Impact of No Child Left Behind on Tennessee Schools

• Nearly half of schools could face sanctions.
  In Tennessee, 47 percent (711) of schools failed to meet federal standards for Adequate Yearly Progress - one of the highest percentages in the nation . If schools fail to improve they could face sanctions.

• Unfunded mandate of $114 million.
  Tennessee schools have not been able to make the investments needed to meet the standards set by No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Tennessee will receive $114 million less next year than it should have if NCLB was fully funded. That means approximately 123,727 Tennessee students won't have smaller class sizes; 15,677 students won't have pre-school; and 15,240 teachers won't be certified.

• No preschool for thousands of new students.
  School systems across Tennessee were forced to shut down preschool classrooms or find local money to make up the difference.

• Lay-offs of school personnel.
  Montgomery County schools laid off 30 bus drivers. Rhea County teachers, administrators, and parents pleaded with the local board of education to rehire two school nurses laid off last school year.

• Schools lagging in necessary repairs.
  A Nashville elementary school principal frustrated with the aging condition of 49 windows at her school smashed them herself in hopes of getting replacements.

Wes Clark's Plan to Fix No Child Left Behind

Fully fund NCLB.
NCLB has imposed tremendous new mandates on states and local communities while depriving them of the resources they need to succeed. Wes Clark would fully fund NCLB. In order for schools to improve and ensure that every student can learn, schools need funding for safe and effective classrooms, teacher training, and after school programs. Wes Clark would fully fund NCLB and make sure that the federal government works towards meeting its commitment to schools in disadvantaged communities and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Broader accountability that helps students learn.
Wes Clark would reform testing so that it measures students full potential, while discouraging teachers from teaching to narrow standardized tests. In addition, he would reform the way that NCLB assesses tests to focus on each individual student's growth. In addition, Wes Clark believes that determinations of which schools need the most help should be based on more than just standardized tests - they must take into account broader measures of accountability potentially including other data like graduation rates and assessments by parents and others in the community.

Hiring, training, and retaining our teachers.
Wes Clark believes that teachers are the most important leaders in America. He supports initiatives that are designed to recruit the most talented teachers, to let the teaching profession continue to earn the prestige that it deserves. He also recognizes that these teachers must be equipped to teach the classes that they are teaching. In the older grades, we must strive to let teachers teach in their area of expertise. Finally, we have to treat teachers with more respect, by giving them the opportunities for additional training and professional advancement they need to stay at the top of their grade.

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