Reprinted with permission of
the Journal-News
By Linda Ebbing
HAMILTON — More than two years ago, Tez Taylor stood next to
President Bush as he signed the No Child Left Behind legislation in the
gymnasium of Hamilton High School. Taylor, a 12-year-old who will enter the
seventh grade this fall, said Tuesday he is “very proud” to be immortalized in
bronze with eight other figures commemorating that January day. Taylor was
joined by hundreds of onlookers Tuesday as the final two sculptures — of Bush
and Hamilton City Schools Superintendent Janet Baker — were unveiled. The
sculpture plaza was dedicated with words from U.S. Secretary of Education Rod
Paige, U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester Township, and Baker. The signing
of the No Child Left Behind legislation was a turning point, Paige said.
“When we made our commitment to every child ... when we said
that we are going to stand up and have the political will to ensure that every
child has a quality education ... we are not only doing that for every child in
our nation, we are doing it for ourselves,” he said. “We are blessed to live in
a great nation, but our nation can not be its greatest unless we are sure of
quality education for every child.”
Hamilton philanthropists Donna and Pat Carruthers provided
the $400,000 for the sculpture plaza.
Paige told the Carruthers, “you’ve really blessed us with your gifts ...
it provides a reminder for us, of our goal, of our commitment, a reminder of
what took place here on that historic day when President Bush came to this
great city and to this great school to sign this bill and to say to the United
States of America, indeed to the entire world .. in this great country of ours
we will not leave a single child behind.”
The sculptures, created by Jarrett Hawkins of Deer Park,
show Bush surrounded by children and dignitaries. “It doesn’t matter what
political party you are a member of, Hamilton residents should be proud that
John Boehner urged President Bush to come to Hamilton to sign the bill,” Donna
Carruthers said. “We are on the map for that.”
The act is designed to hold schools accountable for student
performance. By not reaching a mandated level of improvement through Adequate
Yearly Progress — an accountability piece of the No Child Left Behind act —
school districts risk losing funding. Hamilton resident Linda Hartford said she
was at the dedication “to celebrate No Child Left Behind and to give gratitude
that we had that happen in our city. With Hamilton being the city of sculpture,
for (the Carruthers) to be so generous to commemorate such a national event in
our town where it all began is very gracious and generous.”
About 10 members of the Association of Community
Organizations for Reform Now — ACORN — attended the dedication to protest the
lack of promised funding of $17 billion toward the No Child Left Behind act.
“They are erecting a statue in honor of a program that isn’t working for
everyone,” said Stephanie Vaughnwelch of East Price Hill. “The statue is in
appreciation of No Child Left Behind and that act ... is $17 billion in a
deficit. The money that was promised to go to my child and every other child’s
education ... instead is going overseas and to war and to everything but my
child’s education. The money is not going where it should, where it’s been
promised to go.”
The event also drew criticism from Jeff Hardenbrook, a
Democrat opposing Boehner for the U.S House’s 8th District seat.
“Celebrating community accomplishments is important, but celebrating this ... act is like celebrating the emperor’s nudity without teaching the emperor how to sew his own clothes or educate children,” Hardenbrook said in a statement. “The NCLB Act does little or nothing to address early childhood education, the availability of high quality teachers in high poverty classrooms, better pay for teachers, and small classroom size.”