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School Teachers Pointedly Slam NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND in Discussions with Parents...
10.21.04 | mlmr

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???


TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: homeschooling; nclb; nea; nochildleftbehind
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To: mlmr
The education establishment hates NCLB because it makes the schools - teachers and administrators - accountable for what they do - it tests how well kids are doing, compares how they're doing to achievement standards, and rewards and penalizes schools for how they perform...teachers complain because they claim they must now "teach to the test", but in fact schools have been using standardized tests for years...the big difference now is the comparison of schools to one another and to how much progress they have or haven't made, and formal standards for determining progress and payoffs...

I was amazed a few weeks ago when a story on local Philly TV told of how the achievement testing scores in NJ schools statewide had improved by 7% over the past few years and actually attributed the progress to the No Child Left Behind program - enough of that sort of thing getting around and Bush might really carry the state......

181 posted on 10/21/2004 9:49:38 PM PDT by Intolerant in NJ
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To: Intolerant in NJ

I work in the NJ school system .Yea , our HSPA scores were greta the last 2 years.Simply due to HARD HARD work on the part of the classroom grunts like me . Please keep in mind they play with those numbers ALL THE TIME .


182 posted on 10/21/2004 9:53:26 PM PDT by hineybona
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To: kiki04
As a former public school teacher, a lot of teachers just parrot what they are told by the local NEA rep.

Tell me about it ... My brother is a card carrying member of the NEA and repeats the "NCLB" talking points none stop and everything is Bush's fault

After hours of arguing with him about it .. I finally said .. you do realize that Teddy Kennedy wrote that Bill don't ya

Apparently he didn't

BTW .. did I mention that he is smarter then I am .. He told me so

183 posted on 10/21/2004 10:06:18 PM PDT by Mo1 (This Sept 10th attitude is no way to protect our country)
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To: sitewriter
When did they ever stop requiring a note when a child is absent? I admit it's been awhile since I have had a child in school Twenty years, but we always had to send a note when a child was absent with a reason. There were absences and unexcused absences. I doubt it has anything to do with No Child Left Behind. We needed a note when I was a kid back in the olden days
184 posted on 10/21/2004 10:15:41 PM PDT by Texas Mom
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To: hineybona
I work in the NJ school system .Yea , our HSPA scores were greta the last 2 years.Simply due to HARD HARD work on the part of the classroom grunts like me . Please keep in mind they play with those numbers ALL THE TIME ...sounds as though you have nothing to worry about from NCLB...

NJ test scores are quite interesting - available for inspection on the NJDept of Ed website - I've used them myself when our local Board of Education starts asking for big pay raises - ie big local tax increases - to demonstrate that the kids in our little town with a percapita income of about half the state average (20k vs 40k per year) are scoring just about as well as those in our neighbor down the pike with average income higher than the state average...it was surprising to me that someone in our all 'rat state government gave credit to the NCLB for the improvement in test scores, and that the liberal TV media reported the story including the same credit......

185 posted on 10/21/2004 11:20:39 PM PDT by Intolerant in NJ
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To: VeniVidiVici

This is my beef. I need to give them a note with an "approved" reason for an absence? Screw that.

I refused to do it, just like I refused to descrive our races on the census.


186 posted on 10/22/2004 3:11:16 AM PDT by mlmr (The End is Near.)
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To: hineybona

We need some help here .Any suggestions ? Most teachers think this is a horrible situation but are afraid to say anything , fearing being branded a bigot..Apologies to all for getting off topic here but this is important and a disgrace.



Get Christian Materials and do the same. When they stop you, sue their a---- off. Document everything with dates and samples. Contact a conservitive rights organization such as Rutherford or ACLJ. We roll over too much and we are losing our culture.


187 posted on 10/22/2004 3:15:49 AM PDT by mlmr (The End is Near.)
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To: ridesthemiles

The school has to have this for their record keeping. They have to be secure in the fact that the parent KNOWS the kid is absent, and not abducted or something in a custody case or whatever. They get paid based upon attendance, so knowing who is absent and why is critical. If a kid is sick, the type of sickness and it's impact on the rest of the school is also of interest.


Not when I am standing there with the child and telling them in the office.


188 posted on 10/22/2004 3:17:08 AM PDT by mlmr (The End is Near.)
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To: LisaMalia
Let me tell you about my daughter. She earned three degrees in 5 years, played basketball for Ohio State, and was a 4 year Big 10 Scholar Athlete.

BOOOO!!!!! (Just kidding!) The Big 10 has the greatest student-athletes in the nation.

