With the 2004 presidential election quickly approaching, many voters have begun to investigate issues other than the impacts of future tax cuts or the consequences of continuing U.S. involvement in Iraq.
One of these issues is the No Child Left Behind Act, signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002.
Last night, members of the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project, two Philadelphia-area public school teachers and other students assembled in Stiteler Hall to discuss the role that the NCLB Act has played in Philadelphia public schools, as well as the future effects of the bill on the Philadelphia educational community.
The presentation began with a brief PowerPoint slideshow, led by fourth-year doctoral student Andrew Sparks, who explained in detail the most debated parts of the act, including the specific educational problems it seeks to remedy.
Among these issues was the mandatory and time-consuming tests that public schools must undergo in order to chart the progress they have made over the previous year.
The need to prepare students for testing has become an integral part of some teachers' curricula.
While Edison High School teacher Lisa Clapper noted that she does not alter her class to cater to the tests, colleague and creative writing teacher Kristine Sannelli said that she does factor time for test preparation into the class syllabus, as if it were another literary genre for her students to study.
However, some panelists -- including College senior and WPTP team leader Matt Mormino -- pointed out that the downside of testing is that many students are taught information solely for the purpose of performing well on the tests and that as a result, "broader concepts and general" issues are sometimes overlooked.
Though all agreed something needed to be done, the question of whether or not the NCLB Act was the right way to assuage the problem was debated.
Sannelli also noted that while many people, including politicians, do not support the act, few have proposed viable solutions.
The panel also fielded questions from the audience -- which numbered around 50 -- and addressed the social problems that affect the education in public schools.
Clapper said that many students come to school with problems that do not relate to education -- such as living with family violence -- and that teachers are responsible for providing support to these students.
The question of where this accountability lies was addressed in further detail.
Sannelli said that it is not so important to be considered accountable for a student's failure as it is to be held responsible for giving the student the tools and support necessary to achieve a solid education.
The program was required for all members of the WPTP, and College freshman and tutor Lea Bornstein said that this and similar sessions are very "helpful" and that the project offers volunteers "a lot of resources" to become more effective tutors.
