No Child Left Behind

Submitted by Sherry A (not verified) on April 11, 2008 - 20:56.

Enough of unfunded Federal or State education mandates! Don't "choke" the business of education under massive regulations without financially supporting what you want to accomplish. That's like asking a contractor to build a house without giving him money for supplies or labor.

Another pet peeve...all those parents, politicians, and law makers who think they know how to run a classroom, just because they've attended school. Obviously, you haven't stepped into a classroom in many years! You'd be shocked and horrified to see how students...yes, your children, are not only rude, bullying,and disrespectful to each other, but to their teachers and staff as well.

Profane language, pornagraphic dress, peer pressure, weapons, and widely popular drug and alcohol use provoke an atmosphere that prevents instruction. How can educators teach and students learn when the majority of time is spent on "crowd control"?

I wouldn't presume to tell my doctor how to treat me or tell my investor how to make the best market decisions or tell my endodontist how to do oral surgery. Yet daily, parents come to school telling teachers how to teach and then demanding their own student be exempt from school policies like regular attendance, completing class assignments or homework,or doing quality instead of marginal work. The "let's hold teachers accountable" refrain needs to stop...when will students pick up the challenge to be involved and accountable for their own learning?

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink". Similarly, you can provide excellent staff, materials, equipment, buildings, and curriculum but you can't force a child to become educated. When did Americans decide that "doing my own thing (for my own benefit)" was more important than becoming a "literate, life-long learner and citizen of the world"?

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