Connecticut rebels against Bush education policy

[Judi Lynn]

Connecticut rebels against Bush education policy
Tue Jan 31, 2006 5:28 PM ET

By Jason Szep
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (Reuters) - The Bush administration's "No Child Left Behind" policy will lead to "dumbing down" tests in public schools because Washington has not fully funded the policy, the state of Connecticut said in a court hearing on Tuesday to try to block the program.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal told U.S. District Court in New Haven that President George W. Bush's signature education policy was "mistaken" and "misguided," as he fought a motion by the federal government to throw out his lawsuit.

The suit, filed in August, makes Connecticut the first state seeking to block the 2002 policy that calls for standardized testing of students.
(snip)

Blumenthal said federal funding was not enough for the state to test in a way that maintains its high standards, leaving Connecticut $41.6 million short of what it needs to comply with the law. He said that dynamic would force Connecticut to rely on multiple choice tests rather than costlier written tests which would better challenge students.
(snip/...)

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-01-31T222811Z_01_N30324997_RTRUKOC_0_US-EDUCATION-REFORM.xml&archived=False

[liberal N proud]

1. Way to go Connecticut

May other states follow suit

[eppur_se_muova]

2. "rather than...written tests which would better challenge students"

Someone please tell our Dept. chair -- and our Dean!

Everyone here relies on multiple choice tests for ALL large classes.

[flordehinojos]

3. "dumbing down" runs in the Bush-Pierce tradition.

as evidenced by the following quote from Tarpley's,George W. Bush, The Unauthorized Biography


"Barbara's father, Marvin Pierce, was then vice president of McCall Corporation, publisher of Redbook and McCall's magazines. After his daughter joined the banking oligarchy by marrying into the Bush family (1945), Pierce became McCall's chief executive. Pierce and his magazine's theme of `` Togetherness ''--stressing family social existence divorced from political, scientific, artistic or creative activities--played a role in the cult of conformity and mediocrity which crushed U.S. mental life in the 1950s."

[RazzleDazzle]

8. Wow. that's not TOO overstated

I lived thru that era and I can tell you that McCall's magazine didn't CAUSE anything. I hope this is taken out of context, because if not it reflects very poorly on Tarpley's biography.

[bigwillq]

4. K&R!

I read this in my morning paper too. That (in the paper I was reading) was done by a staff writer.
I will try and find a link.

[bigwillq]

5. Here's a link from a CT newspaper

http://www.nhregister.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16034092&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=566835&rfi=6

[AX10]

6. I'm so proud of my state!

:kick:

[goforit]

7. Hope these guys will campaign against Lieberman.