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 The government is at it again. Trying to tell us that all our children must be intellectual equals. Without regard to abilities, interests, individuality or anything, all our children are expected to attain the same academic standards. The only way to achieve such a standard is to dumb our children down yet more. We're already intellectually trailing Europe and other nations (and I would suspect our "No Child Left Behind" was greatly responsible), we don't need to be dumbed down any more than we already are.
Like a 16 year old with his dad's hotrod and credit card, Obama is heedlessly spending billions of our dollars--stealing money from our pockets while we helplessly watch him do it. That's our money (not his or the government's) he's handing the Education Secretary to "fix" our schools by more regulations and stipulations. A labrynth of regulations and stipulations that have been steadying eroding the quality of our schools and education of our children since the Education department was first formed.
(I'm feeling increasingly victimized by a spendthrift government and it's not a good feeling. While I have to keep cutting back--even on necessities--Obama keeps increasing spending that each of us will have to repay!)
Here's what he's doing. "On Friday, Obama will officially announce the "Race to the Top," a competition for $4.35 billion in grants. He wants states to use funds to ease limits on charter schools, tie teacher pay to student achievement and move for the first time toward common academic standards." (Michael D. Shear and Nick Anderson, Washingtonpost.com, July 24, 2009).
"Common academic standards" is the same as "cloning intelligence." Evidently, America is no longer the land of diversity and intellectual freedom but the land of clones, drones, and group-think. Instead of encouraging teachers to let students explore their abilities and interests, the "no student left behind" Act has turned classroom time into "pass a test" classes. Now this. The schools don't need more federal oversight. They've done enough damage. They don't need a "one size fits all" mentality. They need a complete overhaul. (See my previous articles Overhauling the School System and Teaching Health & Fitness.)
As for tying teacher pay to teacher performance, that's a crock load of crap! Yes, teachers have the ability to motivate students, but not when their hands are tied behind their backs and mouths gagged by the "no student left behind" schoolyard bully. How can a teacher inspire learning when the focus is on passing a test instead of integrating knowledge into one's daily life? How can a teacher's ability be truly measured when teacher's are forced to teach brilliant students with the same methodology and speed as s/he teaches the slow students? How can a teacher's performance ever become outstanding if they are measured by an arbitrary standard that has nothing to do with inspiring students and everything to do with pleasing bureaucrats?
All I have to say is this. Stop the madness! |
