BOB wrote on May 03, 2008 06:46 PM: virgil sestini wrote on May 03, 2008 09:36 AM: But in typical RJ fashion you blame the Democrats, beginning with Jimmy Carter for this fiasco."

If you actually read the story, they did not say Carter started NCLB. What they did say was that Carter started the fiasco called The Department of Education.

timinator wrote on May 03, 2008 11:20 AM: As per usual, the Feds have gotten involved where they didn't (Constitutionally) belong, and have proved their inadequacy to meet their stated goals.

They have, however, met their unstated goal of brainwashing more people into believing that only government can take care of the people, from cradle to grave. This socialist/fascist republicrat dogma just keeps on spreading throughout the nation, in spite of the fact that massive failure is left in its wake.

There will be calls to make NCLB successful by just "tweaking the system" or "increase expenditures", when the entire premise is screwed up.

Teaching, training and raising children is the primary parental responsibility, not the state's. Unless we return to that paradigm, and parents turn off the TV, video games and iPods, we will have nobody to blame but ourselves when finally wake up to find our society irrevocably morphed into a Brave New World.

Larry wrote on May 03, 2008 11:00 AM: I am looking forward to the RJ editorial that calls for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the nearly $1 TRILLION "federal endeavor that didn't deliver squat."

Penny wrote on May 03, 2008 10:15 AM: OK. We look forward to the next RJ editorial on eliminating the federal gov's abstinence-only sex ed program funding, another demonstrated waste of tax payer money.

Genius wrote on May 03, 2008 09:38 AM: The solution to education is simple. Children will NOT be permitted to advance to the next grade level, until they first truly master the skills at the current level. This is like the Boy Scouts where a child does not advance in rank until the skills at the current rank are mastered. ALL the skill requirements are known and the children work to master those skills to move up in rank. The same principle can easily be applied in the schools. A child should only advance once the skills are mastered - no matter if the child can do it in six months, let them advance; if it takes three years, they stay where they are until they master the skills... so what. We are wasting our time, money, and multiple other resources on children who are NOT ready for the work in the next level, because they failed to master the current level skills. Under this system a children will be motivated, they KNOW what the requirements are, they will work, because if they don't master the current skills they don't advance. Children can move along at their own pace, some quicker than others. I don't see that as a problem. Why are we punishing the children that work hard, have the maturity and are forced into lock-step advancement with the slowest child? It's immoral to hold these children back waiting for the rest to catch up. In the end all will graduate with the same skills, some quicker than others. Set the chilren free to learn. That is the business of education after ail, I hope.

virgil sestini wrote on May 03, 2008 09:36 AM: Yes, the No Child Left Behind initiative is a failure, indeed it is a total failure, waste of time and resources.

But in typical RJ fashion you blame the Democrats, beginning with Jimmy Carter for this fiasco. Please remember that wonderful, George W. Bush, 'The Education President' initiatiated it...

Democrats must share the blame for some of this mess...but the NCLB is the brain child of GWB and his librarian wife, Laura...

J wrote on May 03, 2008 09:24 AM: b wrote on May 03, 2008 05:14 AM:
Amen to that. Nothing will happen till we vote out all encumbents and get some new blood in there that's not on the take yet tho."

It is not the incumbents, it is AMERICANS that are to lazy to get involved. They set back and watch Washington put out stupid laws and mandates. They look at them and say "it will not affect me" so there is no reason to call the senate or congress, because the next idol or survivor is coming on TV.

Look at what happened to amnesty, enough people got involved to change the time table, it was a done deal, the President probably had a copy of the bill on his desk all ready to sign, until the AMERICAN PEOPLE finally got off their A**'s and burned up the phone lines in Washington.

Now look at what we have running for President. As it stands right now out of the three we have running, I am voting for Mickey Mouse.

Mike L. wrote on May 03, 2008 07:13 AM: Where in the US Constitution does the federal gov't have authority to do anything in education?
The US is not a nation of laws; it's just another 3rd world banana republic, and more so every day.

Lawrence Hyde wrote on May 03, 2008 07:00 AM: The biggest problem with education today is, that it is all about the money. In the yesteryear when parents and teachers could discipline children "other than giving them a time out", schools were more functional. Today if a parent or teacher really disciplines a child they end up in jail. Back then the school would kick out students that were disruptive. Now because of the money that the government pays for each student in school, these disruptive students just remain disruptive. This causes all students to lose. Then you have the government taught teachers, trying to teach do good politics instead of reading writing and arithmetic the schools are of almost no value to the students at all.

LittleBird wrote on May 03, 2008 06:59 AM: George,you are 100% right with your post about changing responsiblity from federal,to local,to State.Why are we doing that anyway?Shouldn't the responsibility be the parents or guardians of the student? If they don't want there kids to be as lame as some of them appear to be.There is certainly more to raising kids than pawning them off on someone else to tend for you.Pay now,or pay later (usually more).

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