Editorial and Op-ed Archive – December 2006
December 31, 2006 – The New York Times, “A New Year for School Reform.”
“The No Child Left Behind Act broke new ground when it required the states to educate impoverished children up to the same standards as their affluent counterparts, in exchange for federal aid. The law did not just drop out of the sky. It represented a deliberate attempt by Congress to ratify and accelerate the school reform effort that swept the country in the early 1990’s, when the states began to embrace standards-based accountability systems that quickly showed promising results.”
December 20, 2006 – The Sacramento Bee, Peter Schrag, “No Child Left Behind: Fix It, But Don’t Nix It.”
“Like many federal laws, the No Child Left Behind Act operates mostly on states and local agencies. Few ordinary citizens notice it in their private lives. But NCLB, the centerpiece of President Bush's compassionate conservatism, has had a deeper impact on the nation's schools and thus on students than any other piece of federal legislation.”
December 8, 2006 – The New York Times, “Why the Achievement Gap Persists.”
“The No Child Left Behind education act, which requires the states to close the achievement gap between rich and poor students in exchange for federal aid, has been under heavy fire since it was passed five years ago. Critics, some of whom never wanted accountability in the first place, have ratcheted up their attacks in anticipation of Congressional hearings and a reauthorization process that could get under way soon after the new Congress convenes in January.”
December 3, 2006 – Boston Globe, “The ABCs of High Achievement.”
“The country is stuck in an achievement gap. Many students with low test scores tend to be poor and members of minority groups. The education system is scrambling and too often failing to become a success factory. What will close the gap? . . . The cure? Build a better system.”
