Playing Hardball with Teachers

I never doubt the good intentions of teachers - they have dedicated their lives to serving children and preparing the next generation. But in my experience, teachers are the last group willing to give concessions at the bargaining table. A school superintendent in Rhode Island has decided on a way to deal with a recalcitrant teacher's union. She fired every teacher and administrator at the school in question. Apparently, this is a politician who does not do things halfway. Especially when dealing with the worst school in the state.

Should "No Child Left Behind" be left behind?

A good friend of mine works in education, so I regularly hear bits and pieces from the world of education. One thing I hear over and over is how much educators hate the No Child Left Behind law. Some obviously hate it because it forces outcomes to be measurable, and it is easier to claim achievement when it can't be measured. Others hate it, because it gives so little flexibility to teachers in adapting their educational process to their students.

This article claims that NCLB should not be amended, as suggested by the White House, but scrapped altogether. It makes the point that NCLB punishes teachers for the failings of communities (high crime, poverty, drug dealers, etc.)

THe article makes some good points, although I have heard the same argument many times in business - usually from people who are making excuses for their own failings. (It is easier to blame the test, than to admit you failed it.) I am interested in the opinions of other Mod-Bloggers. Is NCLB fundamentally flawed or are educators making excuses? Or are both true?