Kaung Wai Yan Kyaw
Prof J Hurley
English 151 RW
3/2/15

There are a few factors why cheating scandal started in Park Middle School. No Child Left Behind, Poverty, Superintendent Beverly Hall, Principle Waller and Damany Lewis are the main factors. Education systems, setting high standard for schools that are in an impoverished area, have made teachers as well as principle to use unlawful way to meet the systems target. NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND Law, sets a standard for every school in the states. The Law requires 58% of students passing math and 68% of students passing language art, or Parks would be classified as a “school in need of improvement” for sixth year and the state could shut down the school. According to Rachel Aviv, “the Law requires public-school student to be proficient in math and reading by 2014.” This is giving teachers pressure and making the teachers to use other forms of method such as cheating. On the other hand, if the school were to achieve this target, the teacher and the staff would be rewarded. This relates to quote from the Gold Star Junkies article ”Rewards or Punishments are not only ineffective at motivating people, but are counterproductive and they might lose interest in the activity” This is saying that if Education system trying to pressure and reward the teacher, It would be counterproductive and resulting in teacher cheating.
Atlanta’s school superintendent, Beverly Hall, approached her job like a business executive. She pressure the teacher and principal that if they are not able to meet the standard they would be replaced and said “no exception, no excuses”. Hall’s also required 3% increase in the number of students reaching the standard and some proportion of student “exceed” the standard. When she heard the Waller was going to resign, she offers him “incentive reward grant” 15 thousand dollar and persuade Waller to stay a