11442 David Mullaly As a long-time high school English teacher, I have been appalled by the negative impacts, direct and indirect, of "No Child Left Behind". 11563 11881 Shauna Simon I am an educator and see the need to stop this now. 13052 11927 Theresa Torrey Thanks to NCLB I am no longer considering teaching to be my career. I am no longer proud to be a teacher. 48240 12098 Katie Ellis I teach at a Catholic School....thank goodness, I would never teach in our public school system or send my children there because of the travesty that is taking place! 12112 Mary Ann Koonce As a parent of a learning disabled child and 30 year educator - I know that this cannot and will not work for every child. For those already experiencing learning difficulties we are focusing on what they are unable and will never be able to do instead of working with them to do the best they are able to do. In my experience this does not make for building a good self-esteem, which is already lacking in those children with learning, behavior, and other learning difficulties. 12124 Meredith Reu As a library media teacher and as a parent I strongly object to NCLB. 12144 Ariel Aver I am a teacher, and I have seen NCLB do terrible things to all of the schools for which I've worked. Please dismantle it! 78412 12152 Margaret Andrews A retired teacher and administrator who thinks that one should teach the whole child instead of what is required for the No Child Left behind Act. 12159 Kathleen Moran I am a teacher of English Language Learners, who come to our K-6 schools at all ages. It takes 2-4 years for them to become proficient enough to read norm-referenced tests. Our CA system will play catch-up or fail long past 2013. 70663 12164 Ronald Weishahn This "No Child Left Behind Act" is built on Failure, not Success. It's failure will get us on the road to success. I am a retired educator of 30 + years experience in Public & Private Schools, who has witnessed an alarming increase in the high school drop out rate, owing to this Act...a sure sign of it's failure. 93023 12256 Ken MacPherson As an educator I have seen the effects of this ill-concieved and under-funded law. It needs to simply go away. Our kids deserve much better. 12321 Marilyn Pearce I left teaching, in part, because of the changes brought about by this act. 11795 12355 Monica Wiedel I am an educator feeling the strain of the No Child Left Behind Act. While it may have good intentions, it is under-funded and does not produce lasting results. Just because you require teachers to "teach to a test" and make adequate yearly progress, this does not mean that students are retaining this information, nor does it mean they are applying it to their daily lives. Please reconsider your approach to evaluation of American students. 90605 12499 Susan Simmons Children learn at different rates, and to dictate that they must show a year's growth at the same rate as the general population is totally unrealistic. I work with Special Education students who are working as hard as they can. Yes, they are showing growth, but if they could show the growth expected of ALL students, they wouldn't need Special Ed. Whatever happened to the bell curve? 53711 12529 Sara Nalley As an educator in primary education for 31 years, I have only seen widespread panic and fear result in the unrealistic expectations set up for public schools since it first took effect. Please be real!! Children are not a product that can be mass-produced like cars! No educator, no matter how loving, dedicated, educated, and experienced, can guarantee educational success for all of her pupils 100\% of the time. If I could bring them home with me, to live calmly, get adequate sleep each night, eat nutritious meals each day, and monitor exposure to TV, violence, poor values, and bad choices, then perhaps I could guarantee the success you desire. Until I am responsible for 100\% of their day, please do not think I have the power to undo their lifetime of being raised in environments that break one's heart. Children have souls. Teachers do, too. Help us return heart, soul, and love back to our classrooms without fear of retribution when our young charges cannot meet unrealistic standards. 10035 12568 Denise Rule My special ed and second language students will always be behind. The requirements are not realistic for these two populations. We still have high expectations for them, but it is not fair to assess them all the same way. 12664 Susan Marie Smith As an educator, I see how NCLB leaves too many behind. 12687 Geoffrey S. Lapin As a licensed foster parent. a teacher of Special Education students, and a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) of abused and neglected cilldren, I believe that this program was / is inane, and yet another statement of your our President has no a clue about what is going on in our country, let alone in our school system. 6066 12709 Jo Franklin In thirty years of teaching I have never seen such far-reaching devastation imposed upon the children of every classroom in our country. Children need to be taught to think, to care, and to love to learn, and should never be forced into a one size fits all curriculum! 