Bush's Second Biggest Debacle: No Child Left Behind

Bush's biggest debacle clearly is the bankrupting and morally bankrupt Iraq War, which is the centerpiece of Bush foreign policy actions.

The dubious title of Bush's second biggest debacle has innumerable contenders, including the terrible financial damage wreaked on the American middle-class, the shameful failure to rebuild post-Katrina New Orleans, and the obscene budget and trade deficits generated by this White House.

I contend, though, that Bush's second biggest debacle is the centerpiece of Bush domestic policy: the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 and the damage this under-funded initiative has done to public education in leaving millions of American children behind at crucial times in their educational paths. (See No Child Left Behind Act News & Info Hub.)

Like the Iraq War, the No Child Left Behind Act ("NCLB") is a massively complex, often unrealistic undertaking that's laced with political ideology and riddled by greedy cronysim favoring Bush family and friends. And ultimately, both have proven to be failures in producing the desired results... all while costing American taxpayers untold billions. (For details, see Pros & Cons of the No Child Left Behind Act.)

Reading First Program Branded a Failure
Take, for instance, the latest report about the effectiveness of Reading First, a central part of the NCLB strategy. On May 1, 2008, the Department of Education was reluctantly forced to admit in a Congress-mandated report:

"Reading First did not improve students’ reading comprehension. The program did not increase the percentages of students in grades one, two or three whose reading comprehension scores were at or above grade level."

Aimed at increasing the reading skills of low-income first, second and third-graders, the program lavishly spent $1 billion a year largely on consultants hired or identified by the Bush administration/Education Department and on volumes of materials that met narrowly proscribed criteria set by the Bush adminitration. Turns out that many Reading First consultants used for training and materials in are long-time Bush cronies.

Commented Sen. Ted Kennedy, chair of the Senate Education Committee and a co-author of NCLB:

"The Bush administration has put cronyism first and the reading skills of our children last, and this report shows the disturbing consequences."

Another vendor used by the Bush administration for No Child Left Behind math, science, and social studies curriculum has been Ignite Learning owned by Neil Bush, the President's brother. Major investors in Ignite Learning include former President George H.W. Bush and wife Barbara.

The NCLB requirements of all public schools, from first grade through high school, have been extraordinarily burdensome and expensive. Positive results of NCLB are small to negligible, and the negatives have been radically significant, including:

• Teaching to tests, rather than teaching to facilitate learning
• Excessive testing of almost all grade levels
• Elimination of art, music, foreign language study, even sports in many schools
• Reduction of teaching subjects not on the tests, including science and civics
• Labeling tens of thousands of schools as chronic failures, but offering little additional support
• Targeting thousands of schools, mainly in low-income areas, for closure due to failure to meet stringent federal standards, with the teachers and principals targeted for firing
• Attempting to force districts with failing schools to support charter schools or fund students at private schools

Meanwhile, million of students fall farther and farther behind...

Desperately Seeking Funding
To add insult to grievous injury, the Bush administration greatly underfunded No Child Left Behind at the state level, even as it levied billions in additional mandated NCLB costs on the states. And so while the states are reeling under the burdensome testing and reporting mandates of NCLB, state leaders are scrounging to adequately fund public education.

In 2008, some desperate states, such as California, are forced to seek private funding for public schools just to cover basics. And again, it's the low-income neighborhoods that suffer the most... Penned Sen. Kennedy in a January 7, 2008 Washington Post op-ed How to Fix 'No Child' :

"... the law fails to supply the essential resources that schools desperately need to improve their performance. We can't achieve progress for all students on the cheap. No child should have to attend crumbling schools or learn from an outdated textbook, regardless of where he or she lives."

The Future of NCLB
The future of the No Child Left Behind Act is unclear. The 2002 Act was initially legislated for 5 years, and was then expected to be easily renewed in 2007. But Senate Democrats were divided were divided on reauthorization, while most Senate Republicans despise NCLB. Senate reauthorization has been put on the backburner now while legislators ponder hundreds of reform ideas. Congress likely won't take NCLB up again until the 111th Congress takes office in January 2009.

The basic principles behind NCLB are dearly-held U.S. democratic principles: "... (NCLB) demands that all children must benefit -- black or white, immigrant or native-born, rich or poor, disabled or not. Before its enactment, only a handful of states monitored the achievement of every group of students in their schools. Today, all 50 states must do that," per Sen. Kennedy.

All Democrats, and presumably all Americans, agree that federal educational initiatives must continue to support the Declaration of the Independence proclamation that "... all men are created equal."

Some legislators, including Sen. Kennedy, believe that with sufficient funding, the original aims of No Child Left Behind can be met. But those voices are dwindling to a minority.

Many Democrats, including Sen. Hillary Clinton, believe that with a major overhaul, NCLB is salvageable. Others, such as former presidential candidate Gov. Bill Richardson propose to entirely scrap it and start over with a program more supportive of teachers.

Sen. Barack Obama would consider public education of his top presidential priorites, and has put forth plans and spoken of it extensively and passionately. For details, see:

• Obama's Education Plan to Reform Schools & Reward Teachers
• Obama Slams No Child Left Behind, Speaks Out for Teachers

Look for education reform to be loom large in the 2008 presidential election as John McCain desperately strives to avoid the issue. Check back here for my coverage of this urgent issue.

One thing is certain about George Bush's No Child Left Behind Act: As is, it's a destructive, convoluted and expensive mess. Just like the Iraq War.

Related Reading
No Child Left Behind Act News & Info Hub

New York Times, Oct 16, 2007: Failing Schools Strain to Meet U.S. Standard
Los Angeles Times, April 20, 2008: California public schools seek private money just to cover the basics
New York Times, Nov 17, 2007: Bush Brother’s Firm Faces Inquiry Over Purchases