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.
"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.
There is no utility in it at all. For that matter, what's the point of testing *severely retarded* children, or those so autistic they can't speak or write? Yet their scores (i.e. zeroes) have to get averaged into the school's performance as well.
When we talk about NCLB "accountability," let's be very plain. That's jargonese for the following "ultimate" sanctions:
1) forcing the district to pay to transport students to nearby districts that are not "failing." Of course, when you have a situation where *every* school district in the region is failing (because every school district large enough is going to have demographic groups like immigrants or mentally handicapped students), where do those students go?
Also, districts don't have to receive students from the "failing districts" - so far. What's next, forcing them to do so?
That leads to ultimate sanction #2: Disbanding the local school board and putting the district under state (so far) control.
This is intolerable. Parents know 'how good' their local districts are, and when one perceived as good by parents is called "failing" by NCLB, parents get mad. This isn't going to be a factor for the 2004 election, but it will certainly be one in 2008, because the NCLB sanctions take a few years to percolate through.
So I look for some heavy-duty backlash from parents in the 2008 election.