No Child Left Behind

Recently, the Education Department stated that 11 states have sought a waiver around unpopular proficiency requirements in the No Child Left Behind education law.  The states that applied this week are Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Tennessee.  About 28 states — including New York and Connecticut — as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have declared their intention to apply in the second round, the department said.


No Child Left Behind has been widely criticized by educators and parents alike for being too reliant on standardized testing.  NCLB requires current school curriculums emphasize academics and standardized testing to the exclusion of developing creative thinking.  But without creative thinking, how are the new inventions and new solutions going to happen? Albert Einstein said, "Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere."


Insufficient education funding has left public educators with little choice.  In order to receive federal funds, they must comply with NCLB.  And by requiring a curriculum that emphasizes standardized testing to the exclusion of these types of creative learning, our children and our entire Nation will be left behind.