85302 12764 Katherine Gaffey Lehman I am a teacher fully informed about this destructive act. It is past time to dismantle it. 78368 12866 Allison L. Wischer As a parent of a child with special needs and as an educator of children with disabilities, I see that this Act does little to help my children and conversely, does a great deal to burden our schools financially. Rather than helping children like my son, it takes away desperately needed funds from programs that would benefit him. I beg you, please repeal this unfunded mandate. 93023-3204 12939 Rick Johnson I am a principal of a middle school and I think your doing the right thing by signing this petition. 13023 Elise Witt As an educator, I have witnessed firsthand the destructiveness of this act on children and teachers. It has done more to hinder education in this country than anything in recent history. Please dismantle it immediately and put the education of children back in the hands of educators, parents, and communities. Thank you. This is serious. 13396 Jennifer Heitler-Klevans As an arts educator and a parent I have noticed a huge negative change in the schools since this law was passed. 13502 Erin Collins I am a Special Education teacher in a public high school. The mandates passed down from this legislation have harmed our special needs students. 25882 13523 Susan M. Hall The biggest frustration for me is what it has meant in terms of assigning kids to special education classes because they are not meeting standards at the exact same time. I love standards as a measure for intervention, but not as a one size fits all and if they don't meet it they are special education students. 13090 13611 Antonio Cabrera My students are learning to take tests. 13677 Ernie Fabian I am a CA 3rd grade teacher who wants NCLB dismantled! 27609 13735 Ellen Anderson I am a "highly qualified teacher". However, due to the inadequacies of the people who were "processing" my certificate, I was never assigned such a label. N.C.L.B, is an absolutely inane and unacceptable mandate. It has hurt more than it has helped. 53705 13741 Kamun Chad Mohammed I am a first year teacher and not impressed with the Act or its vague definitions. 89436 13763 Gloria Mucci Because I am a teacher at a successful middle school, we have over 200 students from "choice" schools with out the necessary monetary support to help these students. We do not offer electives. Our locker rooms are crumbling. My class size is 35-60. So, "No Child Left Behind" equates to "No Teacher Left Standing." Please repeal this disastrous measure, and fund schools properly, enabling students to pursue arts, sports, and music. 13827 Mitzi Moran As a recently retired teacher, I have seen the devastating effect the NCLB legislation has had on students and schools. Children are not cookie-cutter products developed in a factory. They are individuals with differing abilities and needs. A teacher's goal should be to help each student reach his/her own greatest potential. 20147 13851 Jennifer Oliger I am an elementary teacher and have seen first hand the negative effects this legislation has had on my students and my school. 66048 13892 Cindy Orwig I teach fourth grade in the urban district of Akron, Ohio. It is unfair to cut funding to the neediest children. Their home life and economic situation greatly affects their schooling. 94539 13901 Mary Kay Olson I have been an educator for over 34 years and I don't believe that No Child Left Behind has accomplished what it was set out to do. We can't control the lack of initiative on the part of the ESL population or the poor economic conditions that have forced so many of our students to live with multiple families under one roof. 13910 Shelby Brandon I am a master teacher with 22 years experience and this is the worst thing to ever happen to education. 72801 13918 Mark Quig-Hartman I am well on my way to becoming an embittered and mediocre teacher, who heretofore, considered teaching to be a profession, not a job. I once loved what I did. I do not now, nor do my students; school has become a rather grim and joyless place for all. By "McDonald's-izing" education we have done a grave disservice to those we serve, our children. I despair... 14037 Lynn Garrison I have watched education fail and educators become disheartened and dispressed. I have seen children who used to love school, learn to hate school and testing. I have taught for 30 years and have seen 'fads' come and go, but NCLB is the worst of the worst for our children, our teachers, and our society. Many of the subjects and activities that used to be in schools and kept kids interested (electives, music, the arts, technical classes, field trips, etc.) have been dismantled and cut from schools in the name of teaching to the test. This is a travesty of social conscience. 94066 14153 M. S. I should know--our school was closed due to NCLB sanctions, completely redesigned, only to have the Feds/State come in a say that we have to go back into NCLB Program Improvement. Why? Because so many schools are changing in name only. The new school down the street didn't get this designation--and they were both created in the same incubator at the same time with the same supervision. We worked our butts off to create something new and successful....Now we get tons of money along with the threat that our new school could theoretically be closed in 2 years! 