Posted on 02/28/2005 3:27:43 PM PST by olliekam
A special task force of the National Conference of State Legislatures today released the results of a 10-month study that identified specific areas of the act that need to be changed if states are to guarantee that young people will learn at their full potential.
Key recommendations of the report include:
-Remove obstacles that stifle state innovations and undermine state programs that were proving to work before passage of the act. Federal waivers should be granted and publicized for innovative programs;
-Fully fund the act and provide states the financial flexibility to meet its goals. The federal government funds less than 8 percent of the nation's education program, but the No Child Left Behind Act affects nearly all classroom activity. In addition, states ask for a Government Accountability Office review to determine the act's costs and whether it violates the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act;
-Remove the one-size-fits-all method that measures student performance and encourage more sophisticated and accurate systems that gauge the growth of individual students and not just groups of students. States believe the 100-percent proficiency goal is not statistically achievable and that struggling schools need the opportunity to address problems before losing parts of their student populations;
-Recognize that some schools face special challenges, including adequately teaching students with disabilities and English language learners. The law also needs to recognize the differences among rural, suburban and urban schools.
(Excerpt) Read more at ncsl.org ...
Because the States have failed so miserably in this regard.
This is the real issue to them. Show me the money!
-Fully fund the act and provide states the financial flexibility to meet its goals
If that's true, then why not just change the platform?
I know some schools have policies that are over the edge in terms of meds, weapons, etc., but the fact is that even the best teachers in the world can't teach children with parents who are neglectful or abusive. The problems with a lot of these kids start in the home. One hour a day spent teaching a kid math or language arts isn't going to overcome a lifetime of living in a crackhouse or parents who believe welfare is an entitlement. It is time for the public to face that fact that we need some serious social changes and stop trying to pussy-foot around the truth and blame teachers for ALL of the low scores and poor achievement.
Please use the published title when posting an article
Federal education dollars still flow into States which continue to reflect poor educational performance. State legislatures are "feeling upset and depowered" because of their own failure to stare down their local school districts by enacting and enforcing higher educational standards.
It sounds as if you are criticizing President Bush's administration "conservative federal government" for trying to hold each State accountable in improving educational standards.
The Education Task Force of the National Conference of State Legislator's conclusion in their press release is an apparent request for even more passes, more excuses for individual States' poor performances.
States afraid of losing Federal dollars in education are in effect requesting that educational standards remain low enough for the Federal money flow to continue.
It sort of defeats the purpose of trying to raise educational standards.
I wonder how many tax dollars were spent on this particular "task force" 10 month study.
Education and your tax dollars ping.
It just does not make sense to me, how does this particular act support the conservative platform? By setting standards for all states in areas that should be state specific, isn't Bush stepping in the opposite direction?
Welcome to Free Republic. By the way, it's President Bush.
How does holding States accountable for improved educational standards not support a conservative platform when those States continue receiving Federal dollars tax dollars for education?
More simply, when the Federal government sends tax dollars to requesting States and that money is marked "for education" what is wrong with insisting upon higher standards?
TANSTAAFL.
Because I was under the impression it was power they were supposed to be given, specifically the power of choice. It does not seem concurrent with the platform if the administration gives money to help states with their education, while telling them exactly how to run their education, that doesn't seem like more states' rights to me. Doesn't it seem like more of a employer barking orders to an employee? I thought the platform this administration stood for was one that valued more of a parent giving a their child the resources in order to succeed, but ultimately it is up to the child to succeed on its own.
Are you serious?
olliekam wrote: "It does not seem concurrent with the platform if the administration gives money to help states with their education, while telling them exactly how to run their education..."
Oops, I'm sorry. In my previous post, I assumed that you knew the meaning of TANSTAAFL. Maybe they do not teach that in high school any more.
TANSTAAFL means "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch."
olliekam wrote: "I thought the platform this administration stood for was one that valued more of a parent giving a their child the resources in order to succeed, but ultimately it is up to the child to succeed on its own."
This is a joke, right? You are a newbie ... who knows.
However, in the event that you are sincere and feel that you prefer a parenting kind of government, you'll find that type government listed under "S" for Socialism in practically every dictionary. You'll find it in practice across the two big ponds, either direction.
It also appears that you have landed on the wrong website.
How does holding States accountable for improved educational standards not support a conservative platform when those States continue receiving Federal dollars tax dollars for education?
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How about changing the upside down nature of the proposition altogether. Why don't the states hold the Federal Government accountable for the money they send it (as we the people seem to have little ability to do so), and keep their own education money for themselves to start with?
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