"As a reading resource teacher, I was quite concerned when NCLB came into being, so I volunteered for the Hawaii State Teacher Association ESEA Task Force. I have been part of this group since 2002.

"I have visited numerous schools and heard so many stories about the woes of classroom teachers trying to implement this unfunded mandate, and the story of my own workplace always weighs heavily on my mind.

"My school was in the status of 'planning for restructuring,' and the ominous unknown ahead of us drove teachers into stress leaves and created an atmosphere of melancholy that still persists today (we got out of status in school year 2004-05).

"NCLB creates an unrealistic expectation for teachers that cannot be met, even if you jump through all the hoops. The teachers with whom I work are now going through what I can only label as NCLB-PTSD (NCLB-post traumatic stress disorder), and there's no treatment or cure.

"I am afraid that as the years go on, my school will again fall into 'status' and I just don't know how much more my teachers can take. NCLB is going to cause many of my excellent teachers to leave the profession! Our community cannot afford this kind of exodus because it means even fewer highly qualified teachers in classrooms (an indicator that puts schools into NCLB status).

"All teachers deserve more respect for what we do. All NCLB does is create a hostile work environment!"

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