89509 14190 Jamie Harding As a reading specialist in a public elementary school, I witness these problems daily. I can attest to the strain NCLB has put on schools, students, teachers and families. Data-driven education quickly results in losing sight of the child. There ought to be a revolution. Please, as legislatures, take a real look at what NCLB is doing to our schools and support a balance between accountability and best educational practices. 14048 14269 Susan M. Binford As an educator, I have seen the destructive influences of this Act first-hand. It destroys the love of learning for children, and systematically removes the joy from teaching. There are no redeeming features to this Act, and it must be dismantled now. We cannot afford a future created by today's children who hate school. The United States cannot hope to be competitive in the global market with such poorly educated adults. 14307 Pamela Dolan This legislation translates to all children will have the same achievements at the same time. We as educators know that students do not learn the same things at the same rate. It does not allow for students to develop into their talents at their own speed, instead puts undue stress on students to perform at levels they may not be ready for. Educators need to be involved in these kinds of policies! 90755 14308 Marta Garcia I left the classroom to work in administration because I couldn't take the stress and anxiety of my students because of a test. At the same time it breaks my heart to hear my son say that he hates going to school. He is in First grade!!!! 94030 14309 Amy Schiavone Pretests, half-length practice tests, practice test-taking skills, all leading up to the real test. ENOUGH! My students are burned out. The pressure is too much. The joy of learning is gone. Students are simply becoming better test takers, rather than better critical thinkers. 94030 14375 Joyce E. Siler I have never seen anything in my 30+ years in education that has hurt education like NCLB has! 60035 14377 Joseph L. Reed I'm extremely passionate about education and educating, the NCLB Act has been my biggest obstacle. 14401 Judith Wright What a sham it is to come back to the US and teach under these conditions! All the creative juice has gone out of teaching. 14423 Robert Hamilton-Pennell As a public school educator for 27 years, I have watched school districts respond to NCLB with fear-based management and a narrowing of approaches to diverse learners rather by creatively expanding those approaches. 14048 14663 Jennifer Dahlquist I invite you to my classroom where you will see, first hand, the ills of NCLB. 8902 14694 Mary Gibbins As a former educator in the Texas public school system, I believe that this particular piece of legislation has done more toward the "dumbing down" of our kids than just about anything in recent history. ALL students suffer as a result of NCLBA. 14737 Kimberly J. Miller As a teacher of upper level math and science, NCLB is destroying my subjects. Students have advanced concepts pushed on them before they are developmentally ready. In order to pass THE TEST, they are forced to memorize steps instead of understand the processes. By the time students get to my level they hate math because it doesn't make any sense to them. They are not going to take upper level science classes that depend on math. The result of NCLB is a lower enrollment in the very courses we need to stay competitive in a technological world. 94127 14813 Sue Busch 8th grade teacher. I have never felt worse about my teaching or about what my students are learning. Under this system my students are regressing not progressing. We are betraying them. Treating every child the same is the worst form of inequity and serves no one. I am nationally certified (NBPTS) and yet I have virtually no control over what I teach, or how. It's all about test results and not about what students need to know to succeed in an uncertain future. 14816 SUE SOUDEMIRE I am an educator. This petition is excellent in that it reflects an insightful analysis of the flaws inherent in No Child Left Behind. 93292 14842 Terry Murcko NCLB has hurt public education in more ways than can possibly be detailed in this message. My work as a teacher of thirty years amounts to little in comparison with the importance of stopping the renewal of this travesty. NCLB has exacerbated financial emergencies in all but the most affluent districts, has demoralized teachers and students, has resulted in criminal injustice toward special needs students, has kicked open the school doors to the military recruiters, and has caused scarce school resources to be grossly misapplied. It has not and will not achieve the "accountability" it pretends to foster and it has driven many talented teachers away from the profession. It was a bad idea from the start. Pretending that it has simply been mismanaged or unde-rfunded is putting lipstick on a warthog. Dump it. 94951 14847 Patricia Dobosz As a parent and teacher, I have experienced the horrible failure of NCLB and plead with you to dismantle this Act. 15011 Laura S. Watkins As a recently retired teacher, I totally agree with this petition. This legislation is one of the main reasons I decided to retire early. I am so sorry that the young teachers coming into education today are being told to TEACH TO THE TEST-----IF IT'S NOT ON THE TEST, THEN DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME! When I was told this by administrators from the county level, I knew my retirement time had come. 11741 15100 A.M. Catanzaro What else would one expect from the Bush administration? Testing for tesing sake. Preplanned to fail and no funding as well. As a teacher of 39 years. I've seen this kind of insanity before...and the students pay the price. 