Chuck v. No Child Left Behind Round 2

So apparently NCLB is supposed to be good because it gives parents more choice in where their children attend school. Let me explain.

If a school does not meet adequate yearly progress for two years then the students are allowed to transfer to a qualified school at the expense of the "bad" school. Now, how many parents do you know that are not going to take the option to send their kids to a better school. Assuming this is true, lets follow this to it's logical conclusion.

Since many parents are going to be applying for transfers it will not take too many before the "good" schools are at their maximum capacity. So the early birds will get transfers and everyone else will be left at the "bad" school. The bad school now has all the same kids plus it's lost some of the kids who got out that were probably some of the better students. Plus, they are paying for all the kids to go to the "good" school. So really, most of the kids are still at the "bad" school whose inadequate budget is now being depleted even more. Basically the parents don't really have a choice. Either they are lucky and get their kids out or they get stuck with the "bad " school and sending someone else's kids to the "good" school.

Some Choice.

Now lets see what happens at the "bad" school. Now they have fewer students and less money and disgruntled parents/teachers/students who know they are at a "failing" school. Do you think they are going to improve? Probably not, the deck is stacked against them. So instead they continue to miss adequate yearly progress. Finally, after a while the school will be readministered. Now what are your choices? You have the "good" school that is qualified because it's students meet some standards or you have the federalized "bad" school that has the failing students and no funding.

Some Choice.

Thus round two is complete. Chuck seems to be fairing better than the faltering NCLB. Actually I think I just bit it's ear off. We'll have to see how round three goes. I don't really sense a comeback though. It's kind of similar to a gazelle v. a lion. Everyone knows the outcome.

--Chuck