32695. Erin Cassar ELA Teacher, Bronx, NY 10456 32693. Kristi Schlegel I have quit teaching this year because of this stupid act. I can't teach children just a stupid test that proves nothing! 65233 32680. Brenda Hanson We are pulling our child out of public schools due to NCLBA. With NCLBA turning kids into test-takers, parents who want to instead instill a love of learning in their child should have the option of receiving vouchers to place their children in private schools. 32604. Eric Schultz As a future teacher, I feel that NCLB is only a DETREMENT to my desire to become a teacher, and it does no good to our Education system. DO NOT reauthorize this act if you have any concern for the youth of today and the future of this county. DO NOT reauthorize this act if you have a heart and morals and wish to harm our children NO MORE!! 12901 32587. Rebecca C. Halfhill As a recently retired educator, I have seen the damage this has done to schools. Teaching to the test, no time for critical thinking skills. Put an end to it now. Thank you. 15683 32579. Tracy Stop I am a 4th year educator that is baffled as to why anyone could think this act could possibly do any good. 32562. Priscilla Webber-Sepulveda As a special education teacher, I have seen firsthand how counterproductive and damaging this legislation can be! Get rid of it! 06515 32560. Carla Benard Every year I give up more of my curriculum to test preparation. Instead of turning out better prepared students, I am forced to water down and summarize everything. No real time to dig in and give them more to think about. 60430 32559. Frank Martignetti High School and College Teacher in an Urban Area 06513 32558. Candy Ford Retired teacher 98225 32557. David Low I teach: I know. Do it now. 06519 32547. Lorie Franceschi Left teaching because of No Child Left Behind Act 95603 32472. Kristin Traylor I teach low income elementary - I know! 94591 32458. Robert W. McGowan, Ph.D. This law demands that more time be spent educating the unwilling & unable. It is shameful that the Government is blaming educators for the lack of progress by students who are unable, unwilling and unsupervised. Professional Educators cannot make up for homes where children are left to graze in the projects when they should be home doing homework. Educators cannot spend precious time on students who dare teachers to teach them. Much of the learning process must be and is in the home. In so many ways the lack of education prowess of US students is anchored by the sludge of students who dare teachers to "learn em sum tun". If the US followed education policy found in other nations, expelling those who do not met standards as the education process moves forward the US would surpass all other nations. It is only by adopting standards of non-excellence that educators will be able to attain the goals of legislators who feed at the troughs of funds from the middle class where all attain mediocrity. 98926 32455. Sara Billings this is inhumane, I work with at-risk kids; a few of which "cannot" be held back and in their appropriate academic level/grade; they have poor social skills and little to no friends because of their poor grades and sheer academic embarassment 61761 32449. Heather Shockley As a college student who has struggled with ADD throughout school, I find No Child Left Behind to be slightly ludicrous. I've taken an education course based solely on NCLB, and most of my class finds it flawed and unequal. Suffice to say, it is great in theory: that is, if all children learned at the same level, pace, and scope, this would be reasonable. But you can't expect that. Differences like learning ablilities, subject strengths and weaknesses, and drive to succeed are what shapes everyone into what they will become. Lets not pour everyone into the same mold from 5 to 18 years of age and expect them to branch off and "do something with their lives" when they're through with public education. 28227 32422. Lauren Mitchell As a future teacher is scares me, because were taught to challenge our students, but when it I am able to get my own classroom I am to make droids of my students due to the implication of NCLB. 28348 32407. Miranda Rutherford As a student, I see first-hand how NCLB is destroying all but the subjects that are tested--wiping out important courses like the arts, and even social studies, in order to receive the money schools desperately need. 92131 32374. Jo-Ellen Jenkins I am a teacher and I am watching the destruction of our schools, children, and teachers. Please dismantle the No Child Left Behind Act. 92880 32360. Brian Yarmak As a student of music education, the no child left behind act has basically killed as much as 75\% of the positions for my future profession. 99516 32294. Prof. Michelle Tichy As an Educational Psychologist and a Mother I strongly support the dismantling of NCLB. 54115 32274. Ashley F. As a student, I see the disastrous effects of this act every day in the classroom. 32265. ALi Beck As a teacher I believe that NCLB is pulling the BEST teachers from the students who need those teachers the most. Stop hurting our youth. We must support them, encourage them, and provide them with an education that makes them feel successful. NCLB has suffocated that need. 14609 32255. Lori Matchell As a paraprofessional working in a school, I've witnessed the decline of creativity and fun in learning. It is so regimented now and teachers are forced to focus only on what is being tested by the state. It's no wonder that children don't know any history these days. You get what you measure (most of the time) and the focus on NCLB is no narrow that our children are no longer getting a well-rounded education. And, there is no room for individuality. NCLB wants every child to be the same, score high, conform. Basically I haven't seen positive results from this in the slightest. We're moving in the wrong direction. 