Public Wants Dramatic Changes in NCLB

A Congressional briefing, based on a report from three years of nationwide public hearings, let lawmakers know how students, parents and community members see NCLB affecting their schools and communities and presented their view that NCLB needs dramatic changes.

Funding, Teachers, & “Capacity” to Help Schools

The NCLB goal of “educating all children to their full potential is essential,” said Wendy D. Puriefoy, president of Public Education Network (which held the hearings), “but [it] cannot be achieved unless policymakers address fundamental issues of resources, capacities and will.” Testimony at the hearings called for many changes to NCLB, including more and fairer funding and rewards for progress and incentives to encourage improvement.

Members of the public also said the federal law should continue to emphasize highly qualified teachers but provide the resources needed to help teachers become more effective. Congress should not implement policies that make it difficult to keep high quality teachers and should adopt policies that encourage talented new teachers to enter the profession. NCLB should also build a national system of incentives to attract the best teachers to our most challenging schools, participants said.

The hearings revealed the need to increase the capacity of state education departments and local school districts to support schools and students, especially low-performing schools. Moreover, the public wants an accountability system that focuses on incentives and avoids unproven reform ideas. They want more local flexibility and, the sin qua non, full funding for the many federal mandates in the law.

Unequal Schools & Parent and Community Involvement

People who testified at the hearings felt that NCLB was imposed on a public school system that remains grossly unequal and merely pays lip service to parental involvement. Students reported shortfalls of basic resources, such as missing textbooks, science equipment, and arts programs.

Parents and communities feel almost shut out of the school reform process. Not only does NCLB ignore the role of communities in achieving its goals, it seriously undermines the capacity of communities to be part of the solution for low-performing schools, hearing participants said.

“Over three years, and at every hearing site, the public supported the goals of NCLB. However, until the act addresses the realities of inequities, limited expectations of student and teacher capacities, and the isolation of parents and communities from school reforms, it will engender more rhetoric than real difference in the success of all students,” said Puriefoy.

25 Hearings in 10 States

PEN heard opinions from more than 2,000 people during the course of 25 hearings, focus groups and town hall meetings in urban and rural communities in 10 states between 2004 and 2007. More than 20,000 people submitted views via online surveys. The results are available in “Open to the Public: How Communities, Parents and Students Assess the Impact of the No Child Left Behind Act, 2004-2007, the Realities Left Behind.”

PEN is a nationwide network of 82 local education funds dedicated to improving public education for all children, especially those from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds.

Prepared by Molly A. Hunter, July 26, 2007