Be careful what you wish for . . .
February 16, 2007 09:39 AM
Posted by Beth
The National Association for the Education of Young Children is the latest group to put out recommendations related to the reauthorization of NCLB. I’ll start by saying that I wholeheartedly agree that quality early childhood education is vital to a child’s success in school and life, and NAEYC’s recommendations seem more than reasonable: more professional development for early childhood educators and more alignment of standards and curricula earlier in a child’s education, among other things.
NAPSO is another group looking to get further under the NCLB tent rather looking for a way to crawl out of it. And sure there are 100 groups listed here, but many have very little to do with education.
Given the fact that the average Joe can’t stand this law, and the vast majority of educators find it burdensome at best, I don’t really understand why an education organization, especially a membership organization like NAEYC would want to be subject to its provisions.
Yes, it is the biggest pie and everyone wants a piece of it, and it sure does get a lot of attention, but have they talked to a teacher in a school not making AYP recently? Do early childhood educators really want the supersize federal accountability--think AYP for kindergarten--that accompanies the NCLB attention?
Comments
I am pleased that people are reading our Call to Action for the 110th Congress. We have been promoting high quality early childhood education in different reauthorizations of ESEA over many years. You are correct that many of the provisions of the current ESEA/NCLB would not be good for younger children -- high stakes testing, for example. But as states, communities, and schools strive to enhance the educational opportunities for all children, we believe that it is critical that public school administrators, teachers, other pupil services personnel, and families work together on a shared understanding and implementation of developmentally appropriate curricula, assessment to improve instruction and services, and teaching practices as well as the other supports for children's healthy social, emotional and physical development. That is the basis for our ESEA/NCLB recommendations in the Call to Action. Be assured that we do not want a push-down of inappropriate curricula or assessments. We are not recommending AYP below third grade as suggested in the post.
Posted by: Adele Robinson | February 27, 2007 12:20 PM