66085 32241. Cheryl Steigerwald elementary ed. major 17601 32239. Jamie Franklin I am a teacher 28806 32226. Marcia Hrncir NCLB requires me to spend hours upon hours to create testing activities and document results for my students with autism and mental retardation. Testing my student, and basing it on regular ed. objectives, is a waste of my time at home, my teaching time in school, and proves nothing about what my students are capable of. In addition, it doesn't test them on skills that are necessary to become somewhat independent in the future. I have students who aren't even capable of answering a simple "yes/no" question, yet I'm testing them on regular 5th grade Science objectives. 77450 32205. Tanya Land I am a teacher of 10 years in Exceptional Education and served as an administrator for several years. I left the public school system to be at home with my children and could not believe the changes that have been made in just a few years. I am very involved in the schools and hear every teacher complaining about the NCLB Act and I know that all teachers feel the same. So why hasn't something been done??? I do believe that teachers and schools have to have accountability but it needs to be a plan that makes students successful. This Act is leaving students behind at a greater rate than ever before. Students that have been diagnosed having learning problems are held to the same standards of a test as regular students. Why do we even have these remedial classes if we are not going to recognize their individual differences and weaknesses. This Act has forced many parents to homeschool their child or enter private schools. 32073 32181. Rachel Cohn I teach kindergarten in NYC. Well, not sure you can actually call it kindergarten except for the fact that the kids are 4 and 5 years old. The work that we do is definitely not developmentally appropriate. Basically its not educating the kids, rather helping them to hate school. 11377 32172. Robin Weimer I am a High School Senior, and I see this act in effect daily. I am so disgusted with this act, and I am very excited to both vote in the upcoming election, and sign this petition. I only hope it will be abolished by the time I have children in the school system. 15698 32150. Earl Holden teacher for 33 years this act has been bad. 98953 32139. Christa Pospisil As an educator, I feel the damaging effects of this law on a daily basis. 76148 32120. Cynthia L. Chase As a teacher with over 40 years of experience from Kindergarten through college teaching, I sign this petition with gratitude that I have found another way to make my concerns visible. 03431 32116. Andy Stewart Seriously considering leaving the profession if NCLB isn't at least significantly changed. 32093. Chantel Judson-Stripling Detroit teacher sees how it is NOT working as is 48080 32045. Dr. Albert Brugger As a teacher and school administrator who has worked in public schools for the past 25 years, I fully support this petition. The No Child Left Behind Act is detrimental to the education of our children. 53222 32017. Julius Mastitski 30+ years in Education 33477 31973. Cynthia Ettinger This act leaves most children behind. I want my housekeeping center back! 32751 31967. Colleen Stacy-Thomson As a 6th Grade teacher in California, I can tell you that it is a ridiculous notion to expect that ALL students, no matter their ability, or language barriers, be held to the same standard of proficiency, as those who are not disadvantaged. Students whose primary language is not English, and/or who live in a non-English-speaking household, are also expected to achieve proficiency. The number of Standards that we are expected to teach, and students master, are not reasonable to meet NCLB. Teachers end up teaching "one-inch deep, and six-feet wide", to meet the Standards - or try. As a result, memorizing is taking place (at best), instead of REAL learning. If our government thinks that NCLB is the answer, our representatives in Congress, should sit in our classrooms, or better yet, come back to the classroom, as teachers. NCLB would be repeated quickly. 92345 31937. Christine crowe as a former teacher I sincerely disliked the time wasted on teaching to the test 31864. Beth Kanne-Casselman As a teacher, I am strongly opposed to NCLB 93111 31805. peggy thrash Having taught kindergarten 31 years, I realize that they need age appropriate materials and time to develop critical thinking skills. The no child left behind act does not address the needs of our children and too much emphasis is placed on testing and test results. I always took responsibility for my class' learning as most teachers do. We're not trying to escape anything, but just want the best education for the children. 