Source Note 4

Title: McCain, Obama, and Leaving No Child Left Behind

Summary: No Child Left Behind is explained and advisers to John McCain and Barack Obama go over how the program must be reformed. .

Topic: Should President Obama reform the No Child Left Behind law?
Category: Journalistic, Multimedia
What is it? Broadcast and transcript from the National Public Radio (NPR) news.
Publication Information: National Public Radio (NPR), 10/5/08
Author: None Given
Location: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95413820
Accessed: 1/30/09

Support: Michael Acardi is the parent of a child assigned to a failing school and wants his child to attend a magnet school. Amanda Acardi is named as the daughter of Michael Acardi. Richard Ellenburg teaches an elementary school science lab, and was Florida’s teacher of the year. Ellenburg believes that while No Child Left Behind has done some good things, it has also taken flexibility away from teachers. Lisa Graham Keegan, adviser to John McCain, explains McCain’s visions. John McCain is mentioned in terms of his goals. Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, education adviser to the Obama campaign, explains Obama’s plans for No Child Left Behind. Barack Obama is mentioned in terms of his goals as well.

Audience and Agenda:
National Public Radio (NPR) is a producer and distributor of noncommercial news, talk and entertainment programming.

Usefulness:
This radio program was intended to explain No Child Left Behind as it is currently to listeners, and how the program can be reformed. It does a decent job at discussing what John McCain and Barack Obama might do with the program. It would have done a better job if it had found a more neutral parent for the initial interview (or if that part had not been present). Michael Acardi only seemed to care about his daughter attending a magnet school, not how failing schools can improve with reform.

Works cited:
http://www.npr.org/about/