Michele Bachmann: Dismantle NCLB

For those unfamiliar with Bachmann, she is a mother of five and foster mother of twenty-three, so like her or not, she does have "credentials" when it comes to raising children. She has long opposed the overreach by federal education initiatives and calls for the end of NCLB. Her view is right on her website:

While well-intended, the No Child Left Behind Act has created a classroom environment of “teaching to the test,” a one-size-fits-all approach to learning that does not work well for every student. That’s why I’m an original cosponsor of H.R. 1539, the A-Plus Act, which would allow states to develop their own curriculums under the guidance of the U.S. Department of Education. This would give local school administrators, teachers and parents the flexibility to determine what teaching strategies are most effective for their students while improving accountability in the classroom.

As NCLB reauthorization gets closer, perhaps the views of U.S. legislators will emerge. A few sentences on a website does not answer all the questions the public has a right to know, but Bachmann is clear about one thing, teaching to the test is not good education. So far, the views of all other Republican candidates for President are unknown or underreported.