"Stop Penalizing Schools for Cultural Issues" is the Message Teacher Debra Craig will Deliver to the Commission on No Child Left Behind, May 9th, in Hartford, CT

High school teacher, author, and education advocate Debra Craig will be traveling 3,000 miles to Hartford, Connecticut to give her two minutes worth on why NCLB is bad for public schools with it's obsession on raising test scores and not looking realistically at the cultural problem that exists in public schools.The author is also announcing the launch of her new blog, Common SenseInPublicSchools.com hosted through Blogger.com.

Moreno Valley, CA (PRWEB) May 8, 2006 -- In effort to step up her fight against the unrealistic expectations of No Child Left Behind, Debra Craig, high school teacher and author of “Why Is the Teacher’s Butt So Big? Plus 111 Other Mysteries of Public Education is taking two major steps in educating the public about the unfairness of No Child Left Behind.

First, Debra will be traveling to Hartford, Connecticut to deliver her first public speech on a national level in front of the Commission on No Child Left Behind. She will denounce the government’s insane obsession with raising test scores at all costs that NCLB has produced. The Commission on No Child Left Behind is a committee of politicians, business leaders, and college educators, including two former teachers, which is holding a series of public hearings throughout the country to gain insight on the strengths and weaknesses of No Child Left Behind. They will take their findings to Congress when the controversial bill is voted on for renewal. The first hearing was held in Pomona, California, just 40 miles from her home and during her spring break. But this on campus suspension teacher did not know about it after the fact.

“Many people would just say, ‘that’s the breaks’ and forget about it,” explains Debra. “But not me. I feel too strongly about this unfair legislation, and even though I’m just one teacher, I am compelled to let them know what I think. No Child Left Behind isn’t helping public schools, but is destroying them with this over-the-top focus on raising test scores at the expense of other worthy focuses.”

But a bigger issue this eight year teaching veteran has with No Child Left Behind is how it makes schools responsible for things they have no control over like a cultural disregard towards education. “I also hate the fact it puts absolutely no responsibility on the parent or student for his or her academic success. At my job, I constantly meet students who don’t care about school, let alone standardized tests. Some even joke about how they bubble in the answer sheet to make cool designs. Yet, it’s the schools and teachers’ fault when these students do poorly? I wish they would explain that one to me. ”

Debra, a former kindergarten teacher, understands the bill was created with good intentions of making schools accountable, “But now they’re making us accountable for things we have little control over, like making all students take their studies seriously, or educating students who have very limited English skills.”

This author of a book about other things she doesn’t understand about education called is passionate in her pursuit of educating the public about why No Child Left Behind isn’t working. “Yes, test scores are raising, but the achievement gap still exists. Doesn’t this prove that it might not be only about what the teachers and schools are doing?”

To help get the word, Debra has decided to enter the world of blogging. Her blog is at Blogger.com and shares the same name with the organization she founded, “Common Sense In Public Schools.com.” She will posts updates on her efforts to change No Child Left Behind, share examples about how some public schools or politicians are stupid in dealing with problems and/or legislation concerning education, and give shining examples of educational policy that is based on common sense. “At least I hope there are stories out there like that,” says Craig.

Common Sense in Public Schools.com also has terrific bumper stickers for sale at their website for $3.00. “Even if you don’t like bumper stickers, they have other uses. I have used mine to identify my luggage at the airport, as a book mark, and as decorative packaging tape."

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