The landscape of education in the United States has changed substantially over the last decade. One of the most profound changes occurred in the political arena. The advent of the federal "No Child Left Behind Law" brought unprecedented involvement form both the national and state governments in local educational issues, including teacher education. While few educators would argue with the principle of "leaving no child behind," the particulars of the law have caused major changes in policies and procedures in the k-16 system that have had negative impacts on the profession.
Given the fact that education in the US has generally been viewed as a states rights issue, most professional educators seemed to be caught unaware by the unprecedented scope and intrusive nature of the law. Now after five years of grappling with the implications of this legislation we are faced with the renewal and possible expansion of the law.
As educators dedicated to creating and supporting an educational system that prepares the children of our nation to become productive citizens in a democratic society, we MUST pay attention to what is happening in Washington. We have to become actively engaged in the political process. We have a professional and moral obligation to help our political leaders understand the issues surrounding the various components of the law so that they will craft a policy that best serves the needs of this countries children.
We hope you will join us in sharing and discussing information about the proposed changes in the law, research related to the effectiveness and side effects of the existing law, ideas regarding effective strategies to help achieve the principle of "no child left behind," and approaches to influencing politicians.
More broadly, we hope to build a dialogue about how we can DIRECTLY use our collective wisdom and skill to positively impact our community (in both the narrow and broad sense of the term).
Please join us.
Reid and Bola
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