No Child Left Behind and the candidates views

Let's discuss Obama and McCain, and their views on NCLB.

Here is McCain's from his website...
No Child Left Behind has focused our attention on the realities of how students perform against a common standard. John McCain believes that we can no longer accept low standards for some students and high standards for others. In this age of honest reporting, we finally see what is happening to students who were previously invisible. While that is progress all its own, it compels us to seek and find solutions to the dismal facts before us.



Here is Obama's from his website
Reform No Child Left Behind: Obama will reform NCLB, which starts by funding the law. Obama believes teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests. He will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them.


On this issue I agree with Obama...
Having a couple special needs children, I abhor NCLB...
Because of this legislation, the government expects my 12 yr old to keep up with kids his age, when he is still 2 yrs behind on all subjects... and it will not get better...
NCLB leaves no room for mentally challenged children.
And because the fed gov. passed the law without giving the states the funds to uphold the law, there is not enough teachers so they throw them in the regular classrooms, and expect them to perform on level.
It is like throwing wheelchair bound kid into a pool, and expect him to swim.

Also, starting in January, they start studying the Westtest!
And forget about their other subjects... just so the schools can pass.

This was one big flub of Dubya's.
And Congress...

And it looks like McCain is satisfied with it...
While Obama wants to fix it.

OK, your views:

 

Yes, I realize that, but at least he is not like McCain who seems to like the status quo...

3 things we need...
1) Funding for teachers..
That way, special needs children can learn on their own level.

2) The realization that there is always going be bright kids, and not bright kids.. Instead of trying to make every kid fit into a government mold...

And
3) Someway to get away from the habit of schools teaching how to take the westtest and to keep teaching the important things throughout the whole school yr..
This past yr, my son began bringing home sample questions from Westtest, 3 months in advance to the test... That was his homework.
The teachers are teaching how to take tests.. not the substance they should be teaching.

And as long as schools are judged solely on student's scores, this practice will continue...
Think about it, if you knew one test would determine your future, you would put all you have into that test...
That is what has happened.

I think Obama realizes the need for all three of these, where McCain doesn't...
To me, McCain is disconnected from the people... maybe it is all the yrs he has spent in DC... but there seems to be a disconnect from real parents.

On the other hand, It does seem like rhetoric coming from Obama.. .with no real solutions.

 

I believe we need balance...

 

I agree, as long as the feds don't pass laws that make the states use their money to fulfill the laws...

That is what went wrong...
Since the fed. Government bound the states to NCLB, they should give the states the money to fulfill the law...

But in WV, the money that is being used to fulfill the law is being funneled from other educational needs, therefore hurting the children...

It has a personal effect on one of my children...
Because of the lack of funding, we don't have enough teachers for our special ed program, and my middle son is being left behind.
(He had CO poisoning when he was 18 months old, and now has an IQ of 80... he needs special classes, but because of the crazy rules like inclusion from NCLB, he cannot get them... and there is no money in our county to hire more teachers to man a class.. Actually they had to downsize this yr due to lack of funding...)

I can't stand NCLB because it is hurting our educational system, and my son.

But tell the republicans that, and one told me, "Your son needs to quit whining and buckle down"....
That is why I compare NCLB to throwing a paraplegic into a pool, and penalizing him because he can't swim!



I personally feel the feds need to stay completely out of Education...

And repeal NCLB....

OR fund it completely!

But don't halfway do it....

 

As a side note, this is why I don't want nationalized healthcare...
The Feds will pass the law that all states must provide healthcare, but will not fund it..

What will the states do?

Money will come from somewhere....

Infrastructure, Education, or other programs will lose money to provide for something that was forced on the state.

 

Actually, yes I have...

That or the Board of Education.

But working for the King of Kings has taken up a big chunk of my time...
And I would rather do that than be a politician.

Besides, which party would I align with... right now, I am Republican.. but plan on registering Independant by the fall..
I don't like either party...

WE need a STRONG third party.

 

Sure send me some info!