, Bush spoke of the reasons for creating No Child Left Behind.
"We saw a culture of low expectations. You know what happens when you have low expectations? You get lousy results. And when you get lousy results, you have people who say, there’s no future for me in this country. And so we decided to do something about it," he said.
Bush also defended the controversial testing standards included in the program, saying:
"The key to measuring is to test. And by the way, I’ve heard every excuse in the book why we should not test — oh, there’s too many tests; you teach the test; testing is intrusive; testing is not the role of government. How can you possibly determine whether a child can read at grade level if you don’t test? And for those who claim we’re teaching the test, uh-uh. We’re teaching a child to read so he or she can pass the test."
The president also hailed No Child Left Behind’s school choice options:
"By the way, school choice was only open to rich people up until No Child Left Behind. It’s hard for a lot of parents to be able to afford to go to any other kind of school but their neighborhood school. Now, under this system, if your public school is failing, you’ll have the option of transferring to another public school or charter school. And it’s — I view that as liberation. I view that as empowerment."
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1st they gave us “head start”, then the government gave us “No child left behind”; Head start, left behind, something is terribly off here.
Posted by: please! | January 8, 2009, 10:56 am 10:56 am
Some schools have so many children who can’t pass the tests that they loose federal money. And why do they fail? Because the have to include all the children, the ones that have mental problems the ones who are going to school in America for the first time, and those in poor areas that make it so hard they can barely show up for school. There was no money added to help educate these kids, just a mandate to leave no child behind. My grandson is in third grade he has a fellow 3rd grader who is in the third grade for the 3rd time. He will never be able to do better but his scores are part of my grandsons grade and school test. Whats wrong with this picture? Bush doesn’t get it and will never get it. My wish is keep the law give them some money and get special care for these kids in real need. Mainstreaming all kids is not the right thing to do.
Posted by: Bonnie Kimberly | January 8, 2009, 11:09 am 11:09 am
No good ………………..does not work
Posted by: NH voter | January 8, 2009, 11:12 am 11:12 am
Bush is a dummy.
NCLB wastes our kids precious time with standardized testing which effects their entire year. Schools are punished by the feds and turned over for privatization. Bush should go back to grammar school and learn how to speak before telling all our kids and teachers what to do.
Posted by: hhkeller | January 8, 2009, 12:06 pm 12:06 pm
Too bad they didn’t have this when Bush was going through grade school. He needs all the help he can get. But look at him…he grew up to become president of the USA…what’s that tell ya?
Posted by: Independent Fighter | January 8, 2009, 12:13 pm 12:13 pm
I am always amazed that reporters call this Bush’s NCLB. This is patently dishonest. Bush came to the table with a slim 28 page document detailing his NCLB program. After TED KENNEDY got ahold of it, it became a bloated unrecognizable monster. I do wish Bush hadn’t signed it, but to say it is Bush’s, is wrong. NCLB did have some results, I have seen the studies, but the original plan put forth, the original slim Bush plan was a much better plan.
Posted by: di butler | January 8, 2009, 12:21 pm 12:21 pm
NCLB is a huge joke and only hurting our kids more.
Posted by: AnaB | January 8, 2009, 12:26 pm 12:26 pm
As someone who raised children in a poor school district (had to send my kids to private school), I always liked the intent of NCLB and like that it holds schools accountable. NCLB shifted the blame of kids not learning from the kids and onto the schools. It is a step in the right direction, but it does need some fine-tuning. To give it the oomph it needs, school districts need to find a way to make learning a partnership between the schools and all of its community members.
Posted by: Anonymous | January 8, 2009, 12:48 pm 12:48 pm
My son has ADHD, NCLB was signed when he was in junior high school and getting mostly C’s with a B and a D without adequate support – even with the existing IDEA, ADA and Section 504 accomodations. In high school, he was able to take more and more challenging work. He graduated last June with a cumulative 3.5 GPA in classes that included AP and Honors classes. He achieved 3′s and 4′s on the AP tests; was a Golden State Merit Scholar and is a Lifetime California Scholarship Federation member. He finished his first college semester 3000 miles away in NYC with a 3.4. He would have been left behind. He would have dropped out. He’s not stupid – but he does have some learning challenges. NCLB basically compelled our school to do what was appropriate for him and another couple dozen kids so they could learn. Now, the kid who hated school and schoolwork is planning on getting his Masters in Education and teaching other students. He already participated in a program for college students to teach literacy through the arts at a NYC Public School. If teachers and administration, parents and students are intersted and committed to teaching/learning – no child needs to be left behind.
