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You know that famous quote: “What’s in a name?” Well, in the case of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), just hearing that string of words together makes most Americans cringe. So much so that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has recommended renaming NCLB altogether. I couldn’t agree more! I’ve never ranted against NCLB before in this space, so this seems like a perfect opportunity. Here goes:

The only good thing I could say about NCLB is that George Bush’s heart may have been in the right place when he conceived it. In theory, it’s nice that our President wanted to end “soft bigotry” – i.e. low expectations for minority students. In practice, the law turned out to be a disaster.

First of all, the standards mandated by the law are unachievable. This year in California, students are expected to make a “gigantic leap”: an across the board increase in proficiency of 11%, followed by 11% again next year, and the next. Come on, people! Get real! Even the most talented kids couldn’t achieve at that rate. The result: Stressed out principals, demoralized teachers, and students who feel like failures. (Not to mention more ammunition for anyone who argues that we should stop funding public schools because “they don’t work.”)

Secondly, the standardized tests used to assess student progress are terribly limited. They encourage kids to memorize and regurgitate (often useless) facts, and teachers to “teach to the test.” So children have no time to learn how to think or to solve problems that require critical analysis and creativity – skills they will need to get them through college and compete in a 21st century global economy. Not to mention the boredom that ensues when kids don’t have opportunities to become engaged in stimulating and challenging projects, and to actually produce meaningful work.

Finally, President Bush’s promise of reforming public education was not backed by the funding schools need to even begin to think of hitting these standards. If you’re going to ask teachers to climb Mt. Everest, at least give them extra training – and backpacks filled with proper supplies!

It’s definitely time to replace the No Child Left Behind Act with a reform plan that will actually help improve teaching and learning. So go ahead, Mr. Duncan. Change its name. How about the “Our Kids Deserve Better” Act?

takepart by entering the Name-That-Law Contest on Eduwonk.com and suggest your own new name for NCLB.