Letter to the Editor

Your view: NCLB football

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

I read the editorial by Michael Jensen regarding the No Child Left Behind debacle. THANK YOU ! Finally, someone calling a spade a spade. NCLB is a set up to force schools to "fail" so the right-wingers can push privatization of public education. It's already happening in St. Louis where the governor has forced SLPS to surrender their autonomy to privateers. It's shameful that we've let this go on for so long. The schools are forced to teach only what the feds say they must in order to get back (as you said) OUR tax dollars. I say we keep those dollars right here in Missouri and make our own decisions.

Your editorial ends with reference to this "game" the teachers are forced to play, so I'll share with you an analogy someone wrote.

No Child Left Behind - the Football Version

1. ALL teams must make the state playoffs and all MUST win the championship. If a team does not win the championship, they will be on probation until they are the champions, and coaches will be held accountable. If, after two years, they have not won the championship, their footballs and equipment will be taken away until they DO win the championship.

2. ALL kids will be expected to have the same football skills at he same time even if they do not have the conditions or opportunities to practice on their own. NO exceptions will be made for lack of interest in football, a lack of desire to perform athletically, or genetic abilities or disabilities of themselves or their parents.

3. ALL kids will play football at a proficient level. Talented players will be asked to work out on their own, without instruction. This is because the coaches will be using their instructional time with the athletes who aren't interested in football, have limited athletic ability, or whose parents don't like football.

4. Games will be played year round, but statistics will only be kept in the final game. This will create a New Age of Sports where every school is expected to have the same level of talent and all teams will reach the same minimum goals.

NO CHILD GETS AHEAD, SO NO CHILD IS LEFT BEHIND.

5. If parents do not like this new law, they are encouraged to vote for vouchers and to support private schools that can screen out the non-athletes and prevent their children from having to go to school with bad football players.

Susan Cunningham

Pacific