94591 15132 Elisabeth Engan As a parent and a teacher, I have watched in distress as my childrens' generally excellent teachers have been required by this legislation to devote almost all of their classroom time to mathematics and a scripted language arts program which is supposed to contain "embedded" social studies, science, and arts, but really doesn't teach any of these. I have been distressed to watch my very bright son (who scored very well on the STAR test and was not "left behind" in math and language arts) deprived of science, art, physical education, social studies and music because there was no time in the classroom day to teach any of these. I volunteered to teach music in his class, and was told there was not enough time in the school day to include it. I have watched the atmosphere of fear in his district, and the total focus on test scores as a measure of achievement. This legislation is harming our children, our teachers, and our schools. It is time to come up with something better. 15140 Shawn Mansager I am a third grade teacher and I believe the NCLB is harming our public education system by creating a punitive, high stake, stale, unrealistic environment. 15169 Jamie Parker This law is hurting our students’ education. I entered the education profession to help our students learn and to enrich the lives of the community in which they live. Instead, my 8th grade students are subjected to over 20 days of standardized testing a year. My students are being deprived of hands on experiences that only field trips and other innovative activities can provide because a very small sub-group of students in our school did not meet AYP. The other 950 or so students are punished for the shortcomings of a few. Suspending a student could potentially jeopardize the schools chances of making AYP, thus tying the hands of the administrators (whose job is to create a safe and secure learning environment for our students). Teaching kids how to pass a test is not the same as them learning the things that they need to succeed in life. 15194 Joanna Katz I taught for three years in a school in Hayward, CA where the enforcement of NCLB cut our site budget each year. The penalty was due to 1 statistical subgroups' (bottom line: 5 kids) not meeting yearly progress targets. All the students, teachers, and parents were penalized by having fewer resources. This was totally illogical, as the school showed strong evidence of working toward the mandated goals with extensive professional development, curriculum alignment, and improved test results over all. Now that school is scheduled to be closed to help balance the district's budget. The neighborhood families are devastated as they will have to transport kids miles away to other schools. There are schools that could be consolidated more efficiently, but it is clear that making a school with a low API rating "disappear" is politically and financially attractive to the administration. The working class families suffer because of NCLB legislation that rewards affluence and punishes poverty. 25813 15220 Lily Chien-Davis As a teacher and parent, I am opposed to the No Child Left Behind Act. It does American children a disservice. Basal readers such as "Open Court" in the Oakland Unified School District are a clear example as to why this policy is NOT working. 15311 Anneita Harris I'm a Special Education teacher. My students with 60's and 70's IQ are expected to take the same test and be measured with their peers of the same grade. I've watched them become discouraged and just bubble in and not even try. If these students fail, I'm the blame. 78415 15389 Barbara Wiltfang I am an elementary school teacher on the Rosebud Native American Reservation in South Dakota. I am white, a woman, and middle-aged. I am a middle-class citizen. "No Child Left Behind" is an honorable thought, however, the governments application of NCLB is counterproductive. PLEASE STOP trying to clone our children! PLEASE give local authority BACK to the people who CAN make a positive contribution to the education of the children they know and love! 31606 15403 Jay Lord As a grandpa and an educator, I am compelled to sign this petition so that all children may have the audacity to hope. 15437 Cassie A. Barrow I work alot in the public schools and I am appalled that teachers are unable to do anything but teach to a test. It is a disgrace to the US and our future. 10977 15440 Jodi Tharan As an educator I am truly upset by the impact NCLB has had on students! 15492 Michael Gold One reason I retired from teaching several years ago was the illogical regulations I was expected to follow. It stifled my creativity in the classroom. 95829 15535 Susan Parashis I am a special education teacher. Some of the students that I teach are being hurt by No Child Left Behind. Some of these children need to be more prepared for becoming an adult. Academics are a struggle for them. Some students need more focus on life skills and vocational training and I feel that no child left behind leaves some of my students behind. 