Standardized Testing/NCLB

[GASOUTHERNVOL]

No child left behind mandates that schools must adhere to certain tests and policies. However, the problem is that the federal government doesnt fund most of these mandates. In special education, the gov is supposed to fund 40% of special education, however as of 2006 only 14% was funded leaving school systems over burdened and underfunded which has led to many cutbacks etc. What do yall propose as a solution for our education problem. (remember the 10th ammendment reserves all powers not listed in the consititution are given to the state)

[UT IE 95]

Just another failure of the outgoing administration.

My personal opinion is to privatize education completely. Use the federal and state budgets today and take bids from enterprising business people to operate school districts. Turn it into a business and not the screwed up system it has become.

[KB5252]

Originally Posted by UT IE 95

Just another failure of the outgoing administration.


Our schools were failing long before Bush was in office. This was an attempt to fix the situation. Why not look at the reasons NCLB was a failure? Lack of funding was just the tip of the iceberg IMO.


My personal opinion is to privatize education completely. Use the federal and state budgets today and take bids from enterprising business people to operate school districts. Turn it into a business and not the screwed up system it has become.

What do you think the unions reaction would be?

Don't you think the teachers union would be a terrible obstacle?

[GASOUTHERNVOL]

Originally Posted by KB5252

What do you think the unions reaction would be?

Don't you think the teachers union would be a terrible obstacle?

well in some states teachers cant unionize. I know for a fact you cant in Georgia. My idea for fixing the problem is taking large corporations, offer them some tax incintives to invest in local school systems to help alleviate some of the financial burderns. Especially in many rural areas. The schools would get the funding they need, and the companies would get GREAT publicity...

[KB5252]

Originally Posted by GASOUTHERNVOL

well in some states teachers cant unionize. I know for a fact you cant in Georgia. My idea for fixing the problem is taking large corporations, offer them some tax incintives to invest in local school systems to help alleviate some of the financial burderns. Especially in many rural areas. The schools would get the funding they need, and the companies would get GREAT publicity...

It would have to be successfully done somewhere first, then others would take a look.

The teachers union lobby would be a terrible impediment though on a national level.

[GASOUTHERNVOL]

Originally Posted by KB5252

It would have to be successfully done somewhere first, then others would take a look.

The teachers union lobby would be a terrible impediment though on a national level.

the problem is education really is something that is ran by the state. The only way the federal government gets involved is that they threaten to pull funding from other projects IE roads

[KB5252]

Originally Posted by GASOUTHERNVOL

the problem is education really is something that is ran by the state. The only way the federal government gets involved is that they threaten to pull funding from other projects IE roads

Yes but even on the local level the teachers union has a strong lobby. In those areas where they are unionized they would oppose this with all they had. I'm just pointing out it could happen in some areas but would not be allowed to happen in others. It would get a ton of resistance from the teachers across the board though.

[BigPapaVol]

how does one measure that education is only funded at 14%. Sounds like a teachers' lobby or teachers' union garbage number.

[GASOUTHERNVOL]

im not calling for complete privitization of schools. I think inner city schools would suffer the worst. Im just calling for more private investment. I am a teacher, and im in a well off school, howver there are still things we need, and we are lacking in some technology and important tools to help our students suceed. I mean beacuse of budget cuts our art class was cut out. Something has to be done...

[superdave1984]

The problem lies in the "dumbing down" of the educational system. The thought was that since too many kids were failing, that the curriculum was too hard. I do not agree with this philosophy. You don't pass, you don't go to the next grade. There is little, if any, discipline in schools. Teachers are handcuffed by the people who think that kids should be allowed to express their individuality no matter what. They don't teach the material, they teach how to do well on the standardized tests. And from what I have seen of my kids' work, tests are all multiple choice with half the choices being obviously wrong. We need to challenge kids more while keeping them interested. Just having all your kids pass does not make a successful system.

[MG1968]

end the education of illegal immigrants' children. No teacher should be forced to slow down his or her instruction because the non-English speaking child of a criminal alien shows up in class.

[VolByBirth]

The issue with education has little to do with money and everything to do with desire. Said another way, it's not supply-side, it's demand-side.

We have roughly $600B going into education, which is more than the rest of the developed world.

[allvol123]

Abolish any federal funding of education, sounds like a great start to me.

[beergood]

First post here, be gentle...

NCLB...Federally mandated test, which makes curriculum federally mandated. Which, by proxy, will be teaching to the slowest child in the classroom, to insure the numbers to get the slice of the government pie.

My question is this...do you think some children need to be left behind? I do. Teachers need to spend their time developing students, not teaching to some arbritary test. Not every child can be a doctor, lawyer or accountant, regardless of what Mom and Dad think. And this runs the spectrum of rich and poor, black or white.

Several friends in the education field tend to agree with these statements. They have said as much themselves. And I am certainly a case in point, having flunked out of college myself, only to turn it around as a skilled tradesman. The world needs electricians, machinists, ditch diggers and McDonald's employees. Unfortunately, I think NCLB places unnecessary emphasis on the student who has less to offer in terms of getting ready for college, or has less in the "smarts" department to be a success in higher education.

Flame away...

[volinbham]

Welcome to the board. Agree in principle that our education system is a lowest common denominator approach.