Posted by: Rora | January 8, 2009, 2:08 pm 2:08 pm
It seems like only yesterday that President Bush was rallying his stricken nation from another classroom.
http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/the-protection-racket/
Posted by: ghost | January 8, 2009, 2:22 pm 2:22 pm
Rora, your son’s educational experiences due to NCLB was wonderful to read. I know your son will be a very successful educator. Everyone is intent on bashing Bush but NCLB did establish a national accountability effort to ensure that all K-12 students have “measurable” success, and it accomplished that “measurement” for all public school students. That is significant and deserving of some degree of affirmation towards #43, whether or not it’s tendered.
Posted by: Rob | January 8, 2009, 5:34 pm 5:34 pm
Rora…thanks for the success story of your son.
When Bush proposed the NCLB….the left loved it……it was even supported ( and maybe co-signed by Teddy kennedy??)….more MONEY than in any previous administration was going towards education….then REALITY sank in…….OMG!!!..the teachers were actually going to have to PRODUCE some results (like the rest of the American society)….then things got UGLY…..they starting attacking and bemoaning the new standards…complaining that it took too much “classroom time” to process the “tests”….even Teddy got involved with the teachers’ UNIONS to decry NCLB…….they cried for MORE money saying that this REPUBLICAN president was against EDUCATION….they forgot that the BUSH administration spent more money on EDUCATION than ANY previous administration…….but they did not like the CHALLENGE….it was not about the CHILDREN after all….it was about the teachers and the UNION….and now the NCLB will be scrapped and the NEW DEAL will come into power…………………………and Johnny will not be required to read befoe he graduates.
Posted by: centurion666 | January 8, 2009, 5:46 pm 5:46 pm
I think NCLB was and is the best thing about Bush’s 8 years…and I’m not fan of Bush in any way, but I work in education and NCLB may not be perfect and has it flaws, but it really opened our eyes to just how bad our education system is…and now we finally are discussing ways to fix it…He deserves credit for it
Posted by: matt | January 8, 2009, 8:34 pm 8:34 pm
As a teacher, I have spent years reorganizing to meet the NCLB standards. It has taken SO long to obtain new curriculum, complete the necessary professional development and to adopt state and local policies that it would be very difficult to attribute any student accomplishments in the last 7 years to NCLB -as we a just now beginning to fully implement it. While I applaud any student’s success, a child with ADHD frequently shows improvement as they mature. Crediting NCLB for this success is a stretch. The issue at the core of this is not that children are being left behind by teachers and schools; they were left behind and continue to be left behind by the federal government insufficiently funding public education.
Posted by: WA Teacher | January 9, 2009, 4:13 am 4:13 am
I doubt that this program really works. Parents have to work two jobs, don’t have time to check up on their students to see if they really went to school, much less meet with the teachers….
Plus, I heard on CNN this morning that 1 out of 7 adults in the U S is illiterate. 1 out of 7. And these people have the right to vote, take out mortgages, use credit cards.
I think self-determination would go a lot farther than wasting money in places where it is not doing any good.
Posted by: Debbie, Austin, Texas | January 9, 2009, 7:52 am 7:52 am
One of the principal authors of NCLB was Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Education for the Bush Administration. Spellings holds a B.A. in Political Science, was the political director for Bush’s first gubernatorial campaign; she later served as a senior advisor to Gov. Bush. Spellings did work on a Texas education reform commission, but she never worked in a school system and had no formal training in education. Obama may not completely dismantle NCLB, but we can expect a major ideological shift in our next Secretary of Education, in funding for programs, and in NCLB’s narrow standardized testing.
Posted by: center One | January 9, 2009, 8:17 am 8:17 am
I teach in a large urban district. At my school, we have made ayp (adequate yearly progress)each year, until this current year. Due to our hard-earned success, we became a receiving school for students from schools in my district that have failed. We service these students, many of them difficult, reluctant learners, with less funding and resources from Title 1 each year. In fact this year, our building budget is being cut again. Meanwhile, the failing schools are flush with funding. Although the intent of the law is honorable, the inequity is astounding. It lacks much that is functional and requires restructuring. Unless of course, the intent is for all Title 1 schools to fail, allowing an cleared avenue for for privatization of education in this country.
Posted by: Teacher On The Frontlines | January 9, 2009, 6:28 pm 6:28 pm
No child left behind will be left behind. Hey, George…
Where are the billions that went to the banks?… Where is the accountability?
