What is Bush doing for our children's academic achievements?

Question

IN THEIR LEARNING SKILLS

Why are children being left behind if their is a program to not leave tthem behind?

I'm 15 and i woul like to know everyone reaction

Answer 1

Nothing.

His real goal is to cut education from the federal budget. Rather than take the political fallout from doing so (even though Constitutionally he can... there is no Constitution requirement for federal Education funding... the states are supposed to take care of it anyway).... he is seeking to scapegoat teachers.

NCLB "supporters" use increased scores on standardized tests as "proof" of it's effectiveness. However, we all know one or two incompetent teachers... who TOOK STANDARDIZED TESTS to get into college, into teacher preparation programs (e.g. Praxis), and the capstone state standardized professional tests to get their licensures, and PASSED!!! We also all know people who are VERY competent teachers, who (if you are able to ask them and they trust you enough as a friend to share) struggle with standardized tests and had to take them several times before passing.

All that standardized tests measure is how well someone takes standardized tests. Oh, and they also make lots of money for standardized test publishers.

NCLB sets some rather unrealistic goals (e.g. 100% GRADE-LEVEL literacy for ALL subgroups regardless of their circumstances), while penalizing actions by schools to remediate problems (e.g. behavior, attendance, retention, special education qualification, etc.). Funding is limited, so the reduced classroom sizes and materials needed for sufficient individual attention to each student is not possible to obtain.

If the tens of millions of dollars currently used for standardized tests was used instead to hire more teachers and reduce classroom sizes, ensure a textbook and consumables in every subject for every student, and auditors for student portfolios (using the portfolios to show student attainment of state standards and benchmarks), THAT would improve education.

Parents should hold primary responsibility for student behavior. The number of office behavioral interventions should NOT be held against the school. As you teach your child at home, so shall they behave at school. So teach your child to value learning, respect authority, and be fair and gentle to peers, already!!!

The exception would be for children medically diagnosed for Emotional Disorders, in which case the IEP committe must be accountable for provision of safe and effective learning environment assignment (whether at the school or homebound).

Parents should be held entirely accountable for attendance. Attendance rates should NOT be held against the schools. Parents are the ones who control whether the child is ready for the bus in the morning, or dropped off at school on time, or even attending at all. Parents who argue that they are at work at those times.... if you taught your child to value their education and to respect your authority, they won't be late or absent!

Excpetions would be for children diagnosed with chronic health issues, and receiving services under Other Health Impaired through special education. These children's attendance rate would be determined through IEP committee provision of placement (school site, homebound, or hospitalized services).

Otherwise excused absences would be based on reason and common sense (bereavement, sudden illness, reasonable doctor's and other appointments, etc.).

Student academic progress should be based on their potential ability to learn.

"Average" kids without disabilities, second-language issues, etc. should progress at one grade level per year. Grade level standards are based on what an "average" kid without additional challenges in his/her life can learn in one year.

Students that are exceptions (disabilities, migrant, ELL, etc.) should be expected to learn based on their own level of ability. For example, an LD child with disabilities in language should be expected to make basic grade-level gains in math computation, science and social studies core academic content (using alternative assessment methods), and their growth in reading, writing, spelling, and math word problem solving should be based on documented demonstrated effort by the teacher(s) to provide appropriate instruction and materials, combined with portfolio demonstration of growth by the student.

Paperwork can be minimized by the teacher providing basic start of year summary plans addressing the student's "differing" needs and how they are addressed (probably completed by the end of October, once the teacher understands the student's needs), samples of curriculum and completed student work, and IEP goal progress notes.

Answer 2

Bush is doing absolutely nothing for our childrens academic achievement. With all of the new standards, many good teachers are leaving the profession. It has required students to be tested (state and achievement) to death. Our dropout rate is increasing. It is impossible for all children to achieve on the same level. Some children arent cut out for school, but according to Bush, we can make them straight A students headed for an Ivy League University. I say its impossible. With Bush's thinking, we will have all white collar workers by mid century...who will then serve us our burgers, keep our grocery stores stocked, fix our cars, collect our trash...???

