Come on Swamp; No postings since 5:05 EST.

It is now 7:35 EST.

2 1/2 hours with no new entries?

Unreal.

Fine, wait until boy george has left his vice presidential office and then weaken the "every child except for those of the rich left behind" act. We survived for 200+ years without this wretched piece of self-congratulatory legislation and will do just fine without when earboy is a bitter memory.

I think we should have a "no wounded veteran left behind" act. But boy george would never do anything to help disabled vets. That's too expensive.

NCLB is a bunch of crap created by W. to make Jeb Bush a very rich man and in that since it has "succeeded".

Hey W, get out of my city, you crook!!!

NCLB is a colossal failure, mainly because it wasn't funded properly.

I'll 2nd John E; get the hell out of here you stupid chimp.

Teachers across the country advise that NCLB is a failure. How many more kids have to suffer because you are a stubborn moron?

President Bush says he knows that NCLB has worked. He needs to take another look. The increase in national (NAEP) reading scores that President Bush and Education Secretary Spellings keep talking about happened before NCLB went into effect. On an international test of reading (PIRLS), our fourth graders scored 542 in 2001 and 540 in 2006. No improvement, despite huge amounts of money and added instruction in reading. The president and the secretary are either uninformed or disingenuous.

Hey John E.,

Speaking of kids left behind.

Where do you suppose RNC Gadfly Bruce & the rest of the whackos went?

“Look, I recognize some people don't like accountability,” Bush said today at Horace Greeley Elementary School. “In other words, accountability says if you're failing, we're going to expose that and expect you to change. Accountability also says that when you're succeeding you'll get plenty of praise.

What a great sense of irony!

Doug Z,

The reality that their GOPer heroes are going to get their butts handed to them in 08 must be setting in.

Hey John E.,

Speaking of kids left behind.

Where do you suppose RNC Gadfly Bruce & the rest of the whackos went?

Posted by: Doug Zook | January 7, 2008 8:48 PM

Try a public restroom!!!

Don't forget you depressing lefties, but the parents have to do their job too...and they don't...that's the problem.

Go ahead and blame Bush,it's the path to the least resistance...put down the bong and get responsible.

Paulo

Go ahead and blame Bush,it's the path to the least resistance...put down the bong and get responsible.
Paulo

Posted by: Paulo | January 7, 2008 11:01 PM

Speaking of No CHILD Left Behind, wink wink.

JohnE.

How's Iraq? (wink, wink)

Paulo

Go ahead and blame Bush,it's the path to the least resistance...put down the bong and get responsible.

Paulo

Posted by: Paulo | January 7, 2008 11:01 PM

Stay off the crack pipe crazy guy. That stuff will be your ruin.

Don't forget you depressing lefties, but the parents have to do their job too...and they don't...that's the problem.

Paulo

Posted by: Paulo | January 7, 2008 11:01 PM

Wow! Are you saying that it isn't ALL the teachers' fault? You'll be kicked out of the rightwing for that.

Logic Prisoner,

Thanks for your post!

A great laugh to begin the day which is sure to culminate with an Obama victory in New Hampshire.

!GOBAMA!

NCLB forces teachers to teach to the test...not just teach. We had accountability (tests) before this colossal failure that was never funded. Just the paper cost to comply busts some school budgets...money that would be better spent on another teacher.

And not only is Jeb Bush making money...so is Neil Bush of the savings and loan failures.

Only those who can afford education deserve it. Its written in the Constitution after all. Pretty cool!

Hey W, get out of my city, you crook!!!

Posted by: John E | January 7, 2008 8:07 PM

I agree with you in general on GW, but by the definition you use here, he kind of fits right in with Chicago.

Like the great line form the film "The Sting".

-Henry Gondorff: Of course, Chicago's a rigged town. No sense being a grifter when it's the same as being a citizen.-

Does NCLB testing include civics/government and economics? If our children become educated in those areas, the GOP will never win another election (fairly, that is.)

i feel conserned for youth who didnt excell in their classes but still exceeded due to the greed of bush and i signed my name happy citizen because i am happy george is leaving

Yep, Bush talking about accountability. That's pretty funny. Too bad he doesn't hold his office and his vice president's up to those standards. Maybe the schools need to start creating signing statements of their own.

Paulo, you finally said something I can totally agree with. But, you're also disagreeing with NCLB in saying that.

The only problem with the "No Child Left Behind Law" is that it was not a Democrat's idea. If you read the article, you see that the only complaints about the program is that they say that it has turned schools into test preparation centers. Yeah and that just goes to show that the program IS working and we have them concerned about their jobs. But they never ask who is it that is turning the schools into preparation centers and why. Could it be the very people we are requiring accountability from? DUHH!!! Then they also say that the program was underfunded by the federal government. I don't know about you but I thought we were already paying our teachers to teach our children. Isn't that what this bill is requiring them to do....their jobs they're already paid for? And if you are then thinking that it is the administration costs of the program, then I again say, are we not paying our principals to do the job of evaluating the teaching staff? The bottom line is that those who need to be made accountable don't want to be and this law makes them. It ensures our children ARE actually getting an education and that taxpayers are getting something for all the money they are paying. Anyone who would disagree with that has some kind of political agenda they aren't being truthful about.

With Bush in office, other then the 1% who are super rich, Americans have been left behind.

Alternate Caption;

'OK you little whiners; shut up and read or I'm gonna break out the 'old school' $#!✞
on ya. You've had it too easy for too long!'

"Don't forget you depressing lefties, but the parents have to do their job too...and they don't...that's the problem."

