A GOP backlash is building against President Bush’s signature piece of domestic legislation, the No Child Left Behind Act.
A group of more than 50 Republican lawmakers last week endorsed a bill that would undercut a key provision of NCLB by allowing states to opt out of testing requirements. The revolt is being led by some influential Bush backers such as House Minority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas.
Blunt said that a trip through his home district, and hearing frustrated teachers and parents complain about the onerous testing, helped turn him against the law.
The NCLB dissidents say they don’t necessarily want to repeal the law, which is up for reauthorization this year. But they do want to see some significant changes to give states more flexibility to meet educational goals.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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60 Comments
NCLB was flawed to begin with. Like any (and every) child educational bill, it could not overcome the lack of decent teachers, the teacher’s union, and the apathy of parents.
In ANY situation whereby a child must meed test requirements – it becomes necessary to ‘teach the test.’ When that happens, general knowledge falls behind.
The ONLY way to turn our failing public schools around, is to first, disband the teacher’s union, and fire the deadbeat teachers….no exceptions. No more tenure…period.
Then, require parental involvement.
It is the children of parents who are not involved that suffer. Fine parents who refuse to be involved. They had fun making those kids – now they need to stand by them…or pay if someone else must take over their parenting duties.
It doesn’t take a village to raise a child – it takes decent parents.
The bill should be left alone. This is the ONE and ONLY thing that Bush got right in my view. The reason that school admistrators and some teachers don’t like NCLB is because they are not doing the job we are paying them to do. And the most important- and irritating thing to them is the fact that students that have parents that give a damn can opt out of poor performing schools and send their kids somewhere else. Although “school choice” is not the liberal position, I am one liberal who supports school choice 100%. Children should not be doomed to an inferior education because of their street address. Parents should be allowed to choose a better school if the school in their neighbourhood is bad.
Good for you, Kev. I support school choice, too, or homeschooling.
But, I don’t support vouchers.
GSheridan………….give up the insane idea that the “teacher’s union” is going to be disbanded. That is NEVER going to happen.
NCLB was meant to cause failure in public education from its inception. It was put into place to siphon public tax dollars to the private sector. That is it.
I am curious, how exactly do you define “dead beat teachers”? Also, what you call “tenure” is in reality full due process rights per state statute. A change in this statute would require a new law generated by the legislature and a signature by the governor unless the bill passes with a “super-majority”. It’s doubtful if these events will occur either. In any case, passage wouldn’t really matter because your non-definition of “dead beat teachers” wouldn’t make it past district court.
Stop blaming the eduction professionals. Look at yourself BSheridan; it’s you and you’re kind who create the real problems in education in this nation.
I would define a deadbeat teacher as one that neglects learning in the classroom.
Seen this several times myself. Teachers are so concerned about a lesson plan they forget to teach the children. The children are there to learn and after all, that is the primary goal of education isn’t it?
The schools don’t exist for the benefit of the teacher, they exist for the benefit of the children.
I’m just waiting to see how the dust settles on this one. I’ve spent 6 years now teaching Science to at-risk inner-city kids. I have seen some major improvements, but nothing that would lead me to believe that public school teachers could ever overcome the drugs, gangs, poverty and lack of parental involvement that are really creating the problem, and see 100% proficiency in reading and math by 2012. It’s illogical and insulting to blame the teachers when students do not perform well on standardized tests. Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Telling these kids that if they fail its their teacher’s fault just compounds the problem. And as for the unions, when this stupid law first made its way into the classroom the theachers unions were the first to point out how silly many of the provisions were-like forcing schools to test kids with IQs below 70 for example, and then counting these scores towards AYP. No, I’m sorry, I’m a very good teacher but I’m no miracle-worker. If Congress does not change this legislation such that I don’t have some jerk with no teaching experience standing over my back saying, “either get all of these kids to pass their tests-I don’t care how tough their neighborhoods are-or you are fired,” then I’ve already got job offers outside of the school system, they can find some other whipping boy. Saddly, there are not very many people waiting in the wings for a chance to teach my students.
I certainly don’t think a layman’s term, “deadbeat teachers” would be used to back a legal issue.
And tenure for newly hired teachers has ALREADY been eliminated in many States. Now, all that need be done, is remove it from all previously-hired teachers. It has nothing to do with due process, only with throwing up roadblocks when a school board is trying to get rid of lousy teachers.
Maybe the Teacher’s Union will not be disbanded any time soon, but that doesn’t make it respectable.
Anytime folks who CLAIM to have out children’s best interest at heart organize AGAINST us – there is a conflict.
Any money it may take for our legislators to ban tenure is worth it, and probably a good sight less than we pay in legal fees when we try to get rid of these deadbeat teachers.
Let’s face facts here – if the teachers are so darned good – why are our children getting dumber and dumber by the day?
