Teachers in this area roundly hate the No Test Left Behind Act.

These are conservative people who have been teaching for years. They find that methods that teach children content but don't address the tests, and that methods relying on output that is visible in portfolios but doesn't produce the appropriate test-taking skills are now not allowed.

They teach to the test, because the test scores are all NCLB cares about, really. Looks very good on paper. I venture to suggest this phenomenon is being repeated in other parts of the country.

Results: We will have a group of minimally-literate graduates who are very good at filling in small circles with #2 pencils.

You want a clue to what is wrong with schools? Read something by Jonathan Kozol. He's still researching in the field, and he's still discovering a remarkable thing: money invested in schools and in teachers and in materials makes for a better education.