Paulo accidentally stumbles into the beehive of truth here. Teachers have the hardest job in America; Trying to teach your stupid, spoiled, lazy, borderline challenged children.

Look, NCLB is just another attempt to destroy 1. Teachers Unions, and 2. public education.

This endeavor was never sincere from the start. This is a classic 'lets make gvmt. education fail' gambit. Teddy shoulda known. (By this time he had Ann Richards, Al Gore, and McCain's political corpses to study.)

Of course GWB doesn't want to weaken the law. That could cause the law to cause less damage to public education.

Once again, Paulo is correct about the parents. Start to carry your end at home.

It ensures our children ARE actually getting an education and that taxpayers are getting something for all the money they are paying. Anyone who would disagree with that has some kind of political agenda they aren't being truthful about.

Posted by: Chuck | January 8, 2008 2:42 PM

At the alternative inner-city middle school for at-risk kids where I teach I have just 5 weeks to help prepare them for their MEAP test. Last year I had a 14-year-old girl fold up her hands and refuse to take the Science test. She was not nervous. She just refused and said, "you can't make me." I marched her down to the office and called her dad at work. He got pissed at ME for bothering him on the job! Next I called her mother. She came up to the school and spent an hour arguing with her daughter before she finally agreed to take the test. She passed! 805 (800 is passing). In fact 32% of my students passed, but we'll never make ayp. And this is just one example of how hard it is to get the kids who are really "left behind" to succeed.

"Don't forget you depressing lefties, but the parents have to do their job too...and they don't...that's the problem."

Paulo accidentally stumbles into the beehive of truth here.

Teachers have the hardest job in America; Trying to teach your stupid, spoiled, lazy, borderline psycho children to read and write.

Look, NCLB is just another attempt to destroy 1. Teachers Unions, and 2. public education.

This endeavor was never sincere from the start. This is a classic 'lets make gvmt. education fail' gambit. Teddy shoulda known. (By this time he had Ann Richards, Al Gore, and McCain's political corpses to study.)

Of course GWB doesn't want to weaken the law. That could cause the law to cause less damage to public education.

Once again, Paulo is correct about the parents. Start to carry your end at home, half steppers.

sorry about the duel posting.

(Reamer; note small editorial corrections and improvements. I hope that meets with your approval.)

hey james patterson: or anyone that may know

"Only those who can afford education deserve it. Its written in the Constitution after all. Pretty cool!"....
is it really? (not being a smart ass) can you prove it? i would really love to see it if thats true, wow...any links? thanks

The four biggest factors that lead to student success are level of parental education, number of parents in the home, number of times parents read to their children in a week, and 5 or more hours per night spent on watching television. -Recent article in major newspaper and major study go to NEA.

Yes we should blame schools, teachers, and administrators, and label them failing for contributing to these four major factors, that will really attract good teachers to the profession.

mcBS,

We didn't have teachers' unions for 200 years. There is the problem - all the cash, no accountability.

John E,

I can you attend a failing school.

Doug,

You should stopped you stmt half-way thru: "Hey John E.,

Speaking of kids left behind."

That has it correct. All us "whackos" have jobs pulling the economic wagon, not sitting there taking a free ride.

As far as the "poor teachers" www.thechampion.org

Paulo does hit a good not on the parents. Problem is, the parents have no financial skin in the process. Have the parents pay directly (not thru taxes) for their child's education and you will start to see improved results in the children. Also, those teachers/schools that can't/won't educate will be out of buisness.

What else can i say? The man needs mental attention if he wants to go against congress with such a passion. Why they try to convince whats best for them is best for the kids too is beyond me.

i strongly belive that this "no child left behind act" is horrible. so many of high school students have been hurt by this. I would know becuz i am one of them. i cannot graduate from Highland High school because i missed one point on the math test. There are so many smart and amazing people who have done so much to graduate, and fail because of this stupid act!
how many others have to suffer from this Mr. Presendent? you say there is no room to improve but you REALLY NEED TO DO SOMETHING!!!. you say you want to help? but there hasnt been anything done. The students being left behind because of this "Cassee exam" are at a higher rate than before you past the law.

i am doing everything ti can to graduate and becuase of this "no child left behind act"...i am being left behind. does my voice matter to anyone???

NCLB has many flaws. I agree that parents should take more action in their children's education. However, I am worried about those students who are above average. How are they benefiting when they have no reason to try harder? When children don't have competition with their peers they don't try as hard to do well in school. When children don't try, they give up and they learn that it is "Ok" to be lazy.
What if the "No Child Left Behind" was changed to directly benefit the students? Instead of everyone blaming government or the parents for not doing their jobs good enough? Why don't we directly support the students? I propose funding students who do well by paying for their college educations. Instead of poor, highly intelligent students who wouldn't get the chance to go to college based on how much money their parents have, why don't we make it possible for students to compete for the chance to continue their education.

the parents have no financial skin in the process. Have the parents pay directly (not thru taxes) for their child's education and you will start to see improved results in the children. Also, those teachers/schools that can't/won't educate will be out of buisness.

Posted by: Terry | January 8, 2008 10:22 PM

Typical BS, Repub/Corporate rhetoric. If I believed in conspiracies, I'd say the corporate America has much financial skin in defunding schools. After all, every job can't be outsourced. A pool of uneducated, desperate workers are always needed to work for peanuts. And Jeb Bush et. al. always needs to sell untested, educationally unsound programs to school districts for exorbitant prices.

"Have the parents pay directly (not thru taxes) for their child's education and you will start to see improved results in the children."

Actually, if Public Education is dissolved, like NCLB is designed to do, then there will be millions of more children "left behind," because their parents could never afford to pay for their educations without a public system.

Wow....