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Post by Nathan on Sept 25, 2004 20:20:27 GMT -6
Now... i have an opinion of that program... before i voice, i want to make sure: what exactly does it do?
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Post by Tasneem on Sept 25, 2004 22:23:43 GMT -6
Yeah, really, what does it do?
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Post by xon on Sept 26, 2004 13:42:44 GMT -6
Yeah, well maybe I should answer. Maybe I shouldn't. I will anyway...
NCLB Sets higher standards for who can be a teacher, and sets higher standards for the tests that students take. All my teachers talk about it "got to comply with No Child Left behind". One of the requirements is that teachers not just have a "teaching degree" but a degree in what they teach. My chemistry teacher used to be a chemist and a nuclear engineer (lots of interesting stories there, believe me), and so he didn't have to go back to college. No Child Left behind was partly written by the liberal senator and Kerry comrade from Massachussets, Edward Kennedy. But some Democrats with chutzpah are saying that No Child Left behind is a *failure* because it doesn't provide funding, and only sets standards. Well its not about funding, Democrats, its about standards. Instead of blowing millions of dollars on computers in every classroom, or on shopping-mall-esque school buildings, this Act simply tells schools "meet the standards or else". America is lagging behind in education, yet we spend more money per student that many other nations. So why are former-soviet central asian republics 99% literate but some parts of the USA are mostly populated by imbeciles? It may not have anything to do with funding. This Act, I feel, has helped me directly. I cannot say that it was all Bush's decision, because the Democrats helped on this too. But I don't like that Democrats are trying to burn down the house they helped build. The interesting thing is that I'm taking Algebra 3/Statistics this year, and the first part of the class uses the NEW Algebra 2 books that are compliant with NCLB, instead of the old books I used while taking the Algebra 2 class. The difference is clear. In the "old" book they didn't even talk about compound interest, factorials, or logarithmic expressions.
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Post by Nathan on Sept 26, 2004 17:39:04 GMT -6
ok, thats what i thought it was.
that program has withheld needed funds for my school district. I'm not talking about computers in every classroom and ultra modern remodeling... im talking about books! Teachers want books that don't refer to the threat of the USSR. I want a German book that doesnt mention the 4 German speaking nations (E and W Germany, Austria, Switzerland). I dont want extraculicular activities to be cut next year due to budget woes.
I dont care whose fault it was, I just want sufficient funding for good books and to maintain activities.
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Post by xon on Sept 26, 2004 19:24:54 GMT -6
I don't know that the Act itself witheld funding, but maybe it did set mandates that required more spending on the part of the schools.
That's sad. My Government book was published in '99 and just the other day our teacher was complaining about how the congressional districts in the book weren't updated to the '00 census.
Our Spanish teacher opted to use the older 1980s-era books because the new books weren't that good. An added bonus for us, the book's pictures were of the stereotypical 80s, wherein everyone was wearing blues-brothers sunglasses.
Our drafting class had to stop using the actual drafting boards (we switched mid-year to computers only) because they could not afford paper and erasers. These cuts supposedly had something to do with more of this type of training shifting to the local community college (which of course means "not free"). Bummer.
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Post by xon on Sept 26, 2004 19:25:51 GMT -6
And what is Kerry's education plan? Can't say I've heard much about his.
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Post by Nathan on Sept 26, 2004 19:33:54 GMT -6
I havent heard much about it either.
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Post by Tasneem on Sept 27, 2004 15:47:51 GMT -6
that program has withheld needed funds for my school district. I'm not talking about computers in every classroom and ultra modern remodeling... im talking about books! Teachers want books that don't refer to the threat of the USSR. I want a German book that doesnt mention the 4 German speaking nations (E and W Germany, Austria, Switzerland). I dont want extraculicular activities to be cut next year due to budget woes. I dont care whose fault it was, I just want sufficient funding for good books and to maintain activities. Ah, so true for the lovely school of Mehlville. Remember how there wasn't enough books for everyone last year in our history class? That was interesting. I would post more but I have to go to a lame PSAT class.
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Post by Nathan on Sept 27, 2004 16:11:38 GMT -6
there wasnt enough history books for *this* year's class either.
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Post by Tasneem on Sept 27, 2004 20:05:23 GMT -6
And yet that still doesn't surprise me. Sooner or later, teachers will just abandon the textbooks.
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Spelev
Just Joined
Foreign Diplomat
Posts: 20
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Post by Spelev on Nov 3, 2004 3:30:26 GMT -6
Nader!!!
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Post by RCH Ryan Grass on Nov 4, 2004 22:04:14 GMT -6
Who's ready for 4 more years of absolute crap?
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Post by Nathan on Nov 5, 2004 15:11:00 GMT -6
me! me!! w000t!!!
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Post by Tasneem on Nov 5, 2004 15:35:20 GMT -6
Let's move to Canada!!!
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Post by MasterRDavis on Nov 5, 2004 21:58:39 GMT -6
In the immortal words of the UN Rep in South Park, Bigger Longer, and Uncut:
FU** CANADA!
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