Investing in the Future – Educating Kids a High Priority

2 Responses to Investing in the Future – Educating Kids a High Priority

1. Tina says:

   Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 10:37 am

   Quentin Republicans have made a lot of wrong moves. Those mistakes include creating the cabinet position and NCLB were made. Happy now?

   I think the goal behind NCLB was important…kids should be able to pass basic reading and math tests. They should be able to read their diplomas when they graduate. They should be able to go on to college or work without needing remedial reading courses. They should be able to write papers by the time they graduate. Drop out rates should be a lot lower and SAT scores a lot higher overall.

   NCLB was created by Democrats and Republicans in an atmosphere that acknowledged incredible failure in our school system. TED KENNEDY wrote the legisaltion. Bush signed the bill that was supported by the majority of the peoples representatives in both houses of Congress:

   Passed in the House of Representatives by roll call vote. The totals were 384 Ayes, 45 Nays, 4 Present/Not Voting: 197 Democrats voted Aye, 185 Republicans voted Aye, 10 Democrats voted Nay, 34 Republicans voted no.

   Passed in the Senate with changes by roll call vote. The totals were 91 Ayes, 8 Nays, 1 Present/Not Voting: 47 Democrats voted Aye, 43 Republicans voted Aye, 1 Independent voted Aye (former Dem), 2 Democrats voted Nay, 6 Republicans voted Nay, 1 didnt vote.

   You could say the people attempted to fix a problem and they failed…back to the drawing board.

   “Don’t you think it would have been better in the long run to NOT screw it up?”

   Sure! And if you and I had absolute control of every person and situation, and if we had the power to know the future, we might have been able to prevent the wrong moves that have brought us to this point in time. But then we would be some fantasy godlike creatures rather than the mere humans that we are. Be here now!

   I think we all agree that a good, scratch that, excellent education is what we want for our kids. This piece is about something that appears to be working very very well. Parents, teachers and students are enthusiastic and happy with the result. It should spread like wildfire if given the support.

   What is your problem? This is a positive piece, brought to us by Democrat supporter Juan Williams featuring former Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel! They seem to be acknowledging that better schools, a long term Republican goal (Democrats have prefered supporting and protecting the union and the status quo), can be accomplished at the local level. Giving parents choice is also a Republican supported idea and Obama has agreed.

   “Blame it on Obama!!!!”

   Man, you are delusional.

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2. Tina says:

   Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 3:37 pm

   Charter schools were doing a better job ten years ago:

   http://www.usatoday.com/life/2001-03-28-school-charter.htm
   2001 USA Today

   After a decade of mixed results, new studies show strong academic gains in test scores for children in charter schools, with some of the biggest improvements among the lowest-performing students.

   Charter schools are doing a better job today:

   http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/01/confirmed_charter_schools_beat_the_daylights_out_of_public_schools.html

   2012 American Thinker blog article highlights three (links provided) national media articles:

   First was the news that the most recent Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores in reading and writing (for the 2011 high school graduating class) have hit a new low. (snip)

   The second story reports that the largest public college system in the country, the California State University System (CSUS), with its 23 campuses, is struggling with the large and swelling mass of unprepared students. In 2010, 27,300 of the 42,700 entering freshmen — that is, nearly two-thirds of them! — needed remedial education in English or math (or both). (snip)

   This brings up another piece — this one on the continuing success of charter schools. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the most recent New York State Assessment Program test results show decisive evidence that one of the charter school chains most viciously attacked by teachers unions is beating the pants off the public schools.

   I speak here of Eva Moskowitz’s “Harlem Success Academies,” which provide inner-city minority youths a solid academic prep school experience. Moskowitz’s estimable organization recently made the news when the rent-seeking, heartless teachers’ unions — fronted by the clueless actor Matt Damon (whose mother is a member of a teachers’ union, natch) — demonstrated in opposition to the attempt to open a Harlem Success Academy in the ber-liberal Upper West Side. The thought of poor children having freedom of choice when it comes to their schools offended the “compassionate” actor profoundly.

   The scores show just how ignorant people like Damon are. In New York City’s public schools, a risible 60% of third- through fifth-graders passed the math portion of the state tests, while an amazing 94% of similar Harlem Success students passed. Again, while a pathetic 49% of the city’s public-school students passed the language arts potion of the state tests, 78% of the Harlem Success students did.

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