PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNS WATERED DOWN EDUCATION BILL

1 fellow freeper | 1/8/2002 | 1 FELLOW FRREEPER

[1 FELLOW FREEPER]

President Bush made his first real mistake today, signing off on a watered down multi billion dollar education bill, which removed the threat of magnet schools, and vouchers. The teachers unions will now disregard the provisions of the bill, as there is no ultimate penalty for breaching the agreement. Watch the billions disappear, folks.And watch the scores remain the same, or worsen.

[Lizavetta]

I wonder if anyone could (politely) explain something to me...I've often wondered why this argument gets play. If the tests represent what an average student is "supposed to know," what's wrong with teaching for that test? Isn't that the point? I know there are other arguments for and against testing, but I'm interesting in a specific refutation of the idea that "teaching to the test" is bad.

Whatever is on the test becomes what the students "are supposed to know", so whoever or whatever is funding the testing companies and writing the tests has enormous control over what the students are taught, for all schools want to do well on the test, right?

What if the People for the American Way, Emily's List, ACLU, Rainbow PUSH, etc. are funding the test companies.....would you still support teaching to the test? Would you want your kids to take that test?

Follow the money.

[Digger]

Let's see, would a liberal rather spend YOUR money on protecting the school unions or protecting YOUR life with a missle defense system. Nuff said.

[xzins]

Minor change in opinion....just read above where it says a school could be forcibly "restaffed" if it fails to improve in 6 years. Now, if that actually has teeth, that could make a difference. I'll hold my breath on that one. But it's the most significant change mentioned above, IMHO.

[1 FELLOW FREEPER]

Yeah, what is the big deal about 30 billion dollars of taxpayers money to prop up the teachers union.

[goldstategop]

I'm disappointed as every one else on this thread with this bill. Its not a real reform bill and since it just throws more money at the schools without requiring them to demonstrate accountability its not going to bring about substantiative changes in our nation's public education system. The only blessing in disguise in this otherwise dreadful measure is that it will hopefully prompt free market alternatives to emerge once it becomes apparent the schools are no better off than before. That will make more of a real difference in the long run to our children's future than the measure the President signed.

[1 FELLOW FREEPER]

6 years??????? Nobody will even remember this thing next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why not 10 years?? 15 years???? Might as well be!

[eaglebeak]

See my post #16.

[RJCogburn]

This is a great start. Nothing happens without a beginning. Regardless of the shortcomings, it is better than no bill at all

How so? It increases federal spending, control, size and power. Is that what they call "Conservative"? We call it somwthing else in Yell County.

[eaglebeak]

I agree. People have taken teachers for granted for so long. . .have treated them like babysitters, and so on. And the teachers themselves, especially beyond gradeschool, aren't required to have the education and enthusiasm they need to care about what they teach. Teachers, by the high school level, should have master's degrees in their areas of teaching, should have less than twenty kids in the classroom, and should be payed accordingly. You'd see a heck of a difference if that happened.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I'm beginning to think the only cure is the takeover of school boards in local districts by conservatives. At least there'll be basics-minded persons making the decisions about how that money gets spent.

Agreed! That's why "all politics is local" and why FReepers need to run for these positions!

[RJCogburn]

If it helps the GOP to regain the Senate and hold the House, the benefit that ensues is worth the cost.

Hmmm. How much cost are you willing to incure for political advantage?

[goldstategop]

Exactly. Why leave our kids' future up to Rat politicians and the teachers' unions? Its time we started doing something about it.

[RJCogburn]

Even in this watered-down bill, we protected home-schoolers, and we are expanding charter schools.

Even in this watered-down bill, we expanded the size of the feds, increased the power of the feds, increased the spending by the feds, and added more paperwork and mandates for the states.

Oh, boy, I feel good that it was "watered down!"

[Pete]

And since when were home schoolers kept away from home schooling. It has been popular for 30 years.

Before the 1990's, homeschoolers survived by staying under the radar. There weren't huge numbers back then so it was fairly easy to do. Even so, there were cases of parents being jailed. Homeschooling became legal in all fifty states only in the early 1990's. Of course, state laws vary, but many are still intrusive and burdensome. Opponents of homeschooling continue to attempt to erode the privacy and rights of homeschooling parents. It is a continuous battle.

How many families are able to home school their children?

I would simply ask why these families feel they cannot homeschool. What choices have they made? Two incomes is a choice and is rarely a requirement. The standard of living of today's poor is slightly above that of the middle class standard of living from the early 1970's. If someone chooses not to homeschool their child, that's fine with me. But let's not pretend they are unable to do so.

[YaYa123]

Psssst peekaboo. Sometimes it's just a flat out waste of time to try and get someone to see another point of view, or even to convince them to consider slightly modifying a strongly held position. But take heart....lurkers and others read your comments too.

[goldstategop]

We're no longer viewed as anti-education. Now its time to reshape the debate on our terms and say OK if we're going to have a federal role in education at all, lets demand real accountability from our schools. We've already signed onto the federal presence in education, which has historically been a state and local responsibility, so we might as well take the next step and differentiate ourselves from the Rats by making it clear we're not just here to provide handouts from Washington. We want states and local communities to be partners not just recipients of federal aid and that means taking responsibility to ensure our kids learn their ABC's and become prepared to become patriotic, moral, and productive members of our society.

[Wphile]

Since when have home schoolers been prevented from homeschooling.

They haven't been prevented, yet. The teachers unions are rallying against home schooling much as they have done against charter schools. Herein the socialist state of Washington, we can't even have charter schools. Home schoolers have a tough row to hoe and it is not popular with most folks! You should hear the disdain poured on homeschoolers from the teachers and most parents, frankly. All that BS about "what about social skills?" So, any protection offered to homeschoolers is good indeed.

Remember the teachers unions are good at PR and homeschooling is one of their targets. Just because you aren't paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you!

[1 FELLOW FREEPER]

AHA!! In the last 30 minutes, representatives of 2 teachers unions have been on CNN and FOX, telling us they can't possibly institute these changes in the alloted time frame. They KNOW there is no ultimate price to pay, and they are so brazen, they didn't even wait an HOUR to give us all the finger....ROTFLMAO !!

[eaglebeak]

Two incomes is a choice and is rarely a requirement

With all due respect, what planet are you on?

[1 FELLOW FREEPER]

""You should hear the disdain poured on homeschoolers from the teachers and most parents, frankly. All that BS about "what about social skills?" So, any protection offered to homeschoolers is good ""

Of course they are against homeschooling, as it highlights their incompetence!! But they cannot stop homeschooling, they just want to rail against it.