US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is working on a plan that would allow some school districts to get around the No Child Left Behind Act. Because schools that perform up to federal standards risk losing out on funding. One main requirements that centers making all students proficient readers and writers. Students living in poor neighborhoods may not even attend school often enough to pass standardized tests, while children who come from more stable families might skew statistics.
After it was found that four out of five school districts might fail under the No Child Left Behind Act, Duncan had to review the ruling. When the No Child Left Behind Act was passed in 2002, former President George W. Bush was certain that the law would be successful in 10 years. The target date is fast approaching, and more schools are losing funding. Politicians have tried to address the shortcoming in the US public school system several times, in and 2007 lawmakers were unable to get any changes made.
Arne Duncan believes that a major overhaul must be made to the No Child Left Behind Act in order to get children quality education. While Congress and President Obama work on balancing the budget, thousands of students are still illiterate. Teachers in Wisconsin have lost their right to collectively bargain, and educators in New York are uncertain if they will have their jobs next school year. Duncan remains optimistic that the nation will start to pay attention and that the necessary changes will be accomplished.
