Lutheran educator joins call for changes in 'No Child Left Behind Law'

by John R. Brooks, ELCA News Service*

The Committee on Public Education and Literacy of the National
Council of Churches USA (NCC) called for major changes and full
funding of the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) law that members of
the 110th U.S. Congress will consider for reauthorization. Donna
Braband, director for schools, Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America Vocation and Education, co-signed the letter as a
committee member.

"While we emphatically support the stated goals of NCLB ... we
worry that the law has undermined education for our nation's most
vulnerable children in big city districts," the NCC committee
said in a letter to U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) and U.S.
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), chairs of committees in their
respective houses which will take up hearings on NCLB.

"As people of faith we are deeply concerned that what was
proposed as a civil rights law has, in reality, undermined the
capacity of demographically complex urban schools serving
children living in concentrated poverty," said the 14 educators
in their letter. The letter expressed solidarity with the goal of
improving the nation's public schools but pointed to certain
flaws in NCLB, including overemphasis on testing and scores.

The committee also restated its concern for children in the
nation's public schools. "As people of faith, we do not view our
children as products to be tested and managed but instead as
unique human beings to be nurtured and educated," the committee
wrote. "While we emphatically support improving public schools,
we fear that the production target of 'all children proficient by
2014' is unrealistic."

* Based on a NCC news release.