One of the provisions in the No Child Left Behind Act's allows students in "failing" schools to transfer to other public schools within the district. We're just beginning to learn about the repercussions of this student-shuffling. In Nevada, some revealing statistics are being collected that reveal stark differences between teachers in poor performing schools and teachers in better performing schools. Teachers in Clark County who are in schools that "need improvement" were less likely to have earned advanced degrees and more likely to have less than two years teaching experience under their belt.

While it appears not that many students around the country are transferring (yet) less than 100 in Clark County as parents learn the system's public school choice features, the new allocation of students could be significantly affected. In New York City, Times reporter Michael Winerip points out that classrooms that were already running up against legally mandated class size limits are now positively bursting at the seams due to transfers, with classes as large as 37 pupils. Not surprisingly, principals around the city are not happy with the administration of their schools: "They say these things that have nothing to do with reality," says Principal Ellen Foote of Intermediate School 89 in Manhattan.

Winerip blasts Congress for lacking the courage to put in language in NCLB that lets students transfer to wealthier, better functioning districts.