No Child Left Behind?

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 required states to improve public schools for all students in exchange for increased federal aid. Has the bargain been honored? Has it worked? With the law authorizing the program about to expire, should it be extended or should it be scrapped? If it is broken, can it be fixed? Those questions framed a town meeting on Tuesday hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders. He brought together a group of Vermont educators at Burlington High School to discuss No Child Left Behind. Sanders is a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Other panelists included Jeanne Collins, superintendent of Burlington School District; Ned Kirsch, principal of Essex Middle School; Dave Cobb, principal of Lyndon Town School; Vicki Wells, director of student services, Addison Central S.U., and Nancy Thomas, assistant superintendent of special services, Washington Central S.U.