Examining NCLB through the lens of our discussion with Bill Mathis
By Lenny Giardino
No Child Left Behind – Plessy v. Ferguson
Common Themes
Plessy v. Ferguson 1896 - Plessy v. Ferguson tried to legitimize the south’s desire to separate the races. The case settled by the Supreme Court legitimized this concept. If you read the verdict, it sounds fair. Especially in terms of thinking in 1896. The goal was to have separate but equal facilities for blacks and whites. Many northerners and people out west believed schooling would be provided fairly. I’m sure many people back then thought the inclusion of the word equal meant equal. However, institutional forces knew exactly what it meant. Forces in America had an implied meaning once the Supreme Court empowered the south into believing it could bring about its agenda. All institutions for blacks were meant to be inferior. Now how would that sound, separate but inferior? It’s all in the political marketing. The Plessy decision took quite along time for the Civil Rights movement to overturn the barriers setup by Plessy. I unfortunately feel this is true for NCLB and for this reason I do not share the optimism of Bill Mathis regarding the turn around time of overturning NCLB.
NCLB 2006 – The more I learn and analyze No Child Left Behind, I begin to understand the forces behind the legislation. Bill Mathis helped disclose the hidden agenda of NCLB. The agenda he discussed with us is the one that is never in the news. The goals sound noble, just like Plessy. Realistically, forces behind NCLB have a hidden agenda of vouchers, the introduction of business models in schools, and the replacement of public service ideas with private service ideology. Schools will be consumer driven and very politicized. Standardized testing will be a means for reaching many of the above mentioned goals. Once a school can’t meet unrealistic expectations, this allows the private sector to restore faith in the system.
Capitalism cannot save the day. This much I know is true. I do not share Bill Mathis’s optimism that NCLB will begin to change with the upcoming elections. I think NCLB will be around long after President Bush. Unfortunately, Republicrats, I mean Democrats will try to fund NCLB instead of reform education. They may tinker with NCLB, but standardized testing and review of schools will be a here for a long time to come. I believe from my own political background and activism that we can’t rely on people to pressure Congress alone. We have to democratically support legislators that want to reform education and eliminate NCLB all together. This will take a generation of voters to change to halls of state houses and congress to favor such a reform.
By Lenny Giardino
No Child Left Behind – Plessy v. Ferguson
Common Themes
Plessy v. Ferguson 1896 - Plessy v. Ferguson tried to legitimize the south’s desire to separate the races. The case settled by the Supreme Court legitimized this concept. If you read the verdict, it sounds fair. Especially in terms of thinking in 1896. The goal was to have separate but equal facilities for blacks and whites. Many northerners and people out west believed schooling would be provided fairly. I’m sure many people back then thought the inclusion of the word equal meant equal. However, institutional forces knew exactly what it meant. Forces in America had an implied meaning once the Supreme Court empowered the south into believing it could bring about its agenda. All institutions for blacks were meant to be inferior. Now how would that sound, separate but inferior? It’s all in the political marketing. The Plessy decision took quite along time for the Civil Rights movement to overturn the barriers setup by Plessy. I unfortunately feel this is true for NCLB and for this reason I do not share the optimism of Bill Mathis regarding the turn around time of overturning NCLB.
NCLB 2006 – The more I learn and analyze No Child Left Behind, I begin to understand the forces behind the legislation. Bill Mathis helped disclose the hidden agenda of NCLB. The agenda he discussed with us is the one that is never in the news. The goals sound noble, just like Plessy. Realistically, forces behind NCLB have a hidden agenda of vouchers, the introduction of business models in schools, and the replacement of public service ideas with private service ideology. Schools will be consumer driven and very politicized. Standardized testing will be a means for reaching many of the above mentioned goals. Once a school can’t meet unrealistic expectations, this allows the private sector to restore faith in the system.
Capitalism cannot save the day. This much I know is true. I do not share Bill Mathis’s optimism that NCLB will begin to change with the upcoming elections. I think NCLB will be around long after President Bush. Unfortunately, Republicrats, I mean Democrats will try to fund NCLB instead of reform education. They may tinker with NCLB, but standardized testing and review of schools will be a here for a long time to come. I believe from my own political background and activism that we can’t rely on people to pressure Congress alone. We have to democratically support legislators that want to reform education and eliminate NCLB all together. This will take a generation of voters to change to halls of state houses and congress to favor such a reform.
posted by book1 at 12:04 PM
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