The effects of No Child Left Behind on teachers’ perceptions of their chosen profession

Since the enactment of NCLB (2001), it has been the source of major controversy. And although it was replaced by the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015, its impact is still apparent. NCLB’s intention was to ensure that all students in the United States had equal access to a high-quality education, regardless of race, gender, ability, or socioeconomic status (Mills, 2008). To achieve this goal, the Act introduced new requirements surrounding teachers, testing, and school improvement. These requirements have led to, among other things, teacher dissatisfaction. To identify the sources and level of dissatisfaction, a survey was distributed to teachers in east Tennessee, asking questions regarding curriculum and assessment post-NCLB. The survey results show state and standardized testing are the main causes of dissatisfaction. While the focus of policymakers remains on testing and test scores, this dissatisfaction is not likely to decrease.