Federal Government Grants More State NCLB Waivers

The federal government recognizes that the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) set unrealistic goals for student proficiency. It mandated that every student demonstrate ELA and math proficiency by 2014. This leviathan task has created anxiety for everyone across the nation because of the harsh penalties NCLB imposes for failure to perform. In response, states have been applying for waivers to get around the requirements. Read more about it here.

Larger Class Sizes Benefit No One

An Huffington Post article on the sorry state of education tackles the phenomenon (tongue-in-cheek) of increased class sizes as a consequence of reduced budgets. In the wake of mass educator dismissals, the remaining teachers are forced to teach upwards of 25 or 30 students, while parents and administrators unrealistically expect the same results as before. Children suffer because they have a hard time focusing in larger classes and do not receive individualized attention. Teachers sacrifice good learning for bulk learning: so long as most of the kids understand, the class can move on.

This article suggests that the government has no problem cutting education budgets because the effects are harder to measure and far less visible to the public eye, than cutting other essential programs such as the fire and police forces. The happenings in the halls of learning are removed from public scrutiny until agencies release test score analysis concerning a period of years.

Did the Huffington Post get it right? Is that the reason politicians have no problem cutting education programs and school funding?

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Welcome to the blog for Education Law Student Association at UC Hastings College of the Law. Right now we're under construction but make sure to follow our activities for fun tidbits about the organization and updates on the current state of the field!