- Home
- Commentaries and Reports
- No Child Left Behind and Your Home's Value: There is a Lot to Lose.
No Child Left Behind and Your Home's Value: There is a Lot to Lose.
- By Alan Haskvitz columnist EdNews.org
- Published 07/24/2005
- Commentaries and Reports
- Unrated
Alan Haskvitz columnist EdNews.org
View all articles by Alan Haskvitz columnist EdNews.orgNo Child Left Behind and Your Home's Value: There is a Lot to Lose.
Alan Haskvitz
If you are like many parents in today's world, you looked around for a good school district to place your children. You were willing to pay extra for this privilege. One of the most important criteria was the school's state rating on tests. Another may have been word of mouth. It is so important that in one district in California, you have to pay nearly $100,000 more to live on one side of the street where the schools have been more highly touted.
So how does this pertain to President Bush's No Child Left Behind legislation? Well, there must be continued improvement in all schools in all subgroups. The subgroups are: White, Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American students; limited English proficient students; students with disabilities; and economically disadvantaged students.
No exceptions, and this includes testing students who are in special education classes. In fact, at most schools the students who cannot read have the test read to them. Regardless of how well you think your school district and/or local school is doing if it does not continue to have increased test scores it becomes a low performing school.
Do you think people are going to pay extra money to live in a district where the school is not improving? Would you? That extra money you paid is going to be in jeopardy for another reason. Now, I don't want to scare you, I just want to point out the possible reality that exists and why this legislation is so controversial despite the good name.
For example, all special education and other students in the school must improve. By 2014 all students must show proficiency in reading and math.
But, what taxpayers are probably not aware of is the fact that students with special needs who do not improve must get additional help. They must pass the same test that other students take regardless of their disability.
The funding for this program has come under review as there has been considerable doubt being raised by states concerning the federal government's ability to provide enough funds to implement NCLB, especially in regards to special education.
This is what is causing the concern. In the case of low-performing or schools that have not raised the scores of special education students, and that includes fully disabled students, the school must provide Supplemental Educational Services, such as tutoring, remediation and special help to all students. That is why the school districts have been begging President Bush to fully fund NCLB. A tutor can easily cost $50 an hour and when you expand that across the district you get some idea of the expenses in just this one area. If President Bush does not fund the program the state must make up the difference. This means that the funding must come from the taxpayer, and, in some places, that is in the form of your property tax. Since property taxes are based on assessed value, if you paid more to live in a "good" school district you may have to pay even more money to augment the school district's efforts to meet the requirements of NCLB as your home has that extra value.
If any school in your area does not make its Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) there is also the very real possibility that students can transfer from that school. If the schools do not improve for two years districts must pay for students to go to better performing schools. That may mean, for example that the district must pay to have students transported into your school, especially if they are low-achieving students from low-income families when funds are limited. Again, we are talking about a school that is not doing well, we are talking about a school that has not shown enough improvement in each of the eight sub-groups.
Here is the real kicker for those of you who paid extra to have your children in that quality school. A district cannot deny any student in the area the right to transfer to your child's good performing school regardless of space if that child is attending a school that is low performing. Can you say overcrowded?
After three years, low-income students from schools that do not perform up to standards must be offered, in addition to a school of their choice, supplemental educational services, including private tutoring.
So money that could be spent for computers, music, sports, and teacher salaries may now go for these required programs. After four consecutive years more corrective actions must be taken. This includes such possibilities as replacing the staff, changing the curriculum, even hiring outside consultants.
Taking as a possibility, and a real one, your school could lose its best teachers as they could be transferred to an underperforming school. The schools most impacted are those taking Title One Funding. However, experts agree that nearly all schools will eventually be rated "In Need of Improvement" because of the way Adequate Yearly Progress statistics are calculated. A California study confirmed the findings of other researchers that the more diverse a student body, the more likely schools or districts will fail to make sufficient progress and be sanctioned. However, regardless of where you live it is almost a certainty that your local school will eventually fall short of the improvement requirements.
After five consecutive years of not improving, and again, we are not talking about the whole school improving, just subgroups, there must be plans made for restructuring and, after six years, the school must undergo major changes including a possible state takeover.
Schoolteacher unions and school districts have raised many questions about NCLB both in terms of funding and reality. However, for you, the parent, the real concern isn't going to just be that your child is going to spend most of the year being taught how to take the test some districts have already considered abandoning fine arts for more remedial reading and math classes, but overcrowding, and the investment they have in their homes.
Those parents who send their children to private schools also should be concerned about their land values as only one tenth of the 76.7 million school children attend private school which means that public school performance will continue to be a leading indicator of real estate values.
I encourage you to take a long look at NCLB and decide if you should be involved in supporting it or changing it or eliminating it. There is a lot, literally and figuratively, at stake here both for your children and your finances. And, of course, as more parents think they can avoid public school problems by going to private schools remember the supply and demand lessons from your first economics class and note that those tuitions have increased steadily. You might also seek to find out what you are getting for your money. For example, a very expensive private school in California charges $25,000 a year for day students. Despite this high fee the school's website reports that the just over 80 percent received 3 or better on their AP exams even with class sizes well under 20. As a comparison at least one public high school in the Seattle area district had 89 percent score 3 or better on AP tests and many other public schools report superior scores. In the district I teach in one school did better in the AP calculus test than any other school in the world. So it is essential that parents do no associate expensive schools with high test scores.
Whatever you decide to do, one thing is of paramount importance and that is to become more informed regardless of your political convictions. To that end, if you would like to write your federal elected officials this site can connect you: http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html
For the best list of No Child Left Behind sites to here
Resources for NCLB
http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/assessment.html#1
About the author: Alan Haskvitz has been selected as one of the best teachers in the United States by six different educational organizations.
