Obama to overhaul No Child Left Behind

[The Straight Story]

Obama to overhaul No Child Left Behind


WASHINGTON, March 13 (UPI) -- The Obama administration will send Congress a blueprint for an education act that will overhaul No Child Left Behind, the president said Saturday.

"Our competitors understand that the nation that out-educates us today will out-compete us tomorrow. Yet, too often we have failed to make inroads in reforming and strengthening our public education system -- the debate mired in worn arguments hurled across entrenched divides," the president said in his weekly address.

"On Monday, my administration will send to Congress our blueprint for an updated Elementary and Secondary Education Act to overhaul No Child Left Behind. … Through this plan we are setting an ambitious goal: All students should graduate from high school prepared for college and a career -- no matter who you are or where you come from. …

"Under these guidelines, schools that achieve excellence or show real progress will be rewarded, and local districts will be encouraged to commit to change in schools that are clearly letting their students down. …

"As a nation, we are engaged in many important endeavors: improving the economy, reforming the healthcare system, encouraging innovation in energy and other growth industries of the 21st century. But our success in these efforts -- and our success in the future as a people -- will ultimately depend on what happens long before an entrepreneur opens his doors, or a nurse walks the rounds, or a scientist steps into her laboratory. Our future is determined each and every day, when our children enter the classroom, ready to learn and brimming with promise."


http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/03/13/Obama-to-overhaul-No-Child-Left-Behind/UPI-90641268478000/

[LWolf]

1. Obama's version of "change" is to privatize.

He's a weapon of public education destruction, and he fails the "listening" test.

[maryf]

4. Absolutely...

Read or listen to this...

http://www.blackagendareport.com/?q=content/obama-acts-reagan-1981-union-buster

[LWolf]

18. Nice catch.

It deserves a thread all it's own, but if you choose to start one, don't forget your flame suit. The BAR attracts some pretty vicious attacks at DU for daring to criticize Obama.

I'm not afraid to say it though; Obama reminds me a great deal of Reagan, who, imo, was the worst president of my lifetime.

[Orlandodem]

2. Obama can shove it up his ass.

The problem is that not all children enter the classroom ready to learn. The myth that all children come to school with perfectly coiffed hair, full stomachs, and are from families that value education is garbage.

Not every child will go to college, nor should every child go to college.

A note to all Democrats: Obama better get his agenda through this year. Because he's going to lose the midterm elections and he may lose in 2012.

He has lost a HUGE portion of his base - the teachers. Teachers will NOT be scapegoated for the ills of our nations schools. That is a result of underperforming parents. Period. End of story.

When the Obama campaign sends me a request for money, he's not getting a check. Instead, the campaign will receive a note explaining that I will NOT send money, give my time, or vote for a president who blames me for our schools' problems.

Who's with me, teachers??? If Dems want to remain in power, they'll stop blaming teachers right now!!!!!

[maryf]

6. hear, hear

Most teachers are registered Dems...

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. +1

[RedRoses323]

12. +2

:thumbsup:

[rateyes]

13. Here's a teacher who is with you! nt

[Dinger]

14. I Will Post A Poll As It Relates to This Thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7908377

[LWolf]

17. +3

[mrmpa]

20. solidly with you

I'm tired of being kicked in the ass for things I have no control over.

[Starry Messenger]

21. I'm with you!

[Fumesucker]

3. Half of the American people think that humans were created as they are now..

Within the last 10,000 years..

We simply are not going to be able to compete with nations that don't have half their citizens living in a fantasy world..

It's that simple and I think impossible to fix no matter what you might do with the schools, the problem is cultural, Americans to a big extent are hostile to education.

[madfloridian]

5. All students will not ever be able to be college ready.

They are already trying to take over trade schools and turn them into academic charters.

Those are fancy words which mean nothing.

[maryf]

7. and by killing the trade schools as they are...

we're really killing job potential...and this just occured to me, by killing the trade schools, they are forcing kids to get trade school training in the military!!!

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Overhaul = Privatization

This proud urban public school teacher says no thanks.

[cornermouse]

9. Color me outraged.

School privatization, no matter what you call it, is completely unacceptable.

[madrchsod]

11. our local high school vocational school is getting their funding cut

the school has 600 students from a radius of 35-40 miles. over the years it has supplied skilled helped to every business with in and beyond that radius. instructors are being cut as is the operational funding.

obama has a choice--rebuild america or keep killing people in wars that have no purpose.

[blindpig]

15. Hide the children.

Just when ya thought things couldn't get worse, they find a way.

[Mari333]

16. things continue to get worse with this admin

[rucky]

19. Great, except he fails to identify any of the underlying problems with NCLB

It's an unfunded mandate.

It places way too high of value on standardized testing as a way of rating a school's performance.

It punishes the schools that need the most help, and rewards the schools that don't need any help.

I agree our education system is not preparing kids with the skills they'll need for us to be competitive in the future. But I fail to see how tweaking NCLB will address that problem.