It's a shame they didn't have the budget to continue the show and produce more directly educational programming. The sad part is I think they're spot on with the assumptions about childhood literacy. I am not at all convinced it's simply an issue of access to education. There are bigger social issues at play. Access to education is only as good as your motivation to learn and that's what we're missing. Even at <10 years old so kids are already developing a horrible sense of self-entitlement and a backwards culture worship of ignorance.
Going through school I attended two high schools growing up: one was the one of the best public high schools in the nation, the other was one of the worst. The biggest differences between the two schools were not the teachers, facilities or funding. It was hands down the parents and students motivation and commitment to learning. Schools and teachers can only motivate their students so much. The parents and the students themselves must be the ones that drive the commitment and motivation to learn, regardless of the age of the child. When attending the "bad" school teachers devoted significant and resources to the minority of students that were motivated to learn because they were allowed to do so.
Now being a parent with Every Child Held Behind (ECHB), teachers can't afford to spend time with the motivated students to push them even higher. They must dedicate all their time to the kids and parents that have no commitment. My daughter has been in two elementary schools and both have treated her similarly; she can pass the test without help so she's a low priority student. I can't imagine where I would be without extra time spent by my teachers to push me further.
Both of my sister-in-laws are elementary teachers and both have considered leaving the field because of the constraints of ECHB. They can't teach the kids that want to learn, because they need to spend any time they have with "Johnny". When his parents actually bother to show up to a teacher conference, they accuse the teacher of not educating their kid. Ignore the fact that Johnny randomly shows up, is disruptive, is high on sugar and god only knows what else, and exhausted -- that’s not their fault. Johnny can't be moved to a special school or class, because that would hold him behind the rest of the class.
Does Johnny deserve to have access to education and assistance to address his issues - definitely. Does the rest of Johnny's class deserve to be held behind because of Johnny's issues, no they don't. Please can eliminate the failed policies of Every Child Held Behind.
PS - Any failings in my English are my own fault, not the teachers that I had as a kid.