He has earned over 30 awards for his innovative teaching and has been featured on national radio and television numerous times as well as featured in books on improving education. His students have done extremely well winning major competitions in nearly every curriculum area. Haskvitz has taught at every grade level and every core subject in his nearly 30 years as an educator. He is a working classroom teacher and can be contacted through his website sponsored at http://www.reacheverychild.com
If you are like many parents in today's world, you looked around for a good school district to place your children. You were willing to pay extra for this privilege. One of the most important criteria was the school's state rating on tests. Another may have been word of mouth. It is so important that in one district in California, you have to pay nearly $100,000 more to live on one side of the street where the schools have been more highly touted.
So how does this pertain to President Bush's No Child Left Behind legislation? Well, there must be continued improvement in all schools in all subgroups. The subgroups are: White, Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American students; limited English proficient students; students with disabilities; and economically disadvantaged students.
No exceptions, and this includes testing students who are in special education classes. In fact, at most schools the students who cannot read have the test read to them. Regardless of how well you think your school district and/or local school is doing if it does not continue to have increased test scores it becomes a low performing school.
Do you think people are going to pay extra money to live in a district where the school is not improving? Would you? That extra money you paid is going to be in jeopardy for another reason. Now, I don't want to scare you, I just want to point out the possible reality that exists and why this legislation is so controversial despite the good name.
For example, all special education and other students in the school must improve. By 2014 all students must show proficiency in reading and math.
But, what taxpayers are probably not aware of is the fact that students with special needs who do not improve must get additional help. They must pass the same test that other students take regardless of their disability.
The funding for this program has come under review as there has been considerable doubt being raised by states concerning the federal government's ability to provide enough funds to implement NCLB, especially in regards to special education.
This is what is causing the concern. In the case of low-performing or schools that have not raised the scores of special education students, and that includes fully disabled students, the school must provide Supplemental Educational Services, such as tutoring, remediation and special help to all students. That is why the school districts have been begging President Bush to fully fund NCLB. A tutor can easily cost $50 an hour and when you expand that across the district you get some idea of the expenses in just this one area. If President Bush does not fund the program the state must make up the difference. This means that the funding must come from the taxpayer, and, in some places, that is in the form of your property tax. Since property taxes are based on assessed value, if you paid more to live in a "good" school district you may have to pay even more money to augment the school district's efforts to meet the requirements of NCLB as your home has that extra value.
If any school in your area does not make its Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) there is also the very real possibility that students can transfer from that school. If the schools do not improve for two years districts must pay for students to go to better performing schools. That may mean, for example that the district must pay to have students transported into your school, especially if they are low-achieving students from low-income families when funds are limited. Again, we are talking about a school that is not doing well, we are talking about a school that has not shown enough improvement in each of the eight sub-groups.
Here is the real kicker for those of you who paid extra to have your children in that quality school. A district cannot deny any student in the area the right to transfer to your child's good performing school regardless of space if that child is attending a school that is low performing. Can you say overcrowded?
After three years, low-income students from schools that do not perform up to standards must be offered, in addition to a school of their choice, supplemental educational services, including private tutoring.
Taking as a possibility, and a real one, your school could lose its best teachers as they could be transferred to an underperforming school. The schools most impacted are those taking Title One Funding. However, experts agree that nearly all schools will eventually be rated "In Need of Improvement" because of the way Adequate Yearly Progress statistics are calculated. A California study confirmed the findings of other researchers that the more diverse a student body, the more likely schools or districts will fail to make sufficient progress and be sanctioned. However, regardless of where you live it is almost a certainty that your local school will eventually fall short of the improvement requirements.
After five consecutive years of not improving, and again, we are not talking about the whole school improving, just subgroups, there must be plans made for restructuring and, after six years, the school must undergo major changes including a possible state takeover.
Schoolteacher unions and school districts have raised many questions about NCLB both in terms of funding and reality. However, for you, the parent, the real concern isn't going to just be that your child is going to spend most of the year being taught how to take the test some districts have already considered abandoning fine arts for more remedial reading and math classes, but overcrowding, and the investment they have in their homes.
Those parents who send their children to private schools also should be concerned about their land values as only one tenth of the 76.7 million school children attend private school which means that public school performance will continue to be a leading indicator of real estate values.
I encourage you to take a long look at NCLB and decide if you should be involved in supporting it or changing it or eliminating it. There is a lot, literally and figuratively, at stake here both for your children and your finances. And, of course, as more parents think they can avoid public school problems by going to private schools remember the supply and demand lessons from your first economics class and note that those tuitions have increased steadily. You might also seek to find out what you are getting for your money. For example, a very expensive private school in California charges $25,000 a year for day students. Despite this high fee the school's website reports that the just over 80 percent received 3 or better on their AP exams even with class sizes well under 20. As a comparison at least one public high school in the Seattle area district had 89 percent score 3 or better on AP tests and many other public schools report superior scores. In the district I teach in one school did better in the AP calculus test than any other school in the world. So it is essential that parents do no associate expensive schools with high test scores.
Whatever you decide to do, one thing is of paramount importance and that is to become more informed regardless of your political convictions. To that end, if you would like to write your federal elected officials this site can connect you: http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html
For the best list of No Child Left Behind sites to here
Resources for NCLB
http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/assessment.html#1
About the author: Alan Haskvitz has been selected as one of the best teachers in the United States by six different educational organizations.
He has earned over 30 awards for his innovative teaching and has been featured on national radio and television numerous times as well as featured in books on improving education. His students have done extremely well winning major competitions in nearly every curriculum area. Haskvitz has taught at every grade level and every core subject in his nearly 30 years as an educator. He is a working classroom teacher and can be contacted through his website sponsored at http://www.reacheverychild.com
