Rename Law? No Wisecrack Is Left Behind

[underpants]

Source: NY Times

WASHINGTON — Two years ago, an effort to fix No Child Left Behind, the main federal law on public schools, provoked a grueling slugfest in Congress, leading Representative George Miller, Democrat of California, to say the law had become “the most negative brand in America.”

Education Secretary Arne Duncan agrees. “Let’s rebrand it,” he said in an interview. “Give it a new name.”

The civil rights leader Marian Wright Edelman took the high road, suggesting it be called the Quality Education for All Children Act. But a lot of wise guys have gotten in on the act too, with suggestions like the All American Children Are Above Average Act. Alternatives are popping up every day on the Eduwonk.com blog, where Andrew Rotherham, a former Clinton administration official, is sponsoring a rename-the-law contest.

One entry, alluding to the bank bailout program, suggests that it be called the Mental Asset Recovery Plan. Another proposal: the Act to Help Children Read Gooder.

Since Mr. Rotherham announced his contest last week, Eduwonk has received 41 entries, including: the Double Back Around to Pick Up the Children We Left Behind Act, the Rearranging the Deck Chairs Act, the Teach to the Test Act and the Could We Start Again Please Act.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/education/23child.html?_r=1&hp

[hobbit709]

1. Teach to the Test Act

is the most accurate description so far.

[uppityperson]

19. That is it in a nutshell. Along with other stuff like "give military access to your kids unless you

opt out".

[ixion]

2. how about scrapping the law, bad from the get go, and start worrying about

really teaching our children to use their minds, instead of teaching the test, which is the lowest form of erudition, IMO.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Because that would make too much sense

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. The Abandon Critical Thinking Act

[underpants]

9. Here in Va. Governor Gilmore called our version of it.... I am not kidding....

the Standards of Learning


yep

S.O.L.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Oh that's a national term

All the hip state education depts are using SOLs. They're from some think tank in DC.

Obviously not thinking clearly enough to come up with a better acronym. LOL

[DemBones DemBones]

21. You just can't make this shit up, nor

do you have to, unfortunately.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. The Our Kids Are Screwed Act

[underpants]

6. Sudents Understanding Core Knowledge

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. SUCK

LOL

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. The We Want Vouchers Act

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. AARRRG!

Aligning America’s Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic Grades


My favorite one from the blog.

[VPStoltz]

12. It's the...

Bury the Teachers Under So Much Frickin' Paperwork and Federal and State Mandated But Unpaid For Crapola That They Can Do Nothing BUT Teach To the Test Act!

[UpInArms]

13. How about the "Is Our Children Learning Act"?

[NikolaC]

14. They Can Dress Up

and change the title all that they want. That law, IMO, needs a complete overhaul. No name change is going to bring about the substantive changes that are needed for that mess. The emphasis on testing and punishment needs to be done away with. Our kids need to be taught more critical thinking and teachers need to be given more freedom to do so.

[canoeist52]

15. My teacher friend calls it "The No Teacher Left Standing Act"

[Lost in CT]

16. To quote that fine philosopher Ron White.

You can't fix stupid.

[WePurrsevere]

17. Add your input here (direct link to contest)

http://www.eduwonk.com/2009/02/a-contest-name-that-law.html

I have the utmost faith that DUers will come up with all sorts of creative suggestions. :D

You can't change a pig into something else just by adding "lipstick". It will always still be a pig.

[TEmperorHasNoClothes]

18. No weathy child left behind?

[Posteritatis]

20. They ought to just stop naming them altogether

H-(number) or S-(number) or some variant of that works for me. Let's drop this bullshit about giving every other bill an incredibly loaded name designed to make it politically damaging to vote against (I'm looking at you, every bill with a publicised name in the last eight years).

[Earth Bound Misfit]

22. TWYLA THARP...

Testing Will Yield Lower Achievment That Hardly Accrues Reform Program