No Child Left Behind, from my perspective as a parent and educator, is some of the most appalling legislation to come out of an appalling administration. I could probably write 20 diaries about different parts of NCLB that make me want to tear my hair out. While my preference would be to scrap it altogether, I don't know if that will happen. But the right changes to NCLB might make it something we could live with.
Larry Kissell has some important suggestions, for fixing this lousy law, and I have one more to add to it.
No Child Left Inside (HR 3036 and S. 1981) will address what journalist Richard Louv calls "nature deficit disorder" by funding outdoor education programs in the schools.
You can support this bill by clicking here to send an email to your congressperson.
In case you're not familiar with Richard Louv, he has been rocking the enviromental ed world with his book, "Last child in the woods". He looks at numerous studies of the effects on nature on kids, and comes to the conclusion that kids who spend a lot of time playing in nature do better in math and science, have better coping skills, problem-solving skills, creative skills, etc. On the other hand, kids who spend their time inside have lower attention spans, more behavior problems, etc. He also looks at many cases where nature has been used therapeutically and correctively, to "cure" ADHD and other behaviors. Not to mention a million other things, like getting kids to play outside encourages exercise and healthy behavior; kids who only hear negative environmental messages (the earth is breaking) need to build positive connections to the environment; and they genuinely have a lot more fun playing outside.
Louv has been bringing this message to all kinds of people, including our US Congressfolk. Recently, the Sierra Club, which has jumped on this bandwagon with its Building Bridges to the Outdoors program, sponsored Louv to come to Albuquerque and speak. I was very moved when he talked about lobbying for this bill. He said he went in to talk with the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee and he started talking about favorite childhood play areas, and the congressmen on the committee started jumping in with stories of the trees they used to climb, or the streams they used to play in, and suddenly there were no Republicans or Democrats in the room, only a bunch of guys remembering the unbounded wonder of discovering the natural world as a kid. If you look at the long list of sponsors, you will note that this is an issue that crosses all party lines.
New Mexico is not waiting for the feds to fund this. Last year, the state appropriated funds to start training teachers to conduct outdoor education programs. Many high schools are doing environmental monitoring as part of their science program, younger kids are simply planing school gardens and learning about plant life cycles, insects, and soil. But teacher training only goes so far.
In my daughter's school, I approached the principal and staff about instituting an outdoor education program and was told that it sounded great, but they are a third-year failing school under NCLB (long story, but trust me, it's a great school) and have to concentrate on meeting the Standards. No teacher can take on a new project unless it specifically meets the math and reading standards. Most of the outdoor education programs are stronger on science and social studies, and so can't be added to the program. This is so wrong on so many levels, but here's the point-- if NCLB is amended by the No Child Left Inside Act, then our students will enjoy a broader curriculum, and also maybe work off some of the stress of testing for 13 straight days!
So please, click here to show your support for the No Child Left Inside Act, and then go read up on what kinds of things you can do to support getting kids outside while we wait. Parents might want to start a daily Green Hour with your kids. Teachers, principals, and community planners make it safe for kids to walk and bike to school using the funds from the safe routes to school program.
Other things I'm doing (and you can do too!) is leading a Scout troop, and working to improve recreational access to multiple-use trails in my city. Taking kids outside is rewarding for the grownups too-- we enjoy all the therapeutic benefit that the kids do, and need it just as much.