What impact does the No Child Left Behind Act have on the teachers?

Question

What impact does the No Child Left Behind Act have on the teachers?

Answer 1

The teachers spend all year doing test prep and the kids end up learning less.  The kids that come out of the schools today will have a lot of facts running around in their heads but will not be able to problem solve.  

The standards are a joke.  But if you don't teach exactly to the standards a child may not know how to answer the question as the questions on the test are based on the standards.  For example my son was gifted in math.  I never wasted time with ramainders in division.  But on a 3rd and 4th grade standardized test you would need to find an answer with the remainer.  He homeschooled and got confused when he took the stanford 9(our state requires standardized testing every 3 years for homeschoolers) He did not know what the R ment.  He could do long division and get the full answer.   He could do word problems and tell me what would be left over if you split something up so many ways.    He still tested amazingly well but it looked really silly on the test.

This also applies to things like social studies.  You can not work with the interests of the kids.  You have to teach State History in the grade it will be tested.  Otherwise it doesn't matter that your child knows more geograpy and the cultures of the world than most of north America he will fail if he can not identify the state flower.

Answer 2

I know the teachers at our highschool were stressed.

Maybe though I see it more from the childs perspective as the children may be pushed to hard above their ability to keep up.

I also experienced a kg teacher holding back children in kg.

Alot of her students were held back.

My son for social immaturity.

Problem was accademically he was at a higher level so I use a public virtual school for him.

All the teens are struggling with regular public school , but they are making the grade.

Answer 3

It has required a lot of teachers go back to school, and take more courses. Which has meant many great teachers who have been teaching for many years and doing fabulous jobs, are leaving the profession becuse the stress of having to return to college( to take classes that, let's be honest, isn't going to make anyone a better teacher) is too much to handle. These teachers aren't getting paid leave to take these courses, they have to do it on their free time (free time? Between  grading papers and doing lessons plans, and going to inservices and professional developments and PTO and after-school programs, etc, etc.  What teacher has free time?) So this and other negative factors of the education profession has caused  many wonderful teachers to find employment elsewhere,and it has created a teacher shortage, that no one seems to know what to do about. Hmmm. Take some of the pressure off, that might help!!

Answer 4

It leaves no room to do creative activities during the school day.  

And, if you look at the curriculum and the amount of time that is to be devoted to each subject in a day, there isn't time enough for that, either.

Answer 5

NCLB is one of those one step forward, two steps back programs.  Yes, underpriviledged students now must succeed.  Yeah!  Sounds great. But, at what expense?  First, the kids who are "passing" the test, need no more help. Thus, the average stay average, learning the basics and then nothing more.  The advanced kids may have an accelerated program at some schools, but overall they are not given the time and attention they deserve to explore advanced ideas and concepts.  Teachers are totally swamped and stressed with trying to meet the needs of these lower achievers, all by themselves.  Frankly, some kids can't learn this stuff in a regular class. They need to be in special ed, or some other program, but often the more uneducated parents don't want their kids "labeled", so they refuse the tesing that can ultimately help them the most.  Classroom teachers have too many kids, too many bahavior problems, too many standardized tests and now this to deal with. It is grossly unfair to the teachers and all other children who deserve to be taught on their own levels, as well. However, there is no standard that says "X% of children need to be at this very high standard" so all the resources go to getting the lower kids pulled up, since that is the law. Not an "all bad" one, but certainly one that could use some revision.

Answer 6

NCLB has mandated standardized testing which means teachers teach to the standards so their students pass.  While this is not all bad its not great either because it limits time for creativity or for teaching outside of those areas that are not tested.  Students are being tested more and taught less.  Those tests are the standard by which teachers , students and schools are judged.  Lets say a teacher has a class of students who have learning needs but do not fit into the special education category.  This teacher starts with students who are below where they should be amd works with them.  The teacher gets them to a higher level but still not at grade level and the students still do not hit the proficiency mark on the standardized tests.  That teacher, those students , that school will not be considered successful even though the students had learned more and advanced.