31778. Jill McCaskill Teachers cannot be creative anymore, please give us back this privilege 38305 31758. june van genuchten I read with interest your article published in Phi Delta Kappan, 12/07, entitled Make Room at the Table for Teachers. I am a veteran teacher and agree with your article 100\%. I did a case study for a course I'm taking towards earning my master's degree, on teacher morale using the NCLB mandated teaching methods and curricular focus. Although a small study, the results totally reflect the premise of your article - we know what's good teaching and yet we are stiffled by NCLB! Keep up the good work! 92506 31717. Christina Kuhn I have taught 3rd grade for 7 years and have watched since 2001 how education has changed and how children have been demoralized by high-stakes testing. NCLB, in combination with our state's Virginia Standards of Learning Tests, are atrocious and should be eliminated or, at the very least, reduced to a simple measurement. My students suffer test anxiety and pressure that no 8 or 9-year-old child should have to handle. I myself can barely sleep at night, I've lost all of my creativity (used to be a very creative person) and have suffered severely along with other teachers in my school. Sadly, I even teach at a magnet school where I have seen more and more government involvement destroy the abilities of my students. It's time to get Uncle Sam out of our classrooms and return them to the children and the teachers! 23608 31716. Sharon Parsons I am a teacher and a parent. Because of this act our students are not learning. Teaching for the test doesn't teach them. 07463 31714. Paul Bodner 20 years of teaching 94109 31710. Students at Galileo High School Students at Galileo High School want to destroy the act. 31703. Alicia Popowicz As a senoir who has been attending Norristown Area High School for 3 years now I have seen what the NCLB has done. It does not insitute fair learning enviroment nor does the standardized testing give valid statisics for the overall success of a school or community. Each indivdual has the right and choice to recieve an education so why should a law be able to take the enjoyment out of something we must continue to do for the rest of our lives? 31688. Rusha' B. Watson I am a elementary school teacher. 30554 31629. Crystal Alexander I am a high school student and I am 100\% for getting rid of NCLB. It was poorly thought out 31626. Alyssa Waldon This law is ruining students, not helping them. I am a student in the Mary Fulton School of Education at ASU and all the research I have done on NCLB has literally disgusted me a 31616. susan sullivan Future Teacher 85239 31604. Roberta Leopold High School teacher 20001 31593. Mary Mladinich-Spain As a Substitute Teacher, I am constantly hearing complaints from Teachers regarding NCLB. In the future, I will mention this petition to Teachers I meet and encourage them to visit this site & sign the petition. I love teaching the children, but I don't like seeing what NCLB is doing to them. 23462 31574. Stacy Coltrin Veteran Sped. Teachers have suffered because of NCLB 80439 31572. Dr. Jill E. Cole As a teacher educator, I truly worry about sending my students out into the current educational climate. They are well-meaning, hard-working, caring preservice teachers who want to do the best for their future students, teaching them to love learning. Unfortunately, with NCLB in effect, this is literally impossible. 19934 31548. Michelle Clift As a pre-service teacher, all I could do was shake my head while watching an eighth grade class work in FCAT workbooks. THIS DOES NOT FACILITATE LEARNING! After 12 weeks, I never witnessed these students' create, read, write, question, listen, speak, or think critically. This is unacceptable! Let's be accountable for facilitating learning, not creating people who think that there's one correct answer that has been given to them. 33634 31544. Kristin Reese As a teacher I find the NCLB to more damage and little good. 93722 31531. Ellen R. Silver-Horrell, M.Ed This law teaches and tests young learners in the most inappropriate manner known to leading educationalists. Drs. Lilian Katz, Sam Meisels, Barbara Bowman, Susan Kinsey, Diane McClellan and many others have researched best practices in early education, (which includes children up to age eight) and can show that children are being short-changed by a one-size-fits-all formula to improve public education. Teachers train long and hard to become experts in content. Why are we not relying on THEIR expertise? Teachers interact with the neediest learners daily and are one of the best sources for identifying the diverse learning, social, cognitve, emotional, motoric, and linguistic needs of the children in their classrooms. The ONLY good thing I can credit to NCLB is that finally, the government is allocating money for those most at-risk for school failure. What happens when all schools in a district consistently make AYP? Will the gains made on tests stand up to the test of severely reduced funds and personnel? 60430 31529. Karen Cusey M.Ed. graduate student in Minnesota 56267 31519. Florence Jeanine Molloff As a lifelong urban educator--I view NCLB with the total disdain it deserves. This law was never intended to improve public education, but rather serves to hasten it's dismantling. The authors of this nefarious legislation are clearly against the idea of an educated populace able to analyze the propaganda that is presently dished up as 'news,' and 'political discourse.' While I agree that students must improve--NCLB does not provide any appropriate remedies for present deficiencies in public education. I have a poster in my room which states my position clearly--...you must stand for what is right--even if you stand alone. The time has come for us to demand 'accountability and transparency' from our elected officials. The time has come for us to demand that educators actually run the public schools--not Mayors, not the Business Round Table, and not the privateers. In short--it's time to reclaim our democracy. 