For All Those Who Attack No Child Left Behind....
Take this: Younger Students Show Gains in Math and Reading .
"Nine year old students born in the mid-1990's, on average, earned the highest scores in three decades, in both subjects." -- These are students who've been through the system largely after No Child Left Behind was passed (assuming school entrance at 5 or 6).
There is still a way to go, nobody will argue that. But for all the Democrats that claim No Child Left Behind failed, please explain the record levels of improvement nationally (for instance, the test results cited in the link) and in NY State.
I'm sure people will have their own ways to brush the results off. But the fact is that NCLB is getting results, and was a piece of legislation passed by BOTH Democrats and Republicans under President Bush's leadership. Democrats would have been able to take some of the credit for it (Ted Kennedy was a sponsor for crying out loud), but instead even its Democratic backers have flipped sides and attacked it as empty. These results are not empty. Democratic rhetoric, however, is.
"Nine year old students born in the mid-1990's, on average, earned the highest scores in three decades, in both subjects." -- These are students who've been through the system largely after No Child Left Behind was passed (assuming school entrance at 5 or 6).
There is still a way to go, nobody will argue that. But for all the Democrats that claim No Child Left Behind failed, please explain the record levels of improvement nationally (for instance, the test results cited in the link) and in NY State.
I'm sure people will have their own ways to brush the results off. But the fact is that NCLB is getting results, and was a piece of legislation passed by BOTH Democrats and Republicans under President Bush's leadership. Democrats would have been able to take some of the credit for it (Ted Kennedy was a sponsor for crying out loud), but instead even its Democratic backers have flipped sides and attacked it as empty. These results are not empty. Democratic rhetoric, however, is.
posted by Dennis at
7:52 PM
2 Comments:
"Federal aid to education is comparable to carrying water in a leaky bucket from your own reservoir to a big central well. What is left of the water is poured into the well, and then those in charge apportion you some water in that same leaky bucket and you bring it home. Besides losing what water is spilled on the two-way trip, you eventually find yourself being told what to do with the water that remains - although it was your own water in the beginning."
-The Freeman, February 1961
There probably are a number of ways to better education. There are also a number of ways to improve the manufacture of consumer goods for instance, if a country decided to dedicate all its resources to that one goal. The question is not "has the NCLB Act done well," but rather, is there a way that is more in line with constitutional principles and in line with the wishes of the states.
The states are becoming excessively frustrated with the legislation and want much jurisdiction returned to where it belongs- in the states. Let's not forget that the Soviet Union and Hitler's Germany had their own nicely federalized education systems.
You're right. I do have my own way of brushing the results off. If you told me that you dedicated lots of resources to consumer goods (as I indicated above) and then told me that production increased, I would not applaud you. The same applies here.
Education will work just as well, if not significantly better, if it is returned to where it can better adapt to the areas in which it exists: states and local school districts.
By
Anonymous, at 10:02 PM
Victor,
Marco is President of the Libertarian Club. I am... far from being a liberal or democrat. Who exactly are you talking about?
And what is your obsession with blind party/Bush support? Do me a small favor: understand that I am an extreme right winger and just want to hear you say something criticizing the President. I promise I won't type back a liberal remark.
By
Anonymous, at 11:56 PM
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