The American people have the right to know. Did the so called “Bail out or Rescue” bail out the banks, if so why are they still not lending? Did it go to pay terrorist? Or, to give Israel more weapons?… Where did it go…? Did it go to pay off CEO bonuses?
I don’t think George cares because he has his. In his world the Recession will not touch him. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he hasn’t a clue…about the middle class America…Daddy Bush has taught and can be very proud… But, I still want to know where did the billions go?
Posted by: braith morgan | January 10, 2009, 10:04 am 10:04 am
Every teacher I have met says that this law hampers learning. No surprise then that Bush supports it.
Posted by: Huh | January 11, 2009, 9:16 am 9:16 am
I’m disappointed in NCLB. I thought that it would shut down the meat grinder mentality of administration about merely getting the kiddies through the system no matter how poor they are academically.
Was also under the (misguided I suppose) impression that it would actually put responsibility on the student to meet standards. OK, most can meet the standards…but they’re still functionally illiterate?
Alas, the Liberalization of our education system with a healthy dose of age-old jock mentality amongst admin and staff has made it difficult to turn ‘bad’ schools/students into good ones.
But, of course, when all else fails, blame the teachers. Oh, and the unions…leave the failing students and their lousy parent(s) and the emphasis on being ‘politically aware’ from our dear friends on the far Left like those at the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, free from blame.
Oh, and NCLB is very well known as a bi-partisan effort so give up on the Bush bashing on this one Libs.
Posted by: Grand Old Party | January 11, 2009, 5:47 pm 5:47 pm
I doubt that this program really works. Parents have to work two jobs, don’t have time to check up on their students to see if they really went to school, much less meet with the teachers….
Plus, I heard on CNN this morning that 1 out of 7 adults in the U S is illiterate. 1 out of 7. And these people have the right to vote, take out mortgages, use credit cards.
I think self-determination would go a lot farther than wasting money in places where it is not doing any good.
————————————-
Debbie, Austin, Texas
Wow, talk about letting parents off the hook. It is the PARENT’s RESPONSIBILITY to check on thier kid each and every day! It is the PARENT’s RESPONSIBILITY to establish a working realtionship with their child’s teachers!
There is ZERO excuse for this not to happen. Working two jobs is not an excuse.
Despite what Hilary Clinton claimed, it is NOT the town/village’s responsibility, it is the PARENTS!!!
As far as CNN goes and their numbers, care to recite the source of that data?
Pres. Carter created the Dept of Education, and ever since this then, liberals have decided to use it as their own little social engineering experiment. It has been a galactic FAILURE.
All we have done has force teahers to teach to the lowest common denominator and waste huge chunks of time dealig with IEPs and other foolish ways to “level” the playing field.
Unfortunately, when these kids graduate and hit the real world, they are completely unprepared for what lies ahead.
The system is broken and has been since the late 1970′s. It is time to go back to holding kids back in th eearly grades if they do not have a working knowledge of fundamentals for the grade they just completed.
If 3rd graders can’t do the multiplication tables, then do NOT push them ahead into the next levle of math where they can’t possibly have success!
Posted by: Mike_C | January 12, 2009, 8:56 am 8:56 am
Parents getting on their kids and backing up the teachers’ efforts works wonders with most of them. Of course, some kids (especially teenagers) don’t have a good rapport with their parents, so that doesn’t go anywhere.
Another thing-I’m not convinced that kids really apply themselves on these tests…there is no incentive for them to do their best unless it’s for graduation. If these scores showed their best efforts, then what would be the problem? All one can do is their best…but, they simply aren’t, so we really don’t know how competent they are in academics.
Remember, too, that in the other countries our kids are compared to they shunt their ‘farm school kids’ away from academia to apprenticeship and tech school programs.
Posted by: Grand Old Party | January 12, 2009, 8:52 pm 8:52 pm
When are these ignorant politicans, that send their kids to private schools going to see the truth? As long as the kids are allowed to be in charge, they will never catch up with other countries. I challange anyone who believes the Bush plan of No child left behind program is helping, to spend a day in classes of any middle school or high school. Then you will see the unruly, rude behavior of the students and then you will know why so many are graduating barely knowing how to read and write. I would not be a teacher in an American public school for $1,000.00 an hour! I am surprised that teachers are not quiting every day.
Posted by: Sue Jenkins | January 17, 2009, 7:41 am 7:41 am