WASHINGTON, D.C – Today, United State’s President Barack Obama placed a verbal deadline for Congress to rewrite the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. Pres. Obama wants the law to be rewritten before the 2011 school year recommences in September.
Pres. Obama stated, to the effect, that he wants every child to return to school in the fall knowing that America is making their education a priority. However, the President might have his priorities wrong.
Though the the rewriting of NCLB has been on the bi-partisan agenda for the time being, budget cutting is the main course and rightly so. What use it is to rewrite a law in the name of “better education” if we can not afford the system that is already in place? According to USAToday Pres. Obama wants to, “Double the federal investment in family engagement and deliver new incentives for schools to develop innovative ways to engage parents and community members.” No matter how you look at “Federal Investment” it will mean more money, as that is the only thing the government can give.
Still, this is not just some badly timed plan as, Obama actually took office promising to rewrite NCLB, which was enacted under former President George W. Bush 9 years ago. Furthermore, following meeting last week involving the president as well as a bi-partisan gathering of lawmakers who also think a NCLB rewrite is necessary, it is not clear if NCLB is their first priority at this point in time as well.
One of Pres. Obama’s plans for NCLB law really will make one wonder if he is really sincere about this rewrite himself. According to USAToday his plan stated, “Do away with unnecessary federal mandates and increase local control to pursue solutions focused on results. If schools aren’t meeting targets, improvement strategies need to be locally crafted to address the problems in those schools.” Since when did he believe that local control was the answer? The President is expected to make a more formal statement on this issue at a special trip to a middle school in Arlington, VA. later this week.
