The recent Democratic debate was too focused on Patriotism, and it missed out on the debate about education. The questioning of Barack Obama about Patrotism didn't create the type of debate that would help voters.
"Why are students dropping out in higher rates after the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act was established?" This would have been a more appropriate question that could have facilitated a debate about education.
The NCLB Act needs to be a topic of interest for the presidential campaigns of 2008 because it is a law that affects many children and their families. Schools that depend on funding that the NCLB Act provides, have to prepare their students for standardized tests. This preparation can take away from a teacher's freedom to creatively teach a curriculum, and can ignore the different ways students learn.
The 2008 presidential campaigns need to focus on how to improve education, and the American people need to take an interest and start asking questions. The debate about NCLB has been facilitated mostly by teachers, but now is the time for parents, students and our nations leaders to join the debate.
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I am there with you! I used to teach so creatively, but now I am so driven by research-based strategies because I cannot risk my students not making the grade on standardized testing. Fortunately for my students and me, I am creative enough that I still find ways to make learning fun for them. The scariest thing I'm seeing in education is how educators are forced to tier students based on their abilities. Will this child not meet, meet, or exceed standards when testing comes around. There is such pressure in teaching now. It has really poured on since NCLB. When I was still in college years ago, the pressure was different. I agree in accountability, and I think there has definitely been slack over the years in education, but I don't think NCLB is the answer. The best teachers are burning out before two or three years is up. It is becoming a race to retirement or a better job with a lot less stress and a lot more money. Sad times. Great blog!!
I completely agree Melissa. The debates are nit-picky and they are arguing about completely irrelevant topics. Education has always been a vastly debated issue but it is getting pushed under the rug during personal debates.
The debate around NCLB needs to continue because it is something extremely important to the future of our nation You are totally right for suggesting that the campaign should focus more on education issues, I couldn't agree more!
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