The Future of NCLB, Pigs, and The Most Important Lesson of All

Today I'm in Texas for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's annual education gathering. Actually, the event is put on by the Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW), a new Chamber initiative in education. I've learned a thing or two at the conference, including these tidbits about No Child Left Behind (NCLB):

• Leading members of Congress on both sides of the aisle want to see NCLB get renewed next year. Roberto Rodriguez, a staff member for Senator Kennedy, spoke eloquently about ideas that some leading Democrats have for changing the law, including fixing some of the problems I identified in my last post about the "Adequate Yearly Progress" (AYP) provision of the law.
• Americans are sharply divided about NCLB. According to Allan Rivlin, a pollster from Hart Research, people's opinions about NCLB likely have as much to do with how much they like President Bush than what they think about the provisions of the law and their effect on schools.

Then, this evening, a bunch of us headed over to the Texas State Fair to take in the action. On the bus over, I met a friendly woman named Ann Kennamer, who runs the Impact Learning Center in Scottsboro, Alabama. We stumbled on the swine competition.

Soon after we walked in, the stands erupted with the announcement of the Grand Reserve Champion: Josh Vincent from Howe, Texas, about 60 miles north of Dallas. I knew I wanted to meet this young man. A senior at Howe High School, Josh  beat out hundreds of other entrants, including many more experienced adults, to raise the Grand Reserve Champion (second place) pig in Texas. Ann took this photo of Josh with his pig (Josh is on the left.)

Chatting it up with his mother, Becky, I learned that Josh had been raising pigs since he was 9 years old. I asked for her thoughts about how her son had come to manage to raise the Grand Reserve Champion Pig in Texas? "Well, you'll want to meet his Ag teacher, Stevie Horton." From him, she said, Josh had learned responsibility, and how "It's not all about winning."

I found Mr. Horton and asked him about how Josh had come to do so well at the Texas State Fair. "He's a great kid," he replied. From Mr. Horton, I learned that Josh is a straight-A student, class president and linebacker on the football team. Mr. Horton is a leader of the school's chapter of Future Farmers of America, where Josh got guidance and support in his quest to raise a champion pig.

Finally, I talked to Josh himself. Josh is not a man of many words, but he is extremely appreciative of all that Mr. Horton has done for him. He did tell me that he intends to study animal nutrition at a four-year university in Texas, perhaps West Texas A&M. And, when I asked him about the number one thing he had learned from Mr. Horton, and from the long process of raising the Grand Reserve Champion Pig in Texas, he offered up one word: responsibility.

Comments

[Alyssa]

NCLB needs to be taught correctly. Kids can't learn when they are just sitting in a desk listening to the teacher lecture. The teacher needs to be able to teach with free range to meet all of the kids needs. If we want our EL's to learn and to pass, teachers need to be able to adapt the required lessons to meet their needs so they are understanding what is being taught, instead of sitting in the room like a Peanuts series.

[Tonia]

Bill,
I have read this blog concerning the state testing of children and teachers only teaching the test. Oprah Winfrey also had this topic on her website about a year ago. Its seems that parents have had it with teaching their kids nothing but a test! Its time to stop talking about it and tell us what we can do. We need to think of our children and be pro active on this debate. What can I do as a parent and to organize other parents.

[Diane Horton]

Hi, I am a Mom of A "child left behind". He will be 8 on 4/6, but is still in 1st grade. This poor kid suffers from early-onset Bi-polar & ADHD, as do I. I was not affected til my late 30s, but my poor child wasn't as fortunate as I. Upon registering him w/ Dania Elementary,(Dania, FL), I had done years of research & went there with "many" papers & info on my childs needs and challenges. I stated he will need an IEP ASAP. It took two yrs and 3 months for the process to even begin!! AFTER he had been held back, and only until he began harming other students was something done about it. He is now in a Cluster class at another school 25 mins. away, and still is not being treated fairly and following his IEP I fought so many years for?? I am simply beside myself, as you can imagine.Nothing about what happened to my son was "Appropriate", as they call it FAPE! And it continues that way.........

[Delores Beall]

The NCLB concept and law is good. If it didn't pressure teachers to constantly teach to the state academic test. Pass the test is the bottom line. For 180 days during a school year, a child /teen is punished by the teacher repeating the same academic testing information from the previous year. Because the academic testing instruction is very, very BORING, the child didn't learn it last year, and probably will not learn it again this year. Many students will ask the teacher, "Didn't we learn this SAME INFORMATION last year?" To make NCLB really work, the teacher must have the fredom to make the academic testing information revalent for todays GLOBAL Information System. She/he must teach out-side the box with many hands-on learning experiences to make last year academic testing information INTERESTING and revalent to our ALL of our student. Especially our minority students. Or we will be guilty again of boring our students for 180 day each year, then blaming them for not passing the NCLB required academic testing.
- 20 year School Administor

[john]

really liked your suggestions..

perhaps suport for organisations similar to this one can also make a difference..

www.yeaworks.org

cheers

[Brett Pawlowski]

Hi Bill,

I've used the site before, but just noticed the blog for the first time - nice work. I was also at the Chamber event in Dallas - if you'd like to see additional notes from the summit, feel free to take a look at my writeup here: http://www.dehavillandassociates.com/2006/10/notes-from-2006-educationworkforce.html

Best,

Brett

[Zoheyra]

thanks for such an interesting blog!...for sharing the experience and for showing to what extent responsibility may be the road to deeper, stronger and wider foundations for a solid education...Congratulations to Josh!!

[Ann]

Bill...... Thanks for the kind words. Josh really was a great kid and I'm glad I was there to met him and his following. Josh's lesson learned - "Responsibility" was very evident. And I think that his family bond played a big part in making him who is.......

I'm very glad that I ran into you and your website and blog are GREAT. I can't believe that I haven't seen it before (but you can be sure that it's bookmarked now!)