Why do kids in private schools and home schools outscore them regularly?
“Teachers are so concerned about a lesson plan they forget to teach the children.”
You see, right there, what on Earth are you even talking about!? What line of work are you in that you don’t plan out how you are going to accomplish your goals? Teaching children well requires that teachers carefully plan their lessons. The handfull of teachers who do not bother to do this are actually the ones whose principals should consider getting rid of.
“Anytime folks who CLAIM to have out children’s best interest at heart organize AGAINST us – there is a conflict.”
I’m a parent and a teacher and I feel no conflict with myself whatsoever.
Ask yourself this: in a democratic nation, such as ours, why shouldn’t the teachers have a democratically elected organization to represent our opinions on our profession? Kennedy and Bush, to the best of my knowledge, have never taught one day ina public school. Don’t you think that teachers have a right to voice our concerns over their stupid law?
Mr. O, and you are a science teacher? I said “Teachers are so concerned about a lesson plan they forget to teach the children.”
What part of that statement said anything about teachers not preparing their lesson plan?
I’m talking about the teachers who “sheep herd” children through school not giving a rat’s behind other than completing a lesson plan.
I have no dispute getting rid of teachers who fail to prepare a lesson plan.
I do have a problem with apathetic teachers.
“Why do kids in private schools and home schools outscore them regularly?”
More support at homeMore money in the family=more real world experienceA private school can kick a continually disruptive child to the curb. A public school has to find a way to educate all children. That’s where I come in-I specialize in teaching the knuckleheads. But i have been offered jobs at private schools. NCLB punishes me for choosing to work with the students who are the biggest problems in the classroom.
Thats all well and good Republican, I just don’t see very many of these apathetic teachers of which you speak. I see an a whole lot of hard-working Americans who deserve far more respect for the jobs they do.
Let me ask you something, when you were in school and you failed a test did you blame your teacher? When you did well on a test did you cerdit your teacher or yourself?
I’m sorry, being a conservative used to mean that you had a belief in personal responsibility. Children need to be taught that failure is a product of their own lack of effort.
Granted, Mr O, Kennedy and Bush have likely never taught in public schools, but do we advocate allowing our elected Congressmen and Presidents to unionize against us?
As a ESL teacher (non-certified) in Middle School, I was astounded by the percentage of teachers who were really “average.” I also had to report one of the ‘favorite’ teachers for putting one of my Vietnamese students between two large lockers in classroom, where he could see no other students, and they could not see him. He spent weeks there before I found out. That teacher has tenure. Before I taught ESL, I was a para in another teacher’s class. She had been voted ‘Teacher of the Year,’ the previous year, but she had me weight the grades so busy work, crosswords, wordfinds and coloring pages, were worth MORE (percentage-wise) on the child’s final grade, than his/her actual subject scores. She didn’t like having kids that received below a “B.” She is also tenured.
Just the fact that home schooled children regularly outscore kids from public schools proves that accreditation does NOT a teacher make.
Until we hold teachers accountable – we will continue to have lackluster teachers, AND we will see our public school kids fail.
I heartily endorse any parent who chooses to home school, or send their child to private school.
In the interest of polite debate I posted the above comment credited to “M”
“Until we hold teachers accountable – we will continue to have lackluster teachers, AND we will see our public school kids fail.”
I’m fine with this, but the accountability provisions in NCLB make no sense. We have schools in my city facing action under no child because their special ed students cannot pass our state’s standardized test. Further, when you teach at-risk students like the ones in my classroom, all of the brilliant lesson planning, hands-on activities and what I would call “disciplinary finess” (the ability to maintain a peacefull learning environment without suspending every other student in the classroom each day) will not change the fact that my students are spending their entire lives embedded in street culture that teaches them that povery, gangs and drugs are the norm. In short, I get beat over the head for not being able to change things that are simply out of my hands.
I never failed a test in school. Hard to believe I know, but never did.
Yes, I have seen apathetic teachers and if you haven’t, time to take your blinders off. To be fair, there are not a lot of them, but they exist.
If I got a grade I thought I didn’t deserve I also went to the teacher and asked about it. Most of the time, it was my fault for misinterpreting something incorrectly and rarely the teacher made a mistake and phrased a question badly.
It wasn’t until University, when I became exposed to tenured Professors that I saw how many butt enemas are actually paid to teach.
You see “m” the type of assumption and attitude you are displaying is normal, but it is also a typical display of Union teachers being too defensive about their performance being criticized.
Are there lots of great teachers? You bet, there are thousands of them.
I bet if I met with any teacher out there, they could give me a list of poor performing teachers and exactly what they are weak in their teaching methods.
Do you dispute that?
I doubt that you can dispute that, as in any occupation there are poor performers.
Dump the unions and we will have a much better educator workforce for our children.
