According to the Iowa Department of Education, "the goal of No Child
             Left Behind, is to create the best educational opportunities for our
             children and to ensure they have every opportunity to succeed." The
             problems with the American public school system are becoming ever more
             visible: oversized classrooms, children who fall behind in their academic
             and social development, and enormous disparities between high- and low-
             income neighborhood schools. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB),
             implemented in 2001, arose from the vestiges of the Secondary Education Act
             (ESEA) and is intended to alleviate many of these problems inherent in the
             current educational system. The NCLB "represents a sweeping overhaul of
             federal efforts to support elementary and secondary education in the United
             States," according to the United States Department of Education. The Act,
             and its relative success over the past few years, illustrates that
             accountability and parental involvement and choice can lead to an
             improvement in America's public schools.
             Critics of NCLB like Jamie McKenzie point to potential pitfalls in the
             law, such as a narrowing of the curriculum and the political motivations
             behind the act. However, most parents and educators will admit that the
             NCLB is a good start toward educational reform. Still, more work must be
             done to prevent many of the problems with the modern school system.
             Increased funding and a commitment to diversity and a rich school
             curriculum, for instance, must be included in any attempt by the federal
             government to reform education. Moreover, the government should take care
             to word such bills as to avoid complications with church and state.
             If the NCLB can ensure that no child is indeed left behind, then the
             Act will definitely lead to improved academic and social success for
             students. This in turn will cause future generations to become leaders in
             their chosen fields, and can therefore m...