Imagine losing a generation of Black potential. That’s exactly what happened when No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was introduced into the public education system in the name of reform, but it was far from it.
From 2002 to 2015, NCLB hyper-focused on standardized test scores, essentially widening the racial gap in academic performance and disproportionately driving Black students to unemployment, low wages, and the prison system. By 2008, these entrenched disparities had cost the country over $2.3 trillion.
By 2013, only 18% of Black fourth graders nationwide scored at or above proficiency level in mathematics, compared to 54% of their white counterparts. Only 35% of all fourth graders achieved reading proficiency that year. But these gaps didn’t just hurt their financial futures; they broke our hearts.
With NCLB prioritizing test scores above actual learning, schools had no choice but to shift resources away from students’ emotional and social growth. For Black children, this neglect contributed to feelings of isolation, sadness, and loneliness.
NCLB left our children behind and almost buried our future. To truly educate ourselves, we need systems that nurture us socially, economically, and academically. We’re more than statistics. Above all, we’re responsible for not leaving our children in the dust.