Do it for the children.
RepublicanYou are still missing the point. My school provides students with a sort of last chance option before they job straight into prison-in fact about 50% of the kids I teach already have criminal records and did I mention I teach 8th grade science! I give kids the oportunity to learn science in real, hands-on experiments. I spend much of my free time on the phone trying to reach their parents, grandparents and foster parents trying to get my students extra tutoring but often to no avail. Most often the students and their parents have choosen a path of continued poverty and criminal activity. There really is only so much that is humanly possible.
Yes, from time to time a bad teacher comes into our program. But don’t worry, our students scare them off within a few months. Come to think of it, they scared away a few pretty good teachers over the years. Or maybe they just left because they don’t want to fce the blame when these at-risk kids choose a path of failure and lawlessness.
Unlike most of the rest of you, I actually HAVE a kid in school under NCLB. In fact NCLB and my kid’s time in school started just about the same time.
Our experience? My son could not pass the standardized tests. SO he got kicked to the curb and labeled a behavior case. That was in 1st grade. They pigeon hole the kids who can’t pass the test to take them out of the system.
This isn’t the fault of the teachers or unions. This is the fault of a society that does not value education and is quick to marginalize anyone that does not fit the cookie cutter. The result is really an assault on the traditional American character of individuality. Just produce good little drones who can say yes sir amd do what they are told. Do it as cheap as possible. Sad.
Well Mr. O, you have a tough problem on your hands if you are teaching children children with criminal records and apathetic parents.
I don’t think the issue of teaching “inner city hoods” was the topic of conversation though.
No one expects a Jaime Escalante (played by James Olmos in the movie ‘Stand and Deliver.) to be in every classroom where there are gang elements. That is just not reasonable or practicable.
That is probably the worst of all teaching scenarios. You are to be commended for your teaching to these children.
Let’s stand back and look at this in another way. Ten years from now, a student you taught comes back proudly showing his teacher’s certificate or his multiple diplomas. He/She says to you, “If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have ever gotten this far nor achieved this much. I want to thank you.”
That in of itself would be rare. I think that in your situation, a successful pulling by the hair of some students who want to learn is a good thing.
I can see your point about the “No Child left Behind” in your specific instance. However, if we don’t try, then what?
Are we to give up on them? Are we to wallow in self-pity on achieving the improbable? Or are we going for the nobility of the profession and to teach the best we can, sacrificing much and sometimes yielding little.
Which student who could have made a difference in society are you willing to give up on?
Hang in there, do the best you can and maybe someday the reward will be seeing several of your students advance in community and education.
I see everyone thinks they know how to solve all the problems with education today, yep.
Sorry Gsheridan and Joe Williams, the “Teacher’s Unions” are not going away. The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers are the organizations with the most knowledge in how to successfully educate students. Why? Because their members are EDUCATORS. The goal of EDUCATORS is to EDUCATE students. Passing a law that all students will score at a certain level is just asinine. Education is not an assembly line process.
The BS you throw out is just anti-public education rhetoric. Save your breath, or in this case the muscles in the fingers you use to type, what YOU think doesn’t really matter.
See! That is where you are wrong Apophis.
The Teacher Unions aren’t there for the students. They are only in existance to serve the interest of the working conditions of the teachers. They have nothing to do with education, education techniques, education training or anything else.
Their job and goal, just like any union, is to secure job positions, higher pay, benefits and reduce workload and work hours for their members.
School children are not their members nor do they recieve anything or any benefit from teacher unions.
Live, Read, Learn!
Let’s see…
Egyptian Mythology:Apophis, the Destroyer, Patron of: evil and darkness.
Nuff said. :)
I see your point Joe. Let’s have poorly paid and represented people teaching our children.
Yep, that makes sense.
Repug……………I am the “destroyer”………..of all repugs
Cry ALL you want about the NEA, it is NOT going away.
It isn’t going a way. You’re right! It’s the most poweful union in America.
Let me ask you this Apophis! Since you seemed to care about teachers and their pay.
They are government workers. Why does government workers need unions? I thought only capitalist greedy corporations exploited workers?
The NEA and our soviet system of government education is the demise and failure of our education system. But there is an option. Don’t send your children to government schools.
I want the best for my children and the best education. That means sending them to private schools. I don’t care if I have to work four jobs to pay for it. I will not send my children to government schools.
I went through the government school system. It was terrible and basically worthless as an education institution. That is why so many countries are surprassing us in education standards. Because they don’t follow our soviet style of govenment education and they don’t let unions control the educators.
Live, read, Learn!
“The NEA and our soviet system of government education is the demise and failure of our education system. But there is an option. Don’t send your children to government schools.”
This is TOO funny!
I see how it should be………everyone can afford to send their children to private schools, yep that’s the ticket.
