Leaving No Local Child Behind

With House hearings on the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act beginning this week, The Post asked educators, lawmakers and others for their views of the legislation and what might improve it.

In name and concept, the No Child Left Behind Act aligns with what I believe. I took office this year facing the unfortunate reality that public schools in the District of Columbia were leaving too many of our children behind. When the schools came under mayoral authority this summer, I chose leaders who will bring accountability into the system.

Like the rest of the D.C. government, the school system should employ people who are responsible for delivering measurable results. The educational regime imagined in No Child Left Behind does this.

But such a regime must focus on what is most likely to improve prospects for students on a path toward failure. We know teachers are the single biggest educational factor in determining student success. For that reason, the law must value teachers for their impact on students, rather than simply the credentials on their résumés.

We must also measure the academic growth of students so that teachers and schools get credit not just for where students end up but for how far they have come.

Adrian M. Fenty

Mayor, District of Columbia

The purpose of the No Child Left Behind Act and the mission of the D.C. Public Schools are the same: to better serve the needs of students in the classroom.

Teacher standards were improved by NCLB with strong qualification standards. However, an emphasis on classroom results is also needed. We should use the data to measure effectiveness in the classroom to improve the quality of our educators.

In the District, we are focused on developing students into lifelong learners who are continually progressing. I would urge lawmakers to redefine the way we measure success to recognize the progress of individual students and schools rather than using a single benchmark. Focusing on the growth of individual students and schools would give us a clearer, more complete picture of improvements.

Michelle Rhee

Chancellor, D.C. schools