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By Lisa Schencker HERRIMAN - After a day full of lectures, quizzes and learning, nearly 40 students stood to sing for Fort Herriman Middle School choir teacher Dawna Romph Price. "When I listen to music and sing, it calms me down," ninth-grader Jareth Smith said this week. "At the end of the day you're usually stressed out, so if you can have that time to sing, it helps you focus on your homework." To students, Romph Price's class is a stress reliever, a chance to express themselves and a reason to go to school. But in the eyes of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), such classes are secondary to math and reading proficiency. So far, issues such as Iraq and health care have overshadowed education in the race for the presidency. But NCLB seems to be one education issue candidates can't ignore. The next president will have to decide whether to try to save or scrap President Bush's landmark law, which demands, among other things, that schools make sure all students - regardless of race, ability and wealth - read and do math on grade level by 2014. Each year, schools must make a certain amount of progress toward proficiency goals. Those that accept federal funding for serving low-income areas but don't meet the goals face consequences. Proponents of NCLB say the law is right to emphasize math and reading achievement, especially for disadvantaged children. "My daughter is in resource [classes] and the fact that she doesn't get left behind and gets the help she needs is great," said Evergreen Junior High School parent Tina Terry. "I hope they continue that." Others worry the emphasis on testing, math and reading is crowding out other important lessons. Some Utah schools have already had to bury music and art in order to catch students up in math and reading. "Math is important and reading is important, but I'm not sure right now there is a balance," Romph Price said. Most candidates say they'd like to reform the law. Others, including Hillary Clinton and Ron Paul, say they'd like to get rid of it. Utah leaders, who have grudgingly enforced NCLB since its inception nearly six years ago, are watching the candidates' stances closely. State leaders resent the heavy hand of federal government guiding education in Utah, but the state can't opt out partly because it could lose federal school funding, which amounted to about 8 percent of all school funding in Utah in 2006. "NCLB constrains our policy makers in a way that doesn't take into account the needs of Utah schools," said Associate State Schools Superintendent Larry Shumway. "NCLB has helped us become more focused on achievement and accountability, but the way it has done that has been at the expense of too many things." Often, even those who believe NCLB has done a good job of shining light on low performing students say the law has some unreasonable parts. "We feel we ought to have high standards and expectations for students, but one test doesn't give the whole picture," said Utah Education Association President Kim Campbell. She said the goal of having 100 percent of students proficient in math and science by 2014 is unrealistic. "It's nonsensical saying we're going to make widgets of them, and they'll all perform at this level." At least one Utah school has already felt the full brunt of the law. West Middle School in Roosevelt will reorganize as a new school next year after failing to meet NCLB goals for too many years. The school, which serves mostly American Indian students, serves large numbers of low-income and special needs students. Uintah Superintendent Charlie Nelson said NCLB led the school on a downward spiral. Each year that the school failed to meet goals, it lost more students. The more students it lost, the more programs and funding it lost, and the harder it became to meet the goals. Eventually the school had to cut band, foreign languages and most of its art classes. Nelson agrees with the idea of improving schools based on data, but believes NCLB needs to be better funded and re-thought. "I'm at the point where I'm telling my teachers I don't give a rip about AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress)," Nelson said. "Just do what you need to for your kids." Unlike art classes at West, Romph Price's class, in a relatively affluent part of Herriman, isn't likely in danger of being cut. But she worries about the future, especially for schools in poorer areas. She hopes the next president recognizes such issues and tries to better fund the law. "If they think education is important - as important as war and health care - then I think there needs to be funding so we as teachers can do the job we need to do," she said. |
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