With the law “No Child Left Behind,” which requires states to test basic skills of students in order to qualify for federal funding, came a push for education to focus on mathematics and reading and cut back on other courses not being tested. Schools began to realize that the success of students in mathematics and reading was all that mattered, and eventually, students lost their chance of becoming well-rounded citizens by being taught in a wide variety of subjects. In the article, “Essentials of a Good Education” by Diane Ravitch, Ravitch addresses the law “No Child Left Behind,” standardized testing, and how public education has decreased our students’ ability to become effective citizens in society. In her article, Ravitch lacks true evidence and is opinionated, but she still presents a very convincing article based on her own political views and thoughts on education.
Although Ravitch does not present any evidence or counterclaims to her argument, her opinion is still a valid source of information. Ravitch is a professor at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Not only is she a teacher and has experienced education first-hand, but she has also published more than twenty books and 500 articles on school and education reformation.
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Ravitch states that with the law, “No Child Left Behind,” there was a cut back in every subject besides mathematics and reading since schools received funding based on how well students performed in these subjects. Eventually, teachers not in the tested subjects were laid off, and students were unable to get the diverse curriculum that they deserve. Without a rich education, our students are not able to have bigger decision-making skills, and are instead equipped with basic math and reading