You could immediately grasp the flawed thinking behind President Bush's education policy just by its name: No Child Left Behind. That's an absurd, unachievable goal that can only be announced by a politician too long in the fantasy world in which government can do absoutely anything. Now comes President Obama to seek a change in the policy that would be even more delusional:
“We need to not only hold failing schools accountable, we need to help turn those schools around. In the 21st century, it's not enough to leave no child behind. We need to help every child get ahead,” Obama said, “What hasn't worked is denying teachers, schools and states what they need to meet these goals.”
Everybody absolutely equal in circumstance and opportunity and achievement and capability. Never happened in the history of the world and never will, but the utopian dream lives on, and we keep paying for the futility because we keep electing the clowns who spout the nonsense.
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"Obama said,
My wife got a school teaching job to replace a teacher they got rid of. Allen County may call them "layoffs," but trust me, lots of local teachers have lost their jobs.
That said, I agree with you about tenure. Bad teachers *should* be fired.
But I go nuts when governors and others pandering to the right suggest that teachers work short days, make lots of money and enjoy three months off every summer. None of that is true.
During her two month summer vacation, my wife is expected to take "professional development" college courses at her own expence, despite her two master's degrees.
She takes home about six hours of work every night and does another 10-12 hours every weekend.
For all this, she makes about $40K. She would obviously make more, with fewer hours, in the private sector.
LJ, What's her annual insurance premium, deductible, % of copay, prescription cost, and the amount she contributes to her retirement add up to? No snark, just asking.