Letter to the editor by Mary Jane T. Pearson appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on March 31, 2004.

I am troubled by a mistake contained in a recent article about the No Child Left Behind Act ("No Child Left Behind law threatens school," March 25). First, I should note that I visited Verde Elementary School in North Richmond two years ago. I met the newly arrived, dedicated and energetic Principal Janice Thompson. She deserves much credit for the improvements at Verde.

One of the goals of No Child Left Behind is to target resources and support to schools and students most in need of help. No Child Left Behind merely asks that we make decisions based on what is right for the child, not what is best for the "system." The goal of No Child Left Behind is that each student perform at grade level. This is not some pie-in-the-sky, unreasonable ambition. It is a promise that we made to students and parents. It's that simple.

Mary Jane T. Pearson
U.S. Department of Education
Regional Representative, Region IX
San Francisco