Joe W., if you were a “failure” in public schools it was because of YOU, not the teachers.
I’m in education and have no problem with accountability – it’s the HOW that is the issue.
One example – ELL students are required to pass grade level tests. Students new to the U.S. are exempted their first year.
How on earth can we expect a student who comes to the U.S. as a 7th grader to pass the 8th grade reading test the following year? That is asinine and just one example.
For someone who’s really studied NCLB and how it impacts education globally, it does not take long to realize the legislation is designed to CAUSE schools/districts to fail.
Granted, there have been some beneifts but they pale in comparison to the long-term ramifications.
The teacher shortage in the U.S. this year alone is 200,000 – laws of supply and demand imply that teacher quality would improve if there was a surplus. Until that happens, expect the mediocrity to continue.
Explain to me precisely Common Sense, how NCLB will cause “it” to fail or was that just a talking point? :)
I’m not a falure Apophis. I said the school system was. I can manage through anything. I’m no weenie! But I can say by experience in the system of how so many children were left behind, socially promoted and etc.
But your towing the leftist line. So I expect you to defend government schools without critisim, unless it has anything to do with Bush!
If you want to send your children to government schools, that’s fine.
Just keep your usual cry. Just blame Bush and not enough funds for government schools for the extremely high drop-out rate, violence, and funtional illiteracy.
Just remember! The NEA does not give a damn about your kids. Don’t even fool yourself.
Stupid in America!
The NCLB was a failure from the beginning. The data collected from its “success” in Texas was doctored. Students who didn’t meet the test scores were forced out of school to improve the school’s performance.
The instant that teaching the test became the priority, the educational system was destined for failure (which is the goal of the bill, to undermine the public system).
Because of the differences in learning from child to child, the instant a single test was written for all children, our kids were sold out. They no longer recieve an education, but indoctrination into a single thought where differences are squashed.
You’re teaching the test and kids fail? So what is the Bell Curve on this failure?
Single test? Don’t they call those standardized tests? Sort of like ACT and SAT? :)
What single thought would that be?
Joe W., you are showing your right-wing fascist leanings today. I send my children to PUBLIC schools. Public schools are open to anyone, unconditionally. You and the other RWingnuts like to portray PUBLIC as “government”. You try to make it sound like they are political indoctrination centers. Of course, that is the Karl Rove way isn’t it? Talk about stupid in America!
Repug………… Zach is exactly on target. Learning can’t be quantified like the public is lead to believe with the NCLB fiasco. FYI, the ACT and SAT are not required tests for all High School students. Those are taken by chose.
I guess NCLB will be added to the growing list of Bush/Repug/Fundie failures of the first decade of the 21st century.
Worst president (and supporting cast), EVER!
Capn/Steve Davis…er Apophis…
Sorry the “Worst president…” mantra threw me for a second, had you confused with someone else. :)
Learning can’t be quantified?
How about those letter grades, point systems and pass/fail things? You know, the little diddies you get on a report card?
Quantification as in SAT and ACT? Don’t High School Graduates usually take those tests?
How dare we ask Teachers to quantify their teaching results!
Maybe we can use the bean in circle method. You know, toss a bean in a circle of rocks, if it stays in, the student and the teaching to the student is successful, if not…oh well.
The way to rid our mandatory indoctrination camps of unionized teachers, is for parents (and concerned community members) to begin to organize their OWN educational systems – and REFUSE to hire a certified teacher.
Think it wouldn’t work? Think again. Already students needn’t have a formal transcript to enter University – their ACT or SAT scores will suffice along with a detailed explanation of their educational background.
Before long, the indoctrination camps would be between a rock and a hard place, since fewer and fewer kids would grace their halls on Sept 19.
And I, for one, am pushing that. Pushing hard.
America deserves better. We deserve the best. Goodbye NEA.
“REFUSE to hire a certified teacher.”"America deserves better. We deserve the best. Goodbye NEA.”
Don’t worry, I am one of the good teachers, and between No Child’s unattainable accountability measures and the constant ramblings from a small but vocal group of my fellow Americans who are convinced that a child’s failures reflect more upon the teacher than the child or his parents, I’m just just about done with the profession. If Congress does not re-write the bill such that someone is not standing over me with a big ax- threatening to fire me because I care more about my students’ education then either they or their parents- this is one talented, unionized public school teacher you will no longer have to worry about. Good luck finding my replacement. I’m sure people will be lining up out the door to make 30k to teach at a school that has to pass every student through a metal detector in the morning, get rid of the union and you can kiss healthcare away, and to top it all off-by virtue of choosing this line of work- you get the blame for everything wrong in the hood.
What does healthcare have to do with education?
It sounds like you think the teacher’s Union is the solution to all? Really? What has it solved for the students?
