In an NPR radio interview, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said the No Child Left Behind Act has become "toxic" -- that it's in need of proper funding, reform, AND a new name.
"We are putting dramatic money behind our children, which didn’t happen before, it was largely underfunded," he said. "But in this [stimulus] package there are over $10 billion in additional money for children in poverty, Title 1 dollars, over $10 billion through IDEA [Individuals With Disabilities Education Act]....We want to be much less punitive and reward excellence and really again spotlight those schools and those districts that are beating the odds every single day."
As for the program name itself, he said, "I think it ultimately has to be rebranded. 'No Child Left Behind' has become toxic. And we need to come up with something that’s much more inspiring, something that appeals to the best of us rather than pulls us down."
As a communications professional, I understand the value of rebranding. But Secretary Duncan's remarks reminded me of another rebranding that was recently in the news -- Blackwater, the notorious military contractor, is changing its name to "Xe." Same company, different name. Will it make a difference? If you're interested, this Newsweek article examines Blackwater's decision and the experience of Altria (the company formerly known as Philip Morris) and other rebranded corporations.
3 comments:
Hi Mark!
As always, such a great question you raise. "Branding" just doesn't fit for me, as an educator. It's business speak and to me speaks of image, not content. I want this administration to focus on the content of the policies, rather than how appealing the package is. Content like-- how will you focus on rewarding excellence? How will you inspire everyone to be their best? HOW will you support special education beyond simply funding? If these questions are answered well, I won't care what they call the thing!
My concerns or reservations about Arne are his ties to business communities, like Gates, who have great intentions but really don't seen to understand curriculum and instruction. It's hard to reform schools in ways that are productive without focusing on teaching and learning.
Gina
So what [in your professional capacity] would you suggest as a new quip / logo / catchphrase? It's almost as bad as crossword puzzles, another area where I lack expertise.
Cheers
Thanks for asking, Maddie, but I have to agree with Gina on this. It's most important to get the program right -- renaming it (no matter what the name is) will do little to build support and confidence in its ability to improve education.
If I had to pick a name, I'd call it "NCLB 2.0 -- Now With Funding."
Post a Comment