The Concord Monitor reports on teachers opinions on President Bush’s favorite legislation “No Child Left Behind”, and why they think it is problematic. Teachers described how standardized tests have intruded on in-depth studies, squeezed the time they have to instill a love of reading in youngsters and encroached upon some of the most enjoyable parts of elementary school life, like plays and reading for fun.
A special education teacher at Hillsboro-Deering Elementary school (a school identified as “underperforming”), Jennine Mann said of the testing “They don’t even know what they’re being asked. It reiterates for these kids that this is the only thing that matters, and you’re lousy at it.”
In this sense, Mann said, the test undermines diversity in the classroom. President Bush has said holding disadvantaged students to lower standards amounts to “the soft bigotry of low expectations.” Mann rejects this notion.
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