Should the Federal Government Have Their Nose in Local Schools?

The No Child Left Behind Act, passed by the Federal Government, is a bad idea. This sounds good, but it is bad. It has brought plenty of trouble to those who teach. The government has set too many rules and regulations. These rules and regulations require great amounts of paperwork. Too much paperwork distracts from teachers being able to actually teach. There are too many tests. Teachers have to teach to the test instead of teaching basics: reading, writing, and arithmetic. The federal government does not need to make blanket requirements. There is so much pressure in these tests that children are fearful that they will fail. They think that if they fail, they won't have any future.

We need to return to the basics. Teach children to read and make sure they accomplish this before moving on. Teach basic math, not always trying to bring in "new math."

It is not necessary to teach social issues in school. Attempting to teach social issues in school is faulty because there is no morality base any longer from which to teach. Instead, they should teach the basic truths of education that served our country for so long. The proper social issues stem from the teachings of the Church or religious institution. Unfortunately, our country has turned from such foundations and removed them from schools and our society is paying the price.

Bilingual education is not necessary. Just teach students English. It will benefit the children in the long run if they know English. When one must teach bilingually, each student loses part of what is taught because the teacher uses half the time teaching in one language and half in another. Students have so much homework because the teachers can't take the time to teach it thoroughly in class. Then, many suffer because they can't understand it on their own. Teachers should make sure the students know English before advancing them to other studies. We are in the United States of America and English is still the language. Perhaps students would not suffer from grammar problems if teachers were given the time to emphasize its importance.

Then there is the issue of financial responsibility in education. Having more money and putting an iPad in the hands of every student will not inspire good education. Too much money is thrown at education and too much ends up in the hands of the administration instead of the classroom. Allow States and local governments to make local reforms that are best, and chose how to utilize their local funds. The current economic climate should show the federal government to keep hands off of local decisions. It makes me glad to be homeschooled. Dr. Benjamin Carson is a fine example of a minority student who came from a single-parent home, who achieved great success as a renowned neurosurgeon. He credits his mother with “making him read.” Our society tends to blame others if they do not succeed and we have lost the “can-do” American spirit. Winners take resposibility; losers blame others. May we return to the America in which each citizen takes personal responsibility for behavior and success.

Sequester or Soliloquy?

This article,  “The Administration’s Thin Complaints About the Sequester” by Megan McArdle, deals with the sequester. What was happening with this sequestration was that the White House was predicting it to be much more terrible than it truly is. It reminds me of two children’s fairy tales: “The Boy Who Cried ‘Wolf’” and “Chicken Little.” “A big ferocious wolf is about to attack the sheep!” and “The sky is falling!” seem to be the messages they want us to hear so they can spend however much money they want. Everyone panics and rushes to save themselves from the threat.

  

In this video, “Obama Warning About Sequestration,” Obama states that, “Thousands of teachers and educators will be laid off. Tens of thousands of parents will have to scramble to find childcare for their kids. Air traffic controllers and airport security will see cutbacks causing delays across the country. These cuts will cut back medical science for a generation. The threat of these cuts has forced the navy to delay the deployment of an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf affecting our ability to respond to threats in an unstable part of the world. If these cuts go through, almost eight hundred thousand defense employees…will be forced to take an unpaid leave.” 

 “The president’s aides had to scramble to come up with reasons why the president could be correct, without actually knowing the facts.” “This is not the first time that the administration has been caught making grossly exaggerated claims about the impact of the sequester.” “These were not [teacher] layoffs, but rather “transfer notices” sent to 104 Title I teachers for reasons unrelated to the sequestration cuts.” “The administration is having a hard time finding concrete examples of bad things that the sequester is going to do.”

In this video, “Obama Myths of Sequestration Panic Debunked,”

Obama states in November of 2011 that he wanted sequester (automatic spending cuts that would reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion) to go through. He spins 180° by February of this year and describes the sequester as “brutal spending cuts.” The President is crying wolf.

Michael D. Tanner, Cato Institute Senior Fellow, makes these comments about Obama’s warnings. “Cuts aren’t even across all areas of spending, so domestic discretionary spending takes a hit of about 9%, returning us to the spending of 2009. This is mainly in defense spending, but it is projected that in 6 years we’ll be right back where we are today. The pentagon will still spend far more in inflation-adjusted dollars than at the height of the cold war.

There will be pain for those directly effected by these cuts and communities that depend on these federal paychecks, but these cuts amount to 3/100 % of our Gross Domestic Product. If we can’t cut federal spending by that amount without tanking the entire economy, then we are as bad off as Greece.”

Therefore, I don’t believe the sky is falling, though there may be some wolves in sheep’s clothing in Washington.