Still Feeling Left Behind: By Jessica

Still Feeling Left Behind

Several South San Jose school teachers have succeeded in their efforts to bring their students up to par in the federally mandated program No Child Left Behind. Teachers all across the country, particularly in California, have had to face many challenges including larger class sizes and languages barriers.

NCLB, was signed into law in 2002, requiring all schools to test every student on reading and math. Schools that are unable to meet the federal requirements are subject to sanctions that can include a suspension of federal funding, and can allow students to transfer to higher scoring schools. While the proponents of the NCLB policy firmly believe the U.S. is taking appropriate actions to ensure better education for our children, I can’t help but feel unconvinced and discouraged.

As a result of NCLB schools have fostered a type of hyper-testing culture that leaves many teachers and students stressed out at best. According to Alexandra Robbins, author of “The Overachievers, Secret Lives of Driven Kids” 70% of teachers report feeling stressed in their efforts to prep their students for standardized test. Robins also claims that certain elementary schools will only allow their teachers to teach certain subjects after they have allocated the proper amount of time for test preparation. Subsequently, due to time and budget constraints, many programs including art, music, gym, foreign language and sometimes even social studies have been thrown to the waste side. There is little room for teacher innovation. Class instructors feel they are unable to teach their students how to think creatively and independently. Nevertheless, teachers must conform to a narrow lesson plan if they intend on achieving acceptable marks on the test.

Amongst many issues presented by NCLB policy, none is as great as its claim to help close the gap between white and minority students. Statistics have shown the contrary, giving way to the idea that the gap is in fact widening. Many of the schools in the urban sector have shown no signs of improvement. As a result these particular schools have either been put on probation or penalized with sanctions, there in by creating an obvious paradox. Those that have less are in fact only receiving less.

In a few areas where test scores have been improving teachers contribute their success to their focus on reading skills. Many children, particularly in the Bay Area, speak languages other than English, and have had difficulties meeting test standards. Despite this obvious hurdle, teachers have started to create more one-on-one time, and have structured their lesson plans on an individual basis. This method helps ensure that most students will have the necessary tools to tackle the exams. While the results have been favorable for some, the frustration felt by teachers still lingers.

As children move up from one education level to another many teachers are fearful that they are not equipped with enough critical analytical skills required to be a successful student. Although learning how to take a test is important, it by no means should be the focal point of curriculum, furthermore by not giving enough importance to improving students knowledge we create a system that ultimately sacrifices the best interest of the child.

NAACP's Newest Columnist: Allan Miller

Hello readers,

Instead of jumping straight into a particular topic, I thought I would start with a formal introduction. My name is Allan Miller. I am a student at a ‘historically black” community college in Oakland, Ca. I am studying Political Science and Journalism, and I am living a double life. Like many of my African American counter parts, I am young (25 years old) well dressed and, if I may say so myself, and I consider myself to be pretty intelligent. By spending time with the individuals that I grew up with in my native city of Oakland, I am revered as a genius. But according to the Oakland public school district, I was just an ordinary student getting by.

I had planned to write this long drawn out piece about police brutality and our justice system, blah… blah… blah, and I still will. For now, we will stick to something else that has become a major thorn in the side of the inner cities of today. The thought and fact that of being ‘stupid or ignorant’ has become cool or accepted. Then our capitalistic system (which feeds and caters to African American because we’ll be anything that shines, moves, talks and walks at the same time) gives us shows and music and even clothes that highlight the ‘Bliss of ignorance” and the happiness it brings us. Simple shows (“The Simple Life”, “Flavor of Love”) are funny but useless in our day to day life. Now, in the Bay Area we have “hyphee music”, which is similar to southern raps Crunk-style of music, it dares youth to “go dumb” and “get stupid”.

Youth today would rather not attend school because it is not geared towards real world issues, such as making money or buying a car, nor do they feel school is geared towards their particular demographics. In the words of my young cousins, they are tired of reading about “Dead white men and how great they were”. So instead of going to school, youth today would rather go “dumb”. This seems to fuel a music genre that then breeds ignorance. Since the root word of ignorance is ignore, what are we trying to ignore? Our past that includes being brought from our homeland, perhaps? Maybe we should ignore the fact that the ancestors of African Americans have suffered during slavery and Jim Crow while fighting hard for equal rights to learn and become an educated people. Since rap music that touches on those topics do not get radio play and is thought of as too controversial even though youth tend to listen to the stories that their favorite rappers tell rather than listening to their teachers, parents, and even grandparents. Even the Black music moguls who sale everything from music to clothing to credit cards will not play the voice of someone who could channel popular music with a message. Instead we should just pick up the latest record from an up and coming artist that uses drugs, commits numerous murders and sells drugs to an entire community before the CD is over. As the artists get richer, the young listeners and fans get dumber, vainer, and even more ignorant. It is not just music here, it is television, movies, and news media that keeps feeding the machine and it is all youth, not just Black youth.

I can only speak about what I see, and what I see is what I know. It only takes a few to make a change whether large or small we can all contribute. I know I contribute by voting and encouraging youth to strive for a better future and better understanding of politics that effect their lives. What about you? If you are an adult, set the example. Go vote and let your kids see that it is important to get an education. Show that knowledge is important even if you are not that well educated yourself. Pushing children and youth to be great isn’t a crime and you are not hurting them, as much as they might bitch and moan in the process.

Whew…I have such an enthusiasm for topics that relate to the youth of today. By writing like this, who knows, this could be my first and last column. Bye for now, and hopefully we will meet again.