Answer 3

Starting a war, He talks about all of theose kids that are left behind to get his funding and votes, but he is REALLY focused on that stupid war. If you want to help education. Start with your own children. Don't assume the system will give them the proper skills and lessons. You take your little one by the hand and help them yourself. Give them a good foundation in basic skills, colors,shapes,letters,numbers,and name recgonization and writting before they even get to Kindergarden. This will take alot of "catch-up time"out of the classroom. Put down the crack pipe and pick up a pencil with your child and just make it fun. In addition to academics, they need solid social skills too, taking turns and sharing would also help.Parents need to participate in their child's education not assume it is someone elses job.

Answer 4

Bush doesn't teach school. We do have the No Child Left Behind program. The problem is with parents not caring enough. I can't believe the number of children that I teach that have told me there is no one to see to it that they do their homework or study with them for a test or do their nightly reading with them. These are second graders! No adults are at home to supervise them.
Aside to Durutti: His "low levels?" Degrees from Harvard and Yale? You should achieve such lowness.

Answer 5

Bush is trying to make educators more responsible for their product by placing quality control measures on the process (they are called tests).
Don't listen to some educators who lie about this. Those educators are THE REASON our public education is so poor in this country. And as for funding, FUNDING IS UP as compared to previous administrations - BUT funding does not equate to excellence in education. (Look at other countries)
NEA and teachers unions lie about this. The only truth they tell is the fact that parents are not involved enough.

Answer 6

Not much, why? He doesn't know what to do due to the fact that he was a mediocre student himself! He admittedly doesn't read, and can't speak the English language in an appropriate manner! I'll tell you what he has done though:

1. No child left behind: Overtests children for an entire month out of the school year. Puts a huge burden on schools and is an unfunded mandate. Schools are having to displace teachers all over the US. What does this do? Higher student to teacher ratio in all classrooms.

To answer your second question: Students are being "left behind" because these tests do not indeed test for student's real intelligence. Intelligence does not just come in the form of filling out bubbles and having the answers to all the questions. Presentation skills (needed for business) are not tested. Arts (needed for actors, painters, artists of all sorts) are not tested. Common sense is not tested and is needed in our everyday lives. Real knowledge of science (the ability to draw up observations, reasonable conclusion, invent, come up with an experiment to test observations) are not tested. The ability to think for one's own self is not tested! I could go on and on.

As a result...History is being left out of schools in states where ther is no History exam for NCLB. No Physical Education, No Music, No Art, No Drama, Basic Math, Basic Science, All test prep and practice...No THINKING!! Can we afford to lose all these programs...what are we raising here ROBOTS? Many children are left behind simply because they're areas of expertise are no longer taken into consideration at schools so they lose interest, become discouraged and drop out.

This is discouraging to many students. Not experiencing success in school is discouraging, which is leading many students to drop out. It is also the reason many teachers are becoming discouraged with our careeers and are beginning to leave the profession...when we're in DIRE NEED for teachers!

2. Cutting financial aid for college. How can our students learn if they're not attending a college or a university? They have to put their time in at the military, then if they don't die, they get money for college.

3. Cutting finances for college prep programs and other programs at the universities for those students who are at risk or those who might need more help once they attend college. Programs such as Upward Bound that are geared towards "at risk" youth in poverty to help them through middle and high school so that they can go to college and programs such as the McNairs Scholars in college who do the same for those students who are already at college are getting massive cuts in funding.

So, in answer to your question, Bush is doing more to hurt those in educational institutions instead of helping those, who are indeed our country's future.

Answer 7

Better question. What are the parents doing for their children's academic achievements?

Answer 8

A better question is why is the federal government involved in something like this?

What happened to the state and/or local level government?

Answer 9

He's trying to drag them down to his own low levels.