How The Recent Standards Of The No Child Left Behind Act Have Hurt Education

American society believes that with determination and a good education one can achieve their goals and dreams. The question is, what exactly is a good education? What does it consist of? A good education is actually being able to pass the tests that are set up by the state so the school will get funding; or so it seems when one looks at the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. While a good education does require tests to determine what the students are learning, as well as what the teacher needs to go over, it is not what education should be all about. Students should learn many subjects from their teacher, math, science, reading, writing, history as well as different ways to interpret data and how to handle the situations life throws at them.

By today's standards a lot of students are only learning what "The" test might throw at them. A lot of teachers, in order to get funding and keep their jobs are "teaching to the test." The students, in turn, only learn what might be on the test and not necessarily how it is practiced. Not only is that a problem but the students aren't being presented with opportunities that might broaden their horizons. What this can mean is that some students might not be learning what captivates their interests so that they might find a future career in that area. At the very least they'll be missing out on an opportunity of enjoying what they're learning.

The teacher, in turn, has the job of teaching not only what the state mandates the students should know, but to get them interested in learning. Learning isn't all about just the basic aforementioned school subjects. It can also be about current events, human empathy, and life experiences. Teachers should be able to teach their students to think outside of the box, as Miss Ferenczi did in "Gryphon," by Charles Baxter. As shown at the end of Baxter's story, thinking outside of the box can get students interested in learning. Teachers should want their students to get involved in the world around them, and for the students to be concerned with a bigger picture than just state mandated tests.