How’s that Union work force working for you that bankrupt Detroit Automakers? Pay them premium salary, give them benefits and they still under perform.
The great Union experiment has failed.
There are enough laws in place to protect every American. If you want a healthcare plan, do what the postal workers do. Or the teachers could probably even negotiate a deal the the Postal Care health care companies.
You’re going to walk out the door because you care for your students or your Union? The latter is appearing to be your number one concern.
As far as I know, Congress doesn’t stand over your head and make your job assessment. Correct me on this if I’m wrong. But I thought the Kansas School System was an independent agency, localized to the state and with some Federal Standards interjected for the sake of the children. Who signs your evaluation report? Bush? or is it Pelosi? Perhaps someone more local?
ah. Repug……I am NOT Capn/Steve Davis. The phrase “WORST president, ever” is used quite commonly today.
GSheridan……………………you are showing your IGNORANCE about the education system in Kansas. There are NO “certified” teachers. All teachers hold either a provisional (conditional) or Professional Teaching LICENSE. It’s been that way for nearly four years now. Your pipe-dream of hiring teachers without credentials is a typical RW bloviating point. It is a Karl Rove type of idea that will never come to fruition, never.
Listen to Mr. O and me, we actually work in the trenches. You RWingnuts are just that. Admit it once and for all; your type want to dismantle public education and send the tax dollars into the pockets of the private sector to truly create a class system in this country.
LONG LIVE THE NEA!
“You’re going to walk out the door because you care for your students or your Union? The latter is appearing to be your number one concern.”
I’m going to walk out the door because I have kids of my own to worry about. It’s hard enough getting by on what they pay for this job as is. Without a strong union, forget about it.
“Or the teachers could probably even negotiate a deal the the Postal Care health care companies.”
Do you mean, we might organize a democratically elected body of teachers to negotiate for our best interests, like perhaps a union?
“Congress doesn’t stand over your head and make your job assessment.”
I don’t know about Kansas, but in my state we get a report card based largely on test scores. I have already told you the kinds of kids that I teach. Now in spite of the fact that I have seen test scores on state science tests increase from 0% when I first took this job to 32% after 6 years the state keeps on giving me bad grades because we are not making AYP. So yes, pulling that ax away from my neck would be nice. Every year a meet with an endless stream of consaltants, who know far less about teaching inner-city kids than I, and who get paid large sums of money for doing basically nothing thanks to No Child, and all I hear is “you need to get more kids to pass the test, it’s your fault, the state is going to come in and fire every one soon if you don’t bring scores up.”
I’m tired of it. As a unionized teacher, parent and a patriotic American, either this Congress changes the Law or I am done.
P.S. Republican, you wrote some kind words earlier and I forgot to thank you. I really am not here to toot my own horn. I work with the kids people some times call “throw-aways” and I really love my job. NCLB is a huge problem for people in my line of work. Inner-city schools are the ones facing the brunt right now, but don’t worry. A quick survey of 5 wealthy suburban school districts around my city shows me that they are all between 80-90% proficient in Math and Reading. So while they may be alright now under NCLB, with accountability measures set at 100% by 2012, it will not be long before every public school in America will be labled as failing. Then we can shut down every public school, break the union, fire all the teachers and all home-school our kids. The glorious end of No Child. Never trest a Bush or a Kennedy!!!
Oh? What state do you teach in? Is it radically different from Kansas Schools? Or do you know?
If you tire of the inner city, come to Kansas, they’ll snatch up a science teacher in a heartbeat. If you got any math teachers, bring them as well. :)
and Mr. O………..we have a STRONG professional presence here in Kansas. We would welcome yet another union member.
I’m from Michigan. We have among the highest standards for our testing and teacher certification requirements. Thank you for the open invites, but I’m a Tigers fan with deep roots in this State. We are deeling with many problems, the colapse of our inner-city schools is just one, and as much as I would like to help be a part of the solution, No Child is forcing me to re-evaluate my career path. I do not think that Kansas has quite as rigirous a testing program as our MEAP test, and I seriously doubt that your teachers face the kinds of prblems that our inner-city teachers face, but if you all are not yet feeling the heat of the unattainable accountability standards of NCLB just give it time. By 2012 all schools will be failing because nobody can have 100% proficiency in reading and math. So no, relocating to Kansas would only be a temporary fix. Besides, last I heard your State School board could not decide if you really wanted Science teacers teaching science in the classroom at all!
No this is about voting with my feet. I already have a few different jobs that I do in the Summer that could easily be turned into a career if I dedicated myself full time. Teaching the politicians a lesson one good teacher at a time might be just what the doctor ordered. And besides, under NCLB they are supposed to be firing me sometime over the next 7 years as it is-if I am in Michigan, Kansas or anywhere in the Union. So I am withholding my final decision untill the new Congress lays out exactly what it intends to do with this Law. If they plan to continue down this path of “100% proficiency or else” then I don’t see as how I have any choice.