2633 15609 Gwynna Reinhardt As an educator, I find that this act has done more harm than good for the education of my students. We need the ability to be creative in order to teach, especially multi-culturally. 15670 Vicki Stokes I am a school counselor and district test coordinator, as well as a parent. I am absolutely certain that No Child Left Behind is the wrong approach to accountability in education. 15685 Jennifer Goodlett I am a substitute teacher and a tutor and I agree that the No Child Left Behind Act is not working to insure that no child is left behind, but instead is bogging down teachers and preventing them from doing what they love: teaching all children! 15716 Angela Magnuson I am a teacher. It is difficult to convince students in my title one school, that education is a valuable path for them to follow. I believe this is partly due to the climate in our schools that has been created by the No Child Left Behind Act. The climate is punitive and the act brings standardization to the core of education at the expense of the individual child. 15719 Kelly Moore This is a great website! Tell your friends! As an educator, I can see how important this petition is for all of us! 98155 15843 Jerry Edward De La Rosa I'm an educator and I've felt from its inception that NCLB was a horrible mistake. "One size fits all" type of testing is ridiculous and dangerous to our ed. system! 7047 15872 Lewis Kroner As a music teacher, I have clearly seen the destructive effects of NCLB. 15955 Rebecca Giles I'm so tired of seeing my special education students heartbroken because they cannot meet the same standards at the same time as their non-disabled peers. Please, stop the heartache! My students are dancing as fast as they can! 30072 15973 Gloria Moeller I have been an educator for 24 years, and I firmly believe this law is too flawed to be continued for all of the reasons stated above! 93933 16050 Cynthia T. Attaway Our precious special education students are all considered failures due to the standards set by No Child Left Behind. As a special education teacher of 23 years I totally resent this implication. 37354 16083 Deborah Burdette I teach 4th grade, and I can visualize academic equity in schools, but NCLB is not the reform that will make this happen. 94070 16086 Jamie Kai I am a special education teacher and there is nothing more heart breaking than watching a child who reads at a first grade level trying to take and pass a standardized test that is at a fourth or fifth grade level. It is just cruel. 16108 Cassandra Collins Students with learning disabilities no matter how severe are left behind by NCLB. The special ed. students that I love to work with are all considered failures by this Act. The gifted students, of which I was a part of, are forced to become just average. NCLB attempts to put an end to "non-core" subjects such as art, and theatre. How are our children going to become productive members of society if they cannot exercise creativity? 87505 16127 Shelly Osby I am currently working with young children in a child abuse prevention program. The No Child Left Behind Act has slowly diminished the quality of services we provide by mandating us to meet with all families who are referred to our voluntary program with strict time lines. I've seen the negative affects of this Act in our public school systems and this Act unfairly places us in a position to fail especially since Hawaii is a melting pot of many cultures with different languages, unique educational values, and poor immigrant families. 16151 Betsie Fobes I am leaving a 37 year career because I can no longer play the game. 94706 16176 Carolyn Humphreys I have been teaching since 1983. This act is crippling educators 97502 16216 Jennifer J. Meier As a teacher, this law is statistically impossible and each child has their own set of circumstances they come with. Unless you have a parenting law saying that parents will do everything they can to help support the child at home too, this law will never be successful and it is incredibly wrong to punish schools for many bad parenting skills out there. There does need to be some accountability for the schools, but this is not the way. 46815 16217 Nora Pennington As a teacher, I do not want anybody judging my job. They have twice threatened to fire me for my lake of performance. This is unfare! 16297 Kevin Curran I am a high school history/ government teacher. I taught junior high for 5 year before this. "Inclusion," where every student is in the same class regardless of ability level, is killing our education system. It serves no one! the lower level kids are usually lost, causing more behavior problems. The upper level students are usually bored or not challenged, leading to apathy. It's a mess. And this doesn't even address the biggest "elephant" in the classroom. That is, underachieving parents. Parents that have no clue, don't have the time, or simply don't care about what their children do in school--both behaviorally and academically. We need a way to hold parents accountable for their kids' actions, or our educational system will never improve. Never! 16318 Karen Yinger My special ed students will never be proficient. I give the CAPA and feel this is an extreme waste of time. |