Thursday, June 25, 2009
“No Child Left Behind” is getting an extreme makeover. The controversial education reform plan created during the Bush administration had its red schoolhouse branding image torn down last Saturday outside the Department of Education building in Washington, D.C. The removal is part of the Obama administration’s effort to rebrand, if not change, “No Child,” which includes doing away with the name and symbol on all departmental stationary and signs.
Joe Williams, executive director of Democrats for Education Reform, told The Washington Post: “It’s like the new Coke. This is a rebranding effort. The feng shui people believe you need to take the roof off buildings to allow bad chi to escape. Let’s hope this helps.”
Despite attempts to improve student performance in math and reading, the law-formerly-known-as became unpopular with educators and local officials, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan has promised to restructure the program to make it more flexible while raising standards for students to meet. Duncan believes the “No Child” name became “toxic,” forcing the new administration to begin crafting a new identity.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
The Schoolhouse Flunks (by Maria Glod, Washington Post)
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