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28% of Utah schools 'left behind'

No Child Left Behind is making progress...by exposing the public education system to be riddled with deficiency schools, public education is finally being exposed to the crucial public light of day something that individual parents and students have not been able to do for decades. Thanks to federal legislation, quality of education is beginning to become the norm not the exception. Instead of grade inflation, graduating high school student who can't write or function academic-wise in the real world. Public educators and those who support public education should rejoice in Utah that finally the concerns of many parents are now being addressed by this federally mandated law. Until now, the frustrations of these parents have been transformed into a breeding ground for private school vouchers since to them the public school system was seemingly closed to their concerns about the quality of education at some schools. Now lagging public schools cannot avoid the scrutiny of the school districts and the public. The next crucial step, however, remains - that of addressing the academic problems exposed in these public schools. Unless they are, private schools will continue to become a tempting alternative for parents and children concerned about their education.

You obviously don't understand the No Child Left Behind law. Teachers are being held accountable in unfair ways. For example, a school can not make AYP based on the attendence record of their students. Could you please explain to me how this is a teacher's responsiblity? We are asked to get every student in our classroom on grade level even if they enter three years behind academically. Teachers are not magicians and students don't always learn at the pace that the federal government wants them to. Learn the law before endorsing it. You might just see what an impossible situation that educators are being placed in.

The no child school left behind would hopefully increase the schooles capacity of students to gett a good learning. I was aproduct of utah school system, and can say without doubts that my education should maybe have gotten more attenshun. Hopefully our schools wont be left behind anymore, and the students can get better schholoning, like my kids, and take it to the next level in college. Funding does help more, like they have more money in the east coast for schools and learning. Please help us help ourselves!

NCLB would be a good law if some penalties were imposed on PARENTS. How about not allowing a parent the privilege of claiming a child on their tax return if the parent does not show up to parent-teacher conference at least once a year or get the child to school at least 90% of the time?

Parents want vouchers so they can make choices? Let's really make them partly responsible for their children's educational achievement!

Our public schools are full of students who are lazy, undisciplined, disrespectful, and simply don't care. How are these variables the teacher's fault? Perhaps if parents and families weren't failing our students, more schools might have a fighting chance. NCLB does nothing to make the student or the parent accountable--only the teachers and the schools are under the microscope. I teach in a school with over 90% free or reduced lunch students. Our average 7th grade reading level is between a 3rd and 4th grade level. How is that my fault when parents and elementary schools are sending my school students who can't read at grade level? At parent teacher conferences, I rarely visit with more than 5 parents. Is it my fault that parents are not more involved with their child's education?

You're doing well. More can be done, however, to email parents to invite them into the school (e.g. parent teacher conferences). Automated telephone callers should also be used to invite parents to important functions and to teach them to use the systems already in place (e.g. online grades/assignment databases). Connections, connections, connections. And accurate information.

Even with multiple methods of informing parents about conferences, it's next to impossible to contact those whose phones have been disconnected, who don't have email, and whose letters are returned saying the address is wrong. (We often discover these problems just days after a student enrolls.)


We contact these parents eventually, but they make it difficult for us. :-)

Please, please,please listen to the above comment about e-mail. Why doesn't every parent have access to a class website, with all of the information needed. With all of the homework? Why are we wasting so much paper with take home notes that get lost? I have piles of papers from my kids. It gets confusing. It would be so easy to just look on line and print up the stuff that has to be turned in.

...that our public schools were doing so well that allowing a voucher system would cause a measurable decrease in quality.

If you're almost down to zero, there's not much room to drop.

As someone who grew up on the East Coast and raised my children there for a time, I can honestly say that the school system here in Utah is horrendous in comparison to those schools back east. Who's to blame? Both government and parents. Changes need to be made. Parents of school-aged children need to demand better educational standards for their children, BUT they must also be willing to pay for it. When we had new schools built here, the parents complained because their taxes were going to go up $500--over the course of five or ten years. My school taxes in New York were over $3,000 a year.

Exactly what is "Cowboy Love" trying to say with all those gramatical and spelling errors. If he thinks he received a bad education in Utah, doesn't he first bear the responsibility for having not learned what was taught him?

Cna't parents get off of their butts and contact the schools? Whose kids are they anyway?

Intelligence isn't based on money, but parents are first accountable then the teachers 2nd. I have been very frustrated with the education limitations in the grade schools and discusted when teachers put a football team ahead of the history class they are assigned to teach. Many teachers are dedicated to their jobs and are successful but many are what I would clasify as College failures so they become teachers and their hearts are not in it. All the money in the world doesn't make a successful teacher. The School Districts cost the class room more than they are worth, just look at the Jordan School Board - time for Parents to step up to the plate and assist in educating your own children and assist the teachers in the process.

@Karen

Communication only works when given PROPER NOTICE. 24 hour notice of these "events" is not adaquate.

@JR
Very nicely said.

Amen about the piles of papers sent home being confusing. I'd much prefer a website to check once a day that would have a list of what needs to get done, what's coming up, etc. Seems some schools do this, others don't.

I had a California education in LA County. When I arrived here in 1994, I was absolutely amazed at the variety of efforts to challenge students here that are NOT made in California (AP Classes, Honor Classes, etc.).

The Lowest Common Denominator approach was very apparent to me while attending school. Those California schools had a horrible time just trying to get kids meeting the basic requirements, and didn't have enough time, money or energy to challenge the bright ones. I think Utah's public schools do a much better job of that.

About time we support vouchers. Nothing changes the school system faster than competition, just like the private sector. Let's support vouchers and public schools will set higher standards.
I was a teacher in a public school, teachers need continuing education. Too many who use their same old lesson plans for 15 years, same test, same everything, same boring lessons....yes to vouchers!!!

It just illustrates the deep rooted beauracratic problems with the public education system when the state associate superintendent is "quite pleased" with 28% of schools not making adequate progress toward seventy some-odd percent of students being proficient at the basics! What a sad state of affairs. School vouchers are needed for those of us who are simply fed up.

I do take offense to "say what" comments. Just because I had a few errors, doesn't mean that my opinion doesn't count. I was a solid "C" student in high school, and don't need your judgmenetal attitude towards people of lesser intelligense. Besides, MS Word fixes all my spelling mistakes :)

I'm getting VERY tired of parents whining about schools.

First, there is nothing on this earth that an school administrator or teacher fears more than a mad momma. A herd of mad parents can give educators a coronary! Make yourselves heard you gutless wonders! You OWN the public education system, your tax dollars built it. TAKE OWNERSHIP!

Second, It is the parent's job to communicate their concerns to the teachers. If you don't know what is going on in a class, and really want the teachers to have a website, call the principal and DEMAND that your children's teachers post homework and learning materials to a website. Call some other parents and organize. It is called democracy folks!

Third, the reason the papers come home with the kids: teachers are dealing with loads of idiot parents who can't access a website or don't speak English. So the "flock shot" with a written message is necessary.

Fourth, parents demand athletics so schools have to warehouse a bunch of coaches. Some are good teachers, some are not. If you want to change things, separate athletic teams from the public ed. system. Make athletics community-based. It is what is done in Europe... You know, the places with the schools that are kiccking our American backsides!

Cowboy love has quite a sense of humor.