No teachers to be left behind
No child should be left behind. But what about the teachers? Five years after President Bush passed the No Child Left Behind act, educators statewide still question whether the reforms to the nation's educational system are a good idea. And at MSU's College of Education, administrators changed curriculum adjustments in order to make graduates stand out — as well as meet the No Child Left Behind act demands. The act has raised two major issues in the way teachers are taught: • Teachers are encouraged to know multiple subjects for increased marketability, instead of a strong background in a single subject. • Many teachers are tempted to teach to the state's standardized tests, focusing on teaching a little of everything, instead of working with each individual student's strengths. Changing the rules Educators used to be prone to specializing in the subject of their choice. Now, students studying to become teachers need strong subject matter knowledge in many areas, said Mary Lundeberg, chairwoman of the Department of Teacher Education. Many education majors have broadened their area of study to achieve "highly qualified" status.