Posted on 10/21/2004 6:17:28 PM PDT by mlmr
I have had to place some of my children in the local government schools. I am keeping the school on a fairly short leash and spend more than the usual amount of time talking to school employees.
Every school employee except for the busdriver has, each time we have spoken togher, has put in a POINTED slam of the No Child Left Behind program. All of them. All the time. One employee told me that I had to provide a reason and a note when the child is missing for a day...becasue No Child Left Behind requires it. Althoug friends in other districts deny thier schools requiring any such thing. And I certainly know that this is a FEDERAL mandate since the speakers all refer to this issue.
Is this a NEA or state union push. It is very effective for on a one to one basis with all parents during the teacher meetings this year, which are mostly held before the elections, parents are being told that the present administration is screwing up their child.
Any other government school parents experiencing this???
Yes. Unfortunately, our local schools are ALL PTA. Our children have attended schools with a PTO and one with a PATT (parents and teachers together). We were happy with those. I would never have raised an eyebrow about PTA except when we were asked to join, the PTA president said we would have to join for each child. At that time, we had four children in one school, and they wanted us to join four times in order for each of our children to get credit so each of their classes could have 100% membership. Then I looked up the national organization, and I was appalled.
Maybe this program is not so great. Maybe these horrible teachers recognize some things which you do not.
...sits waiting for the flames.
:)
All the teachers need to work harder for the children that need it the most not just blow them off but at the same time not just jump them up to get them out of their hair.
In this case, the teachers are right. No Child Left Behind is a massive and unnecessary federal intervention into what should be a *local* and *community* matter - the running of the public schools under a locally-elected school board.
"I disagree. Experience counts. Performance counts. I am sick of laws that are basicly make work programs for mediocre grad school profs."
I'm with you on that! I'm just stating why they want it. Understand they love academia - so they require more of it so their teachers can "look" superior. Don't bother to ask them the trash they "studied" to get it. It truly is a waste of time.
My flaming liberal Aunt is working on her PHD and even she moans and groans about it. She's an associate dean at a Univeristy and she needs that PHD to be a Dean. God help the University where she becomes a dean. She's a living witch.
I am currently in an ed program. The only negative I have heard about NCLB has to do with teacher certification. In particular, one of my special ed professors is certified to teach (regular) K-5, and special ed K-12. She teaches a whole HS class of special education students English. NCLB demands that she ALSO have a degree in English (this CAN be waived by the state, and she has been assured that it will).
I don't disagree with the idea that teachers be qualified. However, we are in desperate need for teachers who WANT to teach special ed and pushing experienced people out seems ridiculous. If she weren't doing her job well, she should be let go for that reason and not "paper" reasons.
The additional certifications put a large burden on small schools. How common is it for a biology teacher with a biology degree to also teach physics or chemistry? I think it is very common. NCLB insists that that teacher have additional degrees in chemistry and physics. Some of this just doesn't seem workable.
Universities need to eliminate their ed programs for middle and HS. A year from now they will be worthless.
NCLB was going to make me go back and take 2 courses so I would be a "qualified" teacher to teach an Earth Science course. My graduate degrees in technical fields just weren't enough.
But that is OK since I was really an anomaly. For the breadth of teachers that teach most classes, the higher standards work. Paperwork out the wazoo, at times yes. But not like any other public company responsible to their shareholders.
Sure. NCLB forces school districts to enact foolish practices like placing an English-version standardized test in front of a kid who doesn't speak English. It forces a disproportionate amount of funding into failing schools - remember that money generally comes from people in "successful" districts, since wealth and school performance are correlated.
Bottom line: Let's be candid. "No Child Left Behind" is a nice sound byte that's unworkable in practice. All people are created equal; that doesn't mean we all cross the finish line at the same time. That's just life.
Prior to NCLB, ALL public schools are funded by the government. This alone is nothing new.
This shifts more of the funding burden to the federal level; I'd submit that isn't a good thing. I suspect most conservatives would agree that increased accountability comes with increased decentralization of control and funding. This program is no exception; we're moving in the wrong direction.
I'm in tears here. LOL! That just struck me as really, really funny... .
good point! ...unfortunately they are few and far between...
In Kentucky and Ohio, at least, a Masters degree is required within 10 years of being hired.
NCLB does NOT require teachers to have a degree in the field they teach. Only that the teacher is certified and/or licensed by the state to teach that subject. Biology teachers in NC can teach physics if they have a general science license. That means the teacher had to at least had a year of physics in college. Is that really enough to do a very good job. No. But with the resource material that is available on the net and with the textbooks, a reasonable job teaching physics can occur.
I should know. I taught physics and math in the public school system in NC for 5 years.Most recently, last school year.
...sits with nittany
Yes, but I am talking about the fact that they are requiring a written note from me when I show up with the child in the office to place her back in school the next day.
Maybe they're not so few as you think.
The only reason NCLB has become an issue is because some inner city schools have sucked up the funds but with some of their teachers will never get results while suburban school districts use high property tax to keep their quality education and teachers.
SUMMATION: silk purse...sow's ear.
It is a huge undertaking! Hopefully your kids will find good teachers along the way!
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