I was far from the ideal student. I was mean as hell, didn’t give a crap about anything- especially school- yet somehow I was tight to read, write and do math in the public schools of Wichita. The teachers had enough talent to teach and, when I got out of line, they put me back into line. I had my fair share of ass whuppins in the Principal’s office at Sunnyside School you know. So what has changed?
All teachers should be unionized and work only under a contract. But bad teachers need to be put out. If you can make a case for firing a teacher, you can fire them. They get fired all the time. The union requires that you make a case and follow disciplinary steps. Nothing wrong with that. All employees should have rights to disciplinary processes that only a union can get for you.
What has changed is that you can’t even touch students these days.
You have to call a security officer to have them escorted to a room.
When I was young, teachers had more than one job usually. They included, funeral home, TV Repair, Gas Station, Welding, Farming, mechanic, seamstress, truck driver, salesman, barber, grocery, etc etc.
The same guy that taught math might well been the accountant that did your taxes; the English teacher may have been the funeral director; the history teacher could have well cut your hair.
Each one was part of the community, deeply involved. They knew the names of the parents because they probably worked close by or with them. Parents were more involved. They went to the same churches as the teachers.
They knew your parents by the first name probably because they lived down the block from them. There was no busing except for those who lived out “in the country.”
PTA meetings were as much social events as they were for business. Principals were truly in charge. Their word was law in the school.
Amongst students it was talk about what style of wooden paddle the Principal had. Did it have holes in it, how long was it and what type of wood it was made.
The only drugs in schools was the cough syrup little Susie brought with her, with a note from mom attached to it.
Every child said the pledge of allegiance and the Lord’s Prayer. those not wanting to say the prayer were asked to bow their head in silence.
You were not allowed to run in the hallways, linger in empty school rooms nor hang around lockers in groups.
No jeans were allowed, shirts must be buttoned, skirts must not go passed one inch above the knee (the kneel test was invoked)
The only jerseys or t-shirts allowed in school were worn by cheerleaders, choir, band or athletic clubs.
Wild hair styles were not allowed, nor the wearing of excessive jewelry. Pocket knives had to be dropped by the Principals office and picked up after school.
Students volunteered to help other students as tutors. A teacher was always present in these tutoring study halls.
Teachers cared, Parents cared and most importantly, most students cared about their school and learning.
It was fun and students actually missed school and their teachers as they grew older.
In my opinion what schools have become today is confined learning. Teachers disdain for any kind of authority and blaming everyone else, Parents, students and anyone else.
It is not fun for most students. There is busing and extremely long bus rides for students. This is wrong. Community is important. Shipping a student across a city to and from school in an hour and a half bus ride is wrong, wrong and wrong.
Busing causes an identity loss with their local community (their neighborhood.) Parents don’t know the teachers as they are across town. Teacher’s salary is high enough that they no longer become involved in community as they used to. There is no prayer in school as a group. Loss of a moment of reverence is a loss of group togetherness.
Teachers worry more about what their Union wants than what the Parents want. Teachers are not part of the neighborhood, they are forgotten, unseen and unheard.
That, in my opinion, what has changed.
Dear Republican,
All students can learn. Students in under-resourced areas have many of the disadvantages that you have mentioned, but it can be done. Look at schools like KIPP, Bunche Elementary in Compton, Uncommon Schools–they have done it, and those are just a few of the many examples out there. Their students perform the same or better than more affluent areas, and it is because they (teachers and principals) have invested their parents and taken personal responsibility for each students’ learning. I recommend you read this article, What it Takes to Make a Student by Paul Tough http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/26/magazine/26tough.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5087&en=f88b748bf061ed7e&ex=1182142800 in the NY Times.
I am an educator just like you and I started teaching before NCLB. I have taught in some of the most difficult areas in Los Angeles, and although not perfect, NCLB has done a lot to raise teaching standards and student expectations.
Rather than convince you that NCLB is effective legislation, I implore you to change your mindset. Students can and will learn and it is the teacher’s responsibility to make sure they do. Once we take the responsibility away from us, it becomes easier to assume that it is not within our locust of control.
Sincerely,Ramona
Kahn,You are one extremely boring clown. Go away.
Dear O, Republican, and other fellow educators,
I found this quote quite compelling from the NY Times article from the above link.
“Although the failure of No Child Left Behind now seems more likely than not, it is not too late for it to succeed. We know now, in a way that we did not when the law was passed, what it would take to make it work. And if the law does, in the end, fail — if in 2014 only 20 or 30 or 40 percent of the country’s poor and minority students are proficient, then we will need to accept that its failure was not an accident and was not inevitable, but was the outcome we chose.”