She is now happily married to the man of her dreams. She has morals, values, and is a staunch Republican. AND SHE IS A TEACHER...I guess I just want to make the point that it's time for any parent who has a child in the public school system to speak out. There are some really good, hard working, Conservative teachers out there. Maybe not for long though, if things go on as they are.

Yep. One of the most unfortunate facts of teaching seems to be that the good teachers are set upon by those who don't want to be "shown up". Eventually the best teachers get burned out or tired of dealing with derision coming from the worst teachers. The system breeds mediocrity; that will never change until tenure is removed from the equation.

189 posted on 10/22/2004 5:15:58 AM PDT by NittanyLion
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To: nmh
If they don't learn English let them repeat and repeat till they do. It's the only way. My relatives didn't speak a lick of English when they arrived in the 20's and they PROSPERED. They went to a local highschool to learn it at their OWN expense.

I'm not sure you understand my point. ESL kids should learn English - but what's the utility of administering tests they cannot read and then holding the district accountable when they inevitably fail? That's just one example of why an all encompassing federal approach doesn't work. It's akin to zero tolerance laws - we need to let people use their judgment.

Truly when the government pays for it whether it's state or local it doesn't really matter.

I'm surprised to hear such a sentiment expressed on a conservative website. I understood conservatives to be in unanimous agreement that power should be decentralized to the greatest extent possible, because only then will individuals be empowered to act.

If you want to nit pick, it appears the state wasn't doing a good job, hence the federal government stepped in. Nothing would have changed if they didn't.

Nothing has changed since they have. Keep in mind that this isn't an either/or proposition. If the state is failing there are any number of options - but resorting to federal mandates is without a doubt among the worst.

190 posted on 10/22/2004 5:20:31 AM PDT by NittanyLion
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To: petitfour

Not all parents are fools:

http://www.edexcellence.net/foundation/gadfly/index.cfm#2024


191 posted on 10/22/2004 5:28:28 AM PDT by ladylib
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To: tobyhill

I was just wondering because my four year old sounds like Tweetie.


192 posted on 10/22/2004 5:28:41 AM PDT by netmilsmom (Conservative women smile with their soul!)
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To: mlmr

Both my niece and good friend, both Republicans, hate NCLB. One of them has been a DH teacher for 25 years, the standards placed on these special needs kids is ridiculous. They are mainstreamed for testing and there is no way they will make the grade.


193 posted on 10/22/2004 5:32:44 AM PDT by Toespi
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To: netmilsmom
My 5 year old had the same squeaky voice but it's starting to tone better.
194 posted on 10/22/2004 5:32:48 AM PDT by tobyhill (The war on terrorism is not for the weak!)
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To: mlmr

Maybe they need a written note on record to satisfy some requirement. If they do, they should be happy to explain that to you. Some of these school administrators are too damn arrogant.


195 posted on 10/22/2004 5:42:36 AM PDT by ladylib
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To: hineybona

Contact Senator Gerald Cardinale. He had a bill before the legislature (that went nowhere) that students had to recite the Preamble every day.

He might be interested in this.

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/Members/cardina.asp


196 posted on 10/22/2004 5:58:13 AM PDT by ladylib
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To: ladylib

Thank you so much for that link. I am printing the WP story to give to several PTA folks, including at least one principal, who I know is very conservative, and this may spark some changes.


197 posted on 10/22/2004 8:33:53 AM PDT by petitfour
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To: NittanyLion

"I'm not sure you understand my point. ESL kids should learn English - but what's the utility of administering tests they cannot read and then holding the district accountable when they inevitably fail? That's just one example of why an all encompassing federal approach doesn't work. It's akin to zero tolerance laws - we need to let people use their judgment."

No, you don't get it. It has to start one DAY ONE in school. It IS the districts that are failing kids with precisely your attitude! Yes, we do need ZERO tolerance when it comes to reading writing and speakng English. If they don't have them keep repeating the grade over and over and over again till they so speak, read and write English. Your excuses are a cover for status quo.


"I'm surprised to hear such a sentiment expressed on a conservative website. I understood conservatives to be in unanimous agreement that power should be decentralized to the greatest extent possible, because only then will individuals be empowered to act."

The "states" have FAILED the educational system. That is WHY we need uniform HIGH STANDARDS. If the "state" was doing it's job through teachers this would NOT be an issue.

"Nothing has changed since they have. Keep in mind that this isn't an either/or proposition. If the state is failing there are any number of options - but resorting to federal mandates is without a doubt among the worst."

What other options so you see? I am open to them.


198 posted on 10/22/2004 9:39:37 AM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: petitfour

Your welcome.


199 posted on 10/22/2004 10:19:21 AM PDT by ladylib
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To: ladylib

You're welcome, not your welcome.


200 posted on 10/22/2004 10:23:56 AM PDT by ladylib
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