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NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND |
You might have heard about the President’s No Child Left Behind law (NCLB). This act was signed into law in January of 2002. It is important that our stakeholders are aware of the basic components of the law and the specific impacts it will have on Washington State and on Mount Baker School District.
The basic components are:
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1) Stronger Accountability for Results – all schools will be required to show “adequate yearly progress,”
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2) Flexibility for States and Communities – federal dollars can now be combined to meet specific local needs,
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3) Concentrating Resources on Proven Education Methods – federal dollars can only be used for specific, research-based programs, and
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4) More Choices for Parents—parents can move their students away from chronically failing schools.
One specific impact on Mount Baker School District will be the increased focus on each school’s improvement plan and annual school “report card.” Our schools do an excellent job in their school improvement planning; NCLB will require our staff to be even more focused on continuous improvement.
Another impact on Mount Baker School District and the entire state of Washington will be increasing demands on teachers. NCLB calls for “a quality teacher in every classroom.” While Mount Baker School District teachers are already GREAT, the new law, combined with a national teacher shortage and increased competition for teachers with our neighboring states, might make it difficult for us to prepare, recruit and retain high-quality teachers in Washington.