Oops–I meant locus of control. Typing about the achievement gap fires me up. I am so passionate about what we do, and that the current state of education is absolutely unacceptable. If anyone is interested in joining a group of educators who have dedicated their lives to closing the achievement gap, please email me.
Although “locust of control” is what Mr. O might be referring to in his comments. :)
NCLB was never the answer nor is it the problem of public education. The lack of discipline and lack of expectations are the problem in the classroom. We as a society in general have watched the degredation of public education ever since some one was whacked enough to publish Dr. Spock and his “no discipline” method of child rearing. When we finally figure out that we need to educate the brains of our children and not worry quite so much about their psyche’s and recover the anatomy lesson of prior generations that the most direct route to the brain of some children is through the seat of their pants (this would also save a tremendous amount of money on B.S. perscriptions for drugs to deal with ADD, ADHD, and the rest of the alphabet soup that is more easily defined as – lack of discipline). Corporal punishment is always a last resort and should be used judiciously. It should also be administered by the parent of the offending child. But if that parent is unwilling to discipline the child then that child should be removed from the educational environment so that they are not a disruptive influence to those who are disciplined enough to learn. Some where down the line I have heard that “Bad children come from poor parents” and the more I see the easier it is to understand and believe.
NCLB is just another piece of do nothing planning and legislation that doesn’t address the problems at hand. Laws do not teach – they attempt to control, and control in the educational arena has been lost and will not be recovered until true discipline is.
Ramona,I am not sure about Uncommon and Bunche but I do know that KIPP has a selection process whereby they can weed out those inner-city kids with severe disciplinary problems, so no, it is not as though they are taking the worst of the worst and turning them around. If you are familiar with Loraine Monroe and her work in Harlem she had a similar policy. She opened a school in on of the toughest neighbohoods in New York and helped many seriously disadvantaged inner-city kids to excell. But she tested applicants and her program was free to send the worst behaved kids away. I commend these people for what they are doing, but what then do we do with these throw-aways?
In my city here in Michigan we have gnoe through some major reforms. Just down the street we opened a Classical Academy for our highest acheiving students from the hardest neighborhoods. Part of the criteria for acceptance is that the kids must have passed their MEAP tests already, so of course, test results at this school now exceed many of the nearby suburban schools.
As for this:
“And if the law does, in the end, fail — if in 2014 only 20 or 30 or 40 percent of the country’s poor and minority students are proficient, then we will need to accept that its failure was not an accident and was not inevitable, but was the outcome we chose.”
I am not sure who the “we” is in this article, but if parents and students are not included in the “we” and this quote is to be understood as “We educators” forget about it. I actually have to call the parents of my students to sit with their children and make them take their MEAP on occasion. Often, the parents flat out refuse to help. That’s not something in which I have a choice. No I’m sorry, I know I’m far from perfect, but I work hard and as a Scientist I’m trained to use data to help analyze and adjust my craft. When my kids fail it’s not my choice, but theirs and their parents.
Hey, GSheridan, yesterday you said, “Just the fact that home schooled children regularly outscore kids from public schools proves that accreditation does NOT a teacher make.”
Got independent evidence that shows homeschooled kids outperforming public school kids?
Note the ‘independent’ requirement . . . propaganda from the Home School Legal Defense Association and their Bob Jones University study using self-reported data isn’t evidence.
***************************Mr. O., you’re a blessing to your students. Hang in there!
Republican,
the problem (and this is a proven fact) with standardized testing for our children is that testing is scewed to benefit one class of child over another. Depending on where you are raised and in what type of family (and this was discovered when I was in college and to my knowledge has yet to be rectified – in relation to the ACT and SAT specifically) many times children cannot understand the questions asked. This is why white males have traditionally out-perfomed women and minorities on standardized test. Add into that fact the fact that some children simply do not test well – due to anxiety among other things. My sister is a prime example of this – she was valedictorian of her class, got a full ride scholarship to the University of Miami, FL and is currently working on her Master’s degree – BUT it takes her nearly twice as long to complete a test because of the anxiety she experiences come test time, and when you are on a timed test, you don’t have that twice as long – this is something she has struggled with for years… I, on the other hand, have always done well in standardized testing format – it really is a matter of the child – and when we place the future of the education system on a test that historically is proven to fail, then what do we expect to happen to our school systems? This is why i cannot send my son to a public school, not because of the fact that i think they are somehow inferior, but because of that fact that they are being held to standards that are impossible under the current system to meet! Yes, these teachers “teach the test” they have no choice – their students HAVE TO PASS or they lose their job – there is no time left in the day to do anything else!
nunyer, here’s an interview between Geoff Metcalf and author Dr.Isabel Lyman discussing that very subject.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=23542
Here’s a quote:
[quote]there are the standardized tests: The Iowa, the SAT and all those things that are out there – which, by the way, home-schoolers do well and above the national average. They outscore public and private school kids all the time on those things. [end quote]
GSheridan,I am not sure that I would call your source “independent.” Worldnetdaily.com is rather slanted towards the right. Also, this represents a conversation between a couple of “experts,” I want to see some hard data.
