No Child Left Behind

Dear Congressman Pascrell,
School is a very important part of a child's life. They are in school for at least 13 years. Since school is such an important factor I feel that the learning experience should be an enjoyable one. A child should be able to walk into a classroom and learn as much as they can without evening knowing it.

I am writing to you because I know that No Child Left Behind is up for reauthorization. NCLB effects me directly. I am not only a resident, but I am also a fourth grade teacher. I know first hand what effects NCLB can have.

NCLB has had some positive effects on our schools, but it has also had some negative effects too. To start, NCLB has help parents out. It has made information more readily available to them. This is important because the more parents get involved the better a school runs. It has also increased the number of highly qualified teachers in our schools. These two things are a major plus.

On the other hand, NCLB does have some negative effects. I am a teacher in a testing grade. I know first hand what the standardized test are like. This test is a very stressful test for the students and teachers. There is so much information on the test that the children need to know by March that educators wind up teaching to the test. This is not what teaching should be about. Children are not getting what they should be getting out of their education. Five days of stressful testing is not an effective way to assess our children. There are many other forms of assessment that can be done. These test do not represent the population of our schools. Our schools have such a diverse population. Each child learns differently so why test them all the same. NCLB doesn't benefit all.

The requirements for NCLB need to be edited. With certain changes made NCLB can be a very beneficial thing. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Kristin Robinson