U.S. to Change No Child Left Behind Law

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON - Education Secretary Margaret Spellings plans to fundamentally change enforcement of the No Child Left Behind law, giving preferential treatment to states that prove they're serious about raising achievement, Bush administration officials say.

The change could affect the education of millions of students as states seek federal approval on everything from teacher quality to the measuring of student progress.

In the first example, the Education Department plans to give some states more freedom in how they test hundreds of thousands of children with milder disabilities. But only states that can prove progress or a strong commitment to improve will be seriously considered for that flexibility, administration officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

(snip)

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the policies had not been formally announced. Spellings has invited top school officers from the states to Mount Vernon, Va., on Thursday to unveil the new enforcement approach and the special education policy.

more…
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&ncid=542&e=1&u=/ap/20050405/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/education_shake_up

[anitar1]

1. Will someone explain this to me, please?

Are we trying to do away with schools ? Seems as if it is going that way. Or are we trying to create fundie schools? With one more stab at understanding what is going on with the public schools, are we trying to create Bush schools? I am in the dark.

[gumby]

3. You've got it right.

The only good school is a fundie school paid for by tax dollars. That's what it's all about.

This is only one symptom of the One Party State. Education and even thought itself must be controlled by The Party.

There is a long history of how the wingnuts have been trying to destroy/control public schools.

[Finder]

7. More Fascism

Secular schools can never be tolerated because such a school has no religious instruction and a general moral instruction without a religious foundation is built on air; consequently, all character training and religion must be derived from faith.... We need believing people.

-- Adolf Hitler, April 26, 1933, from a speech made during negotiations leading to the Nazi-Vatican Concordat of 1933

[ixion]

2. serious about raising achievement

what, like teaching INTELLIGENT DESIGN instead of EVOLUTION?

:crazy:

[feelthebreeze]

4. Smacks of State's Rights violations...

To give preference to One State and not another is hardly fair and equal protection. Is this Constitutionally feasible? If I live in a State that is being cheated this way, I will not tolerate it. I will not go along silently, I will make my outrage as a citizen heard by all parents in that State. This punishment of our children must stop. We cannot let education suffer at the hands of these bureaucrats, simply so they can advance their meaningless systems of tests, and studies for the tests. I am shocked that parents have put up with this charade for so long. Where are this country's paternal and maternal instincts?

[Teaser]

5. What fresh hell are they planning for us now?

Some new voucher related trick is going to stuck in the bill, I'm sure of it.

[The_Casual_Observer]

6. "new enforcement approach" Essentially what they are saying

here is that whatever the fuck they were doing didn't work, so now they are on to something else. Case closed.

I have no doubt that they would be very happy to close all the public schools, set up "labor camps" and be done with the whole motherfucker of a "free society."

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Sounds as if it allows the federal government to play favourites

"Who is going to decide whether you have a different level of commitment than another state?" Sullivan said. "Will it matter whether you're a red or blue state? Will it matter whether you have something pending in your state legislature to send the federal money back?"

By bringing in some subjective measurements, Bush can screw any state he wants to, or reward others.

[w4rma]

9. Like his brother's failing school system. (nt)

[radfringe]

10. so it becomes "Even MORE children left behind"

the catch-22: for a "failing" school to get aid they must bring up the achievement scores -- but to do that they need aid, but they can't get the aid until they bring up the scores and they can't bring up the scores until they get aid which they can't get until they bring up the scores...

[dbt]

11. Follow The Money.

You can be certain that these changes will financially benefit a few bu$hler cronies.