"No child left behind" problems

[drmom]

I was talking with the principal at my kids elementary school today, who is just irate about the "No child left behind" reading system that we are required to use. It is twice as expensive as the old system, and, she tells me, it was chosen because the company who sells the system is "friends" of the * administration. In this time of educational budgetary problems, it is appalling that we are required to spend excess on a reading program (that the teachers do not like), so that some repuke friend of * can get rich. In our district they are forgoing music classes for a bad reading program! Another glaring defect with our country right now!

And while we're on the subject, this "No child left behind" program is BS!!! All it does is strive to teach kids the minimum they need to know to get a low paying job - minimal reading skills, minimal math, almost no science or social studies. Apparently the repukes are using this to control the masses, and keep them in their place, while they send their kids to expensive private schools. Why don’t those “red state” people get as mad about their kids being dumbed down as they do about two grown men deciding to live together?

[Sabriel]

1. You forgot gearing instruction to a standardized test.

So much for teacher input....

[MnFats]

3. Exactly! Students are taught only what they need to pass tests...

...not to think critically or develop problem-solving skills.
...but schools are scared to death they won't meet *'s standards because they'll lose funding....myriad problems with this goddamn system....

[childslibrarian]

2. The purpose of No Child Left Behind

is to dismantle public schools and replace them with religious schools.
I am a teacher...

[snacker]

5. You are right about that!

[City Lights]

4. I read an article in The Nation about a connection between

_bush and a textbook publisher. I couldn't remember who it and don't have the magazine anymore, but did some googling and found this:

The Bushes and the McGraws

One of the trademarks of the current reading reform legislation out of Washington is that any district wishing to qualify for government funding must be implementing "scientifically based" reading instruction. Only "approved" reading series/texts/curricula will be funded by the government.

By the National Reading Panel's standards, that would mean a heavily scripted phonics program. And who is the biggest phonics publisher? McGraw-Hill, the publisher of Open Court. It was McGraw-Hill representatives and authors who dominated Gov. George W. Bush's Texas reading advisory board. No surprise that Open Court was the program of choice in the Lone Star State. And McGraw-Hill's connections to the National Reading Panel's report is no less transparent: Widemeyer Communications, the Washington PR firm that handled the promotion of Open Court in Texas, was also the firm hired to promote the NRP's report, including the writing of its Introduction, Summary, and video, the three parts that have taken the most flack from critics.

All of which would be meaningless if McGraw-Hill's and the NRP's findings weren't being billed as "scientifically based." Open Court's crown jewels is its success in the Houston Independent School District. That also has taken on some tarnish in light of the Houston ISD's numbers scandal (see Miracles).

Stephen Metcalf, writing in The Nation ("Reading Between the Lines," Jan. 28, 2002), is inclined to believe it's based on the "family connections" between the Bushes and McGraw-Hill that go back three generations, beginning when President Bush's grandfather Prescott and the McGraws were among the founding bluebloods of the original Jupiter Island (FL) money circle in the 1930's. Metcalf reports:

more...http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/whatsnu_bush-mcgraw.html

[drmom]

7. Okay, this is interesting...in a infuriating way!

What on earth can we do to save our country?????

[City Lights]

9. I wish I knew.

This is the most incestuous government I've ever seen. Don't forget _{brother neil.} He's in on it too.

Democracy Now

Material by:
Amy Goodman

Material from:
Democracy Now

Material about:
Bush Administration Lies and Deceit


After Neil Bush was banned from banking activities for his role in the Savings and Loan scandal in the late 1980s, he decided to bank on education and founded Ignite Incorporated. Ignite sells software to help students prepare to take comprehensive tests required under the No Child Left Behind act that was pushed through by Neil's older brother - President Bush. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and President George W Bush have quite a few things in common. They both went to Yale. They are both members of the Skull and Bones society. Bush invaded Iraq and Kerry supported him. The President proposed the Patriot Act, Kerry voted for it. Bush pushed through the No Child Left Behind Act and John Kerry voted for that as well. In fact the things that united Kerry with Bush were the major points of contention with his former rival Gov. Howard Dean. Today on the program, we are going to take an extensive look at one of these: No Child Left Behind. It has become one of the most contentious policies of the Bush presidency. Bush considers it to be his crowning achievement in education policy, saying it will improve Americas schools. Critics, mainly parents and teachers, who are opposed to privatizing education, say its about shifting resources from public schools to corporations. In a moment, we will have a debate on No Child Left Behind. But first, we're going to look at who's profiting and who stands to profit.