Now having said that, I would not be at all surprised if homeschool kids did out-perform their private and public school counterparts. The instruction is one-on-one and, I would assume, that many parents who are willing to take their kids out of their schools and teach them at home take their childrens’ educations very seriously. If you have been following what I have been saying about the students I teach and their parents then I am sure you understand why I doubt homeschooling would solve the problems we are having educating at-risk inner-city kids.
All this is not to say that we should not be holding teachers accountable. But let me add that I used to teach Summer school in the Suburbs when I first started. My Summer school Principal referred to these kids as “at-risk,” but compared to what I have seen in the hood, it was a cake walk. These kids practically teach themselves when they have proper guidance.
Mr O, I never wanted to homeschool. I resisted by daughter’s pleadings until she finished her Sophmore year, then I just couldn’t turn my back on her anymore.
We taught her that hard work and dedication is its own reward, but he Social Studies teacher had given her a “C” for the semester (so far) and sent home a letter encouraging her to do her best on the end essay; it would count for a large portion of her final grade. He allowed family to help. She stayed up late for two weeks researching, studying and putting everything she had into that paper. It was good. I proofed it. She did well. I’m a tough editor.
He gave her an “F.” He told her the work was ‘too good’ for her to have done it – even with help. He accused her of cheating. That grade required her to go to Summer School to repeat the essay. The first day there she rewrote the essay, almost verbatim, from memory – it was that ingrained. The Summer School teacher gave her an “A,” and adjusted her grade to reflect it, but the dye was cast. Not even her father and I could justify what had happened, since we had contacted her teacher to tell him she had done the work herself right away and had been accused of lying also.
The Superintendent tried to talk us out of pulling her out. He’s a personal friend and offered to help us file a formal charge against the teacher, but it was really too late.
The Principal, also a friend, was so mad at me the day I went to sign her out that he rushed out of the office past me and bumped me into the door sill. Hard, too.
My daughter’s ACT scores went through the roof. We learned Calculus together, something I had not taken in college, and KU offered her a tennis scholarship, and that’s pretty good. But they had been watching her from her Middle School years. They would have waived her transcript, but I had one, anyway, just on her high ACT scores.
Unfortunately, she turned it down – but life goes on. She owns one – and operates another store in a major Wichita mall, and has had a number of management offers from other chains. She doesn’t have the business degree, but in her Senior year, she learned what took me four years of Accounting to learn. She has a harder work ethic that most her young age, and she’s quickly worked her way up the ladder. I don’t think she would have been successful had she stayed in Public School. I’m not really sure she would have even survived it.
I admire your teaching of BD kids. I certainly could not do it, but you aren’t the ‘typical’ teacher out there. You know that.
Mr O, Scroll down on this site to the “Homeschooling” section. There is quite a bit of info and stats:
http://mwhodges.home.att.net/education-b.htm
Home schooling is a worthwhile option for families that are willing and able to give up one parent’s income.
Private schooling is a worthwhile option for those who can afford it.
Charter schools are assimilating information about different experimental approaches and are in the process of identifying which ones work well, and which don’t. They are worthwhile.
But we are still going to mainly have public schools, and we need to figure out how to make them work.
Educators need to make connections with parents. Parents need to be persistently encouraged to turn off televisions on weeknights, to sit with their kids during homework time, to read to them, and to have children read to their parents, at bedtime.
TV is seductive. It’s designed to be seductive. Parents need to learn to resist it, for their children’s benefit.
We have far too many latchkey kids. As a society, we need to create incentives for employers to allow parents–at least one parent per household–to be able to leave work and be home when their children arrive home.
Our schools should have nightly programs for parents and children to attend, with teachers and community volunteers providing personalized guidance to families whose kids can’t do their homework at home, because they don’t know what to do, and their parents don’t know what to do either.
(Consider creating an attractive environment, such as rooms with comfortable chairs and tables,table-lamp lighting, and food and refreshments, to give parents and kids motivation to attend.)
We need to extend the school year from <180 days currently, to perhaps 250 days, counting Saturday mornings, for socioeconomically-disadvantaged students. A 30 day summer vacation is sufficient to give kids “R&R” time. This is what Asian nations do.
The Times article cited by Ramona makes it clear that to enable minority students to “catch up” and “close the gap” means that they need more than an equal public education to middle-class students, because the latter have external advantages.
A piece on renewal of NCLB by Senator Kennedy, one of the principals in drafting the current law. No warranties, express or implied.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/25/AR2007032500910.html