63114-1417 31503. Sheila Daniel As a high school teacher I see the damaging effects that excessive testing has on students. 30084 31500. Mike Epstein As a teacher, I think NCLB does more to hurt a child's education than help it. 22840 31474. Julie Hensley I am a preschool teacher and cry each August as I send my enthusiastic, joyful, thoughtful, risk-taking, confident five year olds to the public kindergarten where they will be tested after 6 weeks and made to feel like a failure because they cannot spell yet! School has become a prison for our children. 24368 31459. Connie Folsom I am a teacher, and to me this law does not provide effective strategies for school reform. We need to create other reform strategies. 31096 31457. John Shoemaker Rethink the entire education system from a current young teacher. 33411 31455. Eric Isaac Teacher in Title 1 school 33647 31454. Jason Ray Page Please, as a future educator, I beg you to dismantle this broken policy. 27807 31442. Sarah Riffle I teach students with severe medical and cognitive disabilities. NCLB is greatly leaving them behind 31434. Mary Wakeford I am a professional educator with 40 years of experience. 27510 31362. debbie owens we teachers hate it 31356. cynthia kline I am a teacher 08204 31335. Lisa Riley I work with special needs children and it is unfair to test them on levels they are not mentally capable of. We are not worrying that they can't read or do basic math. 31326. Allison Rabenau another teacher who knows NCLB is killing education 10023 31319. Vicki Fosbender I became a teacher because I want to teach, not to be a data analyst. I fear that I will leave all children behind in order to study data. I believe that I am a good teacher. I do, however, question whether I will continue in this profession because my love for student achievement far exceeds data entry. 96740 31318. Brenda McEntyre As a highly qualified educator of 17 years, I am appalled at the apathy of allowing NCLB to dictate what is of the best interest of our children and students by people who have not stepped foot in a classroom and witnessed first hand these unrealistic expectations. As I walk away from public education and commit career suicide with my retirement, I will know that I will sleep at night by not being an enabler to a law that has demoralized and traumatized teachers and students. This is not democracy. 33990 31309. Amanda Please rescue my students and school from the ridiculous FCAT by replacing it with a fair, balanced assessment which drives instruction rather than penalizes! 34434 31307. L Busby I have been against standardized testing since it's existence. I feel that the NCLB Act has done more damage than good and is NOT in the student's best interest. Teachers are now limited to what they teach. Most of the school year is dedicated to teaching students "how to take & pass" a standardized test. Relying on grades from a standardized test in an effort to gain an "A" school status & to receive funds is unethical to say the least. We are doing a disservice to our future leaders of America & I hope that someone listens before the damage is too far gone. Students need to be able to use BOTH sides of their brains! With this program in place, they are not able to explore their creative side. There are also schools that try to "weed out" students who have not helped the school receive an "A" status..we have experienced this in our local school. It is a SAD situation! 32561 31275. Daniel Holt I am in school seeking my masters in special education 88130 31273. Derek Plumb nclb is one of the top reasons that i will not be teaching in the US. 49330 31240. Susie Gahan I am an educator and parent-it is a ridiculous law. 47150 31225. James Reed teacher/administrator candidate 95252 31205. Peter J. Williams New York Teacher 12828 31193. Alice C. Brown I am an early childhood educator -- dismayed by all that has happened to our public schools since the NCLB act went into effect. 11530 31169. Karen MacKinnon The school I teach in will NEVER meet the standards required. It is poor, there are not enough books, special education students are required to take the same test and they cannot meet the standards. 60505 31160. Jonathan J. Wetter As a current and future educator, I have seen NCLB undermine and destroy the very education system it has tried to restore. It would be a shame to see Congress not listen to the educators themselves about what is working best in our classrooms for our students. Please rethink this bill and please reconsider all of the assumptions about teaching that were put into the first NCLB Bill. 10013 31136. Donald S. Havis I am a retired public school teacher & administrator 94401 31128. Ranell Burnett As a teacher NCLB has hurt children more than helped 94563 31071. colleen carlton Love to teach. Hate NCLB 92019 31056. Donna Richter As a Title I reading teacher in a K-1st building I am fighting to keep from becoming the testing "teacher". The use of the word fighting is not an exaggeration. 61761 31038. James Keydel middle school mathematics teacher 30996. Julie Shaw As a parent and a teacher, NCLB is single handedly destroying our children's chances at becoming good citizens with the help of our education system...Read John Gatto We are dumbing our children down... 19406 |