The Rhetoric and Reality of NCLB

Gay, Geneva. (2007.) The rhetoric and reality of NCLB. Race Ethnicity and Education, 10(3) 279-293.

Gay gives a critical eye to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy. The purpose of NCLB is to increase the accountability educators by requiring states to set clear timelines for improving student achievement with attention being given to low-income and minority students. The disparity between these two groups of students is known as the achievement gap. The author is very critical and asks the tough questions in relationship to the purpose and state of NCLB, such as: Is NCLB more rhetoric than reality, fiction than fact, reproduction than transformation, form than substance? The article analyzes the following principles as it relates to NCLB: educational significance, teacher quality, the choice for all students to attend a high achieving school, and dealing with diversity.

I agree with the author that the concept of NCLB sounds pretty good. The reality of the situation is sounding good is not good enough. Low-income and minority students are still performing well below their rich and White counterparts. There are many pitfalls to NCLB. The next question has to go beyond determining that there is a problem in our education system. The creators of NCLB, educators, parents, students, and the community all need to come together to make a change. It is not only the responsibility for the policy makers to make a change everyone must look for a solution. I get tired of the critical and negative opponents of NCLB. I ask myself how many of the opponents of NCLB come up with another solution or viewpoint. It is time to stop complaining and take action.