So as I was looking around for editorials to comment on, I stumbled across an article addressing a nation-wide school standard. As you should know from Government class, states are essentially in control with the standards they establish regarding school. With the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, states essentially create their own standards so that government funding can be awarded on the basis of their scores. The article commented on how states can manipulate this to their advantage so that they can receive much more funding. The article also spoke about how the incredibly low test scores we have here in the United States became more and more apparent after the implementation of this law. The U.S. as a whole is falling behind the other countries educational-wise and it's about time that a nation-wide effective plan is created. The author emphasized this belief all through her editorial because it is essential in this day and age to keep current and not fall behind in comparison to other countries as well.
I cannot agree with this author more. Everything she spoke about just seems like common sense to me. I mean take the S.O.L.s for example. They're basically a joke and it's sad to think that we, Fairfax County, one of the best counties in the United States, have to take such a ridiculously insulting exam. Just thinking that some students even fail that is honestly just wrong. I can't even imagine the standards implemented in other states and counties that remain below ours. I know that this doesn't apply to students that actually apply themselves but really we're slacking in comparison to other countries. I find it disgraceful that "a land full of opportunities" is just barely passing the average mark. I believe with a nationwide standard, admittance into college would be more fair as well--and no such thing as grade conversions and bullshit. I agree with the author in that a new system should be created to replace Bush's failed attempt to regulate education in the United States.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/opinion/14sun1.html
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Standards Fo' Schoolz
Posted by Elysia at 3:42 PM
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1 comments:
I totally agree with you. It's not right that we waste our resources trying to get slackers up to our level instead of helping students who actually want to learn get ahead. This way, we are only as strong as the weakest link, but it doesn't have to be that way. If school wasn't such a joke, maybe some more people would actually try.
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