Statue of George W. Bush: No Child Left Behind

Hamilton, Ohio

George W. Bush came to Hamilton High School on January 8, 2002, for the photo-op signing of his "No Child Left Behind" Act into law. Two years later, a couple of wealthy local Bush backers paid $400,000 to have nine life-size bronze statues installed outside of the high school entrance, preserving the moment for posterity.

Bush stands with his hand resting on a black granite lectern inscribed "No Child Left Behind." His bronze audience consists of an enraptured Schools Superintendent Janet Baker, six kids, and a guy in a suit and a sensible haircut.

Hamilton is no stranger to original thinking; it is also the home of a monument honoring Captain John Cleves Symmes, who believed that the Earth was hollow.

No Child Left Behind proved far less enduring than the monument that honored it. The federal act was quietly ended in 2015.