A Jan. 9 article in the Post stated that county commissioners place blame on the former schools superintendent for the system’s failures. Such placement of blame is incorrect.

Many factors affect student failure, including poverty, low wages and unemployment of their parents, lack of health care, students who just don’t care, not necessarily the superintendent, principals, teachers, etc. The truth is that the No Child Left Behind policy enacted by the Bush administration was doomed to failure from the beginning, just another Bush failure. No Child Left Behind sounds good, but Bush failed to adequately fund it from the beginning.

Without substantial funding of No Child Left Behind, plus dealing with the poverty, health care, etc. issues, many students will never be able to function at a higher level. To blame the superintendent, principal or teachers is faulty. Instead, we need to work toward improving conditions for the children and re-work, undo or adequately fund the NCLB program. Instead of improving our education system, we are driving many good teachers and administrators into other fields and out of the classroom. Teachers are afraid to speak too loudly about the failed No Child Left Behind because they are then blamed for the failure as bad teachers. If blame must be placed, place it where it belongs, not on the shoulders of teachers and administrators. Insist that there are adequate funds to deal with the poverty many students live in and adequately fund education and teachers’ salaries.

— Pat Bullard

China Grove