Connecticut has become the first state to challenge the No Child Left Behind
act in a court of law. The lawsuit claims that the act requires expensive
standardized tests without supplying funding for them.

This act, one of Bush’s so called “milestones”, is a total joke. It is worded
in such a way that any member of Congress who would of voted against it would
hear “they hate children” on their next round of campaigning. The act actually
does little to help all the schools. It gives funding to schools that already
have excellent funding and takes funding away from the poorer schools.

In a post September 11 world, states are facing more serious economic
crunches than they have in recent history. Their expenses continue to rise while
their income doesn’t. No Child Left Behind actually adds to the crunch and
states now have to make cuts in areas such as education in order to fund other
items such as security.

While Connecticut is the first state to challenge the act in a court,
numerous others have opposed it. The Civil Society Institute found that 47
states are now opposing the act last week. The problem is somewhat of a
quagmire.

Schools are required to meet the minimum level on the standardized tests in
order to receive federal funding. If the school does not meet it then it will
lose that money. Now the school’s with low funding have problems paying the
teachers to educate the students, let alone appropriate the needed materials to
educate. They have higher teacher to student rations and limited resources. This
makes it easier for the better funded schools to pass, thereby receiving the
funding. In other words; it lets the rich schools get richer while the poor
schools get poorer.

This is most likely  the beginning of numerous court actions against the
act.

The

Associated Press has more on the Connecticut lawsuit.