More On The No Child Left Behind Act-What’s Your Opinion?
Posted by: From Arkansas in Are You Kidding Me?, Beyond Bizarre, Commentary, Family stuff, It's A Rant, Political News, What's Your Opinion? on Oct 23 2007
Welcome back!
I think that it’s very necessary to post what we believe is right concerning the No Child Left Behind act and the schools in general. Now, at first when I started notice how our school system was deficient, I thought that was simply where we live. That was a huge mistake on my part. It is more important to see the bigger picture. And that is so far reaching and very scary.
In our school system, teens go to high school to watch movies and play on computers. They have little homework. There is little to learn because the teachers are being paid little to nothing and they do not care as much as they used to. The curriculum is set up so that the state tests take some of the class time. For instance, math is being taught in social studies classes. Not math per se but how to take the math portion of the tests. And this is apparently all right with local officials.
The problem here is that it is NOT limited to where we live. Having talked to or chatted with on forums, this is an epidemic of giant proportions. This is covering the entire country with STUPID. It’s the DUMBING DOWN OF AMERICA through the children. How hideous does it have to be before people sit up and take notice. Now, if you do not have children in the school system, that does not absolve you from doing things. This is going to HURT THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY!!! Does no one get this??
Thing is, this is not just the No Child Left Behind act because this problem started long before that travesty came into being. Actually, it’s a good idea…in theory. It simply is not working!!! The states bow to the federal government because they want the federal dollars.
So, now what? You decide. Are we going to continue to allow our children to be deficient in the basics because if we are, then some country will be able to come in an take over our country..just like the Japanese, the Iranians, Iragis, Saudis and all the others who have a vested interest in this country now. Just think about who owns much of our country. It is NOT the Americans. It’s foreign interests. People and corporations that are sucking the life out of our country. How can we stop that or deal with it? How indeed. It certainly will not be with our future, our children, because they will not know what hit them. Why? Because they do not have the skills to see it coming.
Are you kidding me? These kids have no clue what the states are, where they are, capitols, they can hardly add 2 and 2 anymore. They need a calculator to do even that. Let’s do something about it, huh? Seek out a congressperson. Write to a Senator. Write to the President. DO SOMETHING!!! Do it before it’s too late. Or maybe it already is. Think of that?
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12 Comments
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“No Child Left Behind” is an unmitigated disaster for our small California school district:
*11 days of testing a year plus prep means no more class play
*takes 1/2 time superintendent just to keep track of the paperwork and requirements for NCLB (out of a staff of 1 superintendent and 2 asst supt for a district of 3000 students)
*schools at risk of ‘failing’ NCLB, due to escalating requirements — even if the school is a high-performing school that sends 85% of students to college. Increasing percentages of students must pass NCLB tests each year, including students with disabilities and students who do not yet speak English.
*teaching to the test is necessary, rather than individualized, literature-based teaching that allows children to learn through many different modalities
Unbelievable. And at first, I thought it was only our school district being this way. We need to get this word out and keep pounding it until someone takes notice besides those of us who have the kids in school. We need a VOICE on this.
Thank you for commenting on this horrific subject.
You obviously don’t know anything.
“In our school system, teens go to high school to watch movies and play on computers. They have little homework. There is little to learn because the teachers are being paid little to nothing and they do not care as much as they used to. The curriculum is set up so that the state tests take some of the class time. For instance, math is being taught in social studies classes. Not math per se but how to take the math portion of the tests. And this is apparently all right with local officials.”
Umm, that was a lie. You criticize as if everyone is lazy. No, it is the attitude of the student that chooses the education. Thats the key to it all. If you don’t understand that then obviously your a foreign blogger who just likes to criticize the US because you have nothing to do. I found this post very rude and evidence of your ignorance.
You need to get a grip. I am talking about MY OWN NIECES who are going to a school system that is CHEATING THEM. Do not call me a liar when you are the one with no concept of what you are talking about. We are LIVING THIS NIGHTMARE. What are you doing??? Sitting on your couch and watching the game?
I am an AMERICAN blogger. I blog about
what I know as in I know about this school system.
As for me calling someone lazy, I did not say that. What I said was that the students are watching movies and playing on computers, which is very true. The teachers are NOT lazy either. They happen to be caught in the swirl of the federal funding that the school systems seem to want to pander to.
I find you to be rude, ignorant and worst of all, one who thinks they have a clue when, in fact, there is not one tiny shred of a clue in you.
A foreign blogger??? I live in Arkansas. Born in Iowa. Raised in Iowa. Went to school in Iowa and Mississippi. American as apple pie, doofus.
And you have zero right to call me ignorant when you have no idea who you are talking to, eh buddy??
Hey BRIAN, why didn’t you have the guts to leave your url? Because you don’t have a blog??? Just running around commenting on things you know nothing about just to get things started, eh?? Ah well. Nice knowing ya.
I just wanted to tell you how I know the education systems are going greatly. When your currently in school, like ME, then you can know what I know.