We'll begin by looking at the Bush family. Everyone knows the president's brother Jeb is the governor of Florida. But, less well known is his second youngest brother, Neil Bush. Years ago, he hit the front pages for his role in the Savings and Loan scandal. He was director of the Silverado Savings and Loan when it collapsed in 1988, costing taxpayers more than $1 billion. As a result, he was banned from banking activities. So when Neil Bush was banned from banking, he banked on education.

In October 2001, shortly after the United States began bombing Afghanistan, Neil attended an international technology conference in Dubai. He was fishing for investors for his latest business venture -- Ignite Incorporated, an interactive education software company that he founded in March 1999. Ignite says its goal is to help students improve their standardized test scores. And that's where No Child Left Behind comes into play.

Neil Bush's company sells software to prepare students to take comprehensive tests required under "No Child Left Behind." Schools that fail the tests will face termination of federal assistance. The contracts for these test programs are very lucrative. Ignite is currently running a pilot program at a Middle School in Orlando, Florida--where Neil's brother Jeb is governor. The company hopes to sell the software throughout Florida at $30 per pupil per year.

more...http://www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=6254&fcategory_desc=Under%20Reported

[junker]

6. Tell me about it. I make software that lets kids read at phenomenal rates.

but can I get it into the school systems? No not unless I pay off a bunch of repub bastards in texass to get it a 'slot' on the board of approval for all things textbooks in USofA (no wonder the country is so screwed when the lowest common denominator is set in texass)...

anyway, our software will let kids read at several times their usual speed from computers, up to 2000 words per minute. Perfect for the quick-twitch video generation. They even like reading with it, and they get huge increases in comprehension and retention. Even got a patent on the critter....

does no good if you are not part of the 'machinery'

check it out. www.halfpasthuman.com/index.htm

any DU member who wants a copy for their kids can contact us for a 'secret society (i.e. DU)' discount of 50% off the retail. We be poor but can still help out fellow travelers.

ANd as long as I am bragging on our work. This software lets people with macular degeneration (depends of course on how bad) read from computers as well as dylexics and democrats suffering from a wide variety of visual or learning disabilities. Whew.

Anyway. Pissed me off about the NCLB... did you know that there is a whole damn industry built around this?

&*^#@^_)*(^%Fuckers.

Well, back to growling and snapping and bitching and moaning...

[City Lights]

8. Another issue my sister and I talked about today.

My sister and I are both fortunate enough to have our kids attend decent schools. She's in IL and I'm in AZ. My kids' school ranked 1st in the state at the Middle School Level. They go to a charter school that focuses heavily on Math and Science and attracts extremely bright kids from the area. Their Stanford scores were very high. All seems great, right? Nope. Part of the NCLB is that the school must continue to improve each year or they lose points. It's my understanding that these points translate into dollars. Most schools yearn for scores like the one's my kids' school earned, but unless we keep improving, our status will drop. This one-size-fits-all standard of measurement is unrealistic.

[cmd]

11. You will NEVER be able to keep improving at the required rate

NCLB was designed to make all schools fail. Even the best of the best have to show improvement every year. Where do you go after you reach the top? Straight to the failed schools list. NCLB is the end of public education.

[txindy]

10. B*sh did this to us in Texas, first

We tried to get the word out when he ran in 2000, but...Well, you know how efficient our SCLM is these days. Now, of course, we've got the 'Internets'! And half of the country STILL doesn't believe us.

Why did Texans re-elect him for governor and then pres.? If you can figure that out, please tell me. I've been banging my head against the wall asking that question for years. All it's gotten me is one h*lluva headache and a flat spot on my forehead.

[Ardee]

12. Typical Bush tactics

Despite * harping about his "education" bill he defunded it by 27 Billion dollars and left it an unfunded mandate that states are struggling to afford......

[Ardee]

13. dupe

Dont ask me what happened.....