“Sitting on your couch and watching the game?” - I am in the game!
The school system does not just teach about the what is on the tests, they teach more.
I know that my early post seemed pretty rude, sorry about that, but I just wanted to tell you that when you are “in the game”, and you actually have gratitude towards those who spend their life to teach you, you would understand. Ijust wanted to get the fact out that many people complain because that is just a human characteristic, so I was just letting everyone know that once you have some optimistic attitudes towards life, everything pieces together. So I just thoguht that yes you do have a great opinion, but you over-expressed it to the fact that you only had opinions to back up your opinion. But thankyou for posting about this topic, it was a topic that did need to be posted.
Oh and I do have a blog, I just don’t want to have my opinions effect my blogs reputation.
This is a great blog you have, it is very interesting and caught my eye. Thanks for listening to my comment - Brian
Brian, I do not know how old you are or where you go to school but here are some facts that you need to know.
First, perhaps your school system is good. If it’s private, that would be why it’s so good. If it is not, then it’s likely to be one of a few who are teaching the right things.
Second, the school system as a whole is a problem area that needs to be addressed. If that were not so, then there would be no need for any education act such as No Child Left Behind. Schools do not educate like they used to do. When I was in school, I did learn things like geography, basic math, advanced math and so much more. But our nieces do not know most of this.
Third, I have talked with so many mothers of children in the system all over the country who are scared because their children are actually not learning anything but are being taught the state tests in order to get higher scores for federal funding.
If you actually want proof of this, I can get it for you. In fact, watch my next blog post for another video concerning school system problems.
Thanks for commenting.
"Brian" on 24.10.2007 at 19:58 wrote:
"You obviously don’t know anything."
YOU are obviously an obnoxious floon unwilling to admit that NCLB is causing more problems than it has any hope of curing. Anyone who’s bothered to watch newscasts or talk to some of the few teachers that actually love to teach knows that because of NCLB and the testing it requires, more and more time is devoted to teaching children how to pass the tests rather than making sure they actually know and understand the material in the first place. And how about the students with learning disabilities and / or physical handicaps that make it difficult to impossible for them to pass the tests without some accomodation for those disabilities and handicaps… yet they’re still held to the same standards as all the rest of the students.
{"Brian" quoted from the post:}
>>In our school system, teens go to high school to watch movies and play on computers. They have little homework. There is little to learn because the teachers are being paid little to nothing and they do not care as much as they used to. The curriculum is set up so that the state tests take some of the class time. For instance, math is being taught in social studies classes. Not math per se but how to take the math portion of the tests. And this is apparently all right with local officials.<<
"Brian" then went on:
"Umm, that was a lie. You criticize as if everyone is lazy. No, it is the attitude of the student that chooses the education. Thats the key to it all. If you don’t understand that then obviously your a foreign blogger who just likes to criticize the US because you have nothing to do. I found this post very rude and evidence of your ignorance."
Umm, Excuse me, that was most certainly NOT a lie. Schools spend more time every year teaching students how to pass the tests because part of their funding depends on test scores. Also teachers and students are not being called lazy, rather the fault is due to the fact that the educational system in America is being hamstrung by politicians and a general lack of sense on the part of a LOT of people in that public school teachers are among the lowest paid professionals in America.
Hi Selif. I thoguht your comment was very interesting, but I just want to tell you that one part and many more are factually wrong. One such as:
“And how about the students with learning disabilities and / or physical handicaps that make it difficult to impossible for them to pass the tests without some accomodation for those disabilities and handicaps… yet they’re still held to the same standards as all the rest of the students.”
Students with disabilities actually are excused from those tests or are accomodated to their needs. They are not having to take the same tests that people without disabilities take. I respect that you have the right to an opinion, but please get some factual evidence when you want to express that opinion. - Brian
I said that about students with learning disabilities and / or physical handicaps because since NCLB was passed I’ve seen television news reports wherein several teachers, parents and even some school officials talked about that very thing and the fact that because of the requirements of NCLB there was absolutely nothing they could do about it. I don’t have urls handy for these stories, but I’m sure that if you spend some time looking around in the news archives of ABCnews and / or a local ABC station kait8.com, you’ll be able to find plenty of examples. I’d look myself but frankly, I’m too busy right now.
I honestly thought that no child left behind was a good idea to place a child in a school that is passing from a failing school. However after I placed my child in a no child left behind school which turned out to be an annex made up of other children coming from schools that did not make AYP and not even a real school. I came to the conclusion that educators including superintendants are doing everything in their power to sabotage our schools and our children. I have just started a blog about what’s happening to my child in the no child left behind world and middle school arena in Dekalb COunty Georgia! http://nochildlftbehind.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?posted=3
I think you probably meant to post the url for your blog’s front page:
http://nochildlftbehind.wordpress.com
What you posted leads to the login page and I’m sure you probably don’t want anyone else logging in to your blog.
BTW- I’ll be linking to it from my own blog later tonight.