Reader comments
Schools measuring up?

All schools can improve, and all teachers can, too. What about students? What about parents? Let's not forget that most teachers/schools, if they were changed to those high-performing schools' areas, would become superstars, too--overnight. There are issues that also need to be dealt with at home. Students who come to school 'sad, mad or bad' because mom and/or dad are that way (to borrow a phrase from Dr. Jack Shonkoff--a world-renowned pediatrician all should "google") have emotional issues that interfere with their learning. It has been said that many of the solutions to societal problems lie predominantly in the homes rather than the schools, or government (as important as those are). What can be done to help students, moms, and dads do their part a little better in this school picture?

In the NYTimes Paul Tough said the more words a kid hears at home, the better. I'm trying to be an attentive dad who responds to my children and proactively teaches them.

I'd like to see partnerships between schools and parents. Maybe schools could offer parenting classes. Parent's don't always know how important interaction is, or how to discipline appropriately.

The elementary school I teach at passed the tests in the areas of math, language, and science last year but still failed the UPASS because there is an attendance component. Too many students were absent or tardy. Are teachers to be blamed for that also? Some responsibility has to be placed on parents to get their kids to school on time. I'm amazed at the some of the reasons children are allowed to stay home.

Throw away the vidio games and make them mow the lawn for starters there are way to many kids sitting in front of tv or computer all the time and never learn how too really work and it carries on too school. Vouchers are a great idea bring competition into the school system so teachers get paid according to what they teach. In my job if I just blame the parents for the problems they would replace me so blame who you will its still the kids that aren't getting an education.

Teacherlady, I hope not. With a requirement of 95% participation in all race categories, as an example, it is very easy to fail AYP. And if you fail one of the 35 or so categories, you fail the whole test. Meaning, if your school has to Polynesian or Pacific Islander students and one did not show up to school that day, bam...you just failed AYP!

NCLB has some good components and some that need some rethinking. The attendance part is well intentioned, as you don't want teachers/staff sending home all the struggling students the day of test so only the smart ones are taking it. On the other side, some categories are very easy to fail and I would bet most of the failing schools failed one of these easy categories.

First, get rid of the out-of-shape teachers. What kind of example do our kids have to look to when you have an overweight soda sucking teacher?

Provo School District hit the high mark with U-PASS, but does very little in the area of gifted education. Studies show that gifted children are as likely to drop out of school as their peers who struggle with academics.

I've watched my gifted child change from an engaged learner to a child who gets by with only minimal effort because of lack of challenging material. For several years he was allowed to do advanced math one year ahead at home (he was four years ahead of his peers), but not at school, where they needed to ensure he knew the math the rest of the children his age were doing. What child wants extra schoolwork at home?

As we seek to leave no child behind, let's maximize the potential of this group by giving them the same attention we give slow learners. Leaving any child behind is a mistake.

The required testing in our schools only judges the memorization and regurgitation skills of a child. These tests do nothing to measure their true ability to think on their feet, work with others, plan, produce products etc. When are we as parents going to learn that real education comes from gaining experiences not from regurgitating useless facts. Our school system understands that but we won't allow them to leave the world of testing long enough to create that environment.
As a business leader it is urgent that we leave the world of high stakes tests behind and move to a more constructivist type of school environment. This environment will engage all learners and we will see future entrepreneurs and employees with a far better skill set than what we see today.

These numbers mean nothing. If 90% of the kids pass but the small minority group fails to pass then the whole school is failing.

NCLB is the biggest mistake in education. Happily it should disappear or face major changes soon....

so the schools are not passing muster according to government test? Are these the same standards that the anti voucher people say private schools will not be held accountable to? I fail to see why it is important to be held accountable to some govenment standard when there is no consquence for nor measuring up. Are these public schools going to be closed, fined, have there funding striped, will teachers, or admistrators be fired? No they will demand more money! Because all we need is just a little more money and everything will turn up roses! Standards without consequences are worthless standards, and it makes for a falacious argument by the anti voucher crowd but they will whistle the tune to the detrment of the childern the claim to want to help.

Bottom line... The voucher issue is about establishing a class system in our society. This is not good. Public school money should not be used in private schools.
Schools need more money.
Teachers need more respect.
Principals need more respect.
Parents need to support public education.

Excellent comment joejoe.

I fully agree with many of the comments listed, most especially with the attendance comment. If more of my students attended on a consistent basis, they would be more prepared for any tests, not just standardized.

Anonymous, I'd love to know what your job is. My guess is that you don't even work with kids. If you don't, your comment if bunk.

James, the attendance part of the NCLB does not just count on the testing dates. It is compiled throughout the year. Teachers and the administration work hard all year to do what we can to get the kids to school and get them there on time, but we only have so much control. Kids are absent for ridiculous reasons. Some even stay home to tend younger siblings so a mom can go visiting teaching. To those out there who think schools should be run as a business, I don't know of any other job/business where so much is expected from "managers" who don't have complete control over their "product."

Let's get real. The answer is RESPECT. Students have none for teachers, administrators, parents or each other. There is a lack of discipline at our schools, because of a fear of law-suits. If we want our children to be better educated and we want to see our schools pass any AYP or test period. We must give teachers the control to discipline our children. We must teach our children to respect authority. As parents we must take responsibility and stop placing blame where it does not belong. It has to start with us! Teachers should also be a high paying profession, they are building our future leaders after all.

One more reason to vote yes for Vouchers. The school systems are FAILING our children and we are letting it happen. If anyone that is informed can answer this question I would appreciate it. If my son is attending a school that did not pass can I as his mother pull him out of that school and put him in one that did? I am guessing probably not. Please for our children's sake do the right thing and vote for our children to attend school wherever they want.

For those opposed to public money spent on private schools -- For years the federal government has been allowing �public funds� to be spent on private schools. They are called PELL Grants and really who�s money is it anyway. It is our money. We pay the taxes! We should be able to decide how to spend our money on our Childs education. After all we know them the best.

joejoe,
Using NCLB "accountability" in your diatribe against voucher opponents is ridiculous. I think you will find just as many opponents of NCLB on the BOTH sides of the voucher issue.

Marissa,
Even if your school isn't "failing" you can pull your kid out and transfer to another school, as long as you are willing to provide transportation.

Using the failings of NCLB as a reason to support vouchers is seriously grasping at straws. I can see the pro-voucher people are getting desperate . . .

Teachers need to be given the resources necessary to be successful. Utah has one of the lowest per pupil spending rates in the nation. Respect is something that needs to be taught and practiced at home. Parents need to support teachers, it is a partnership between both. Parents are failing not teachers. Parents step up and take responsibility public education is just not a babysitting service offered for everyone. Get involved in your students education. Vouchers are not the issue because the same problems will occur because parents are not involved in their child's education. Bicker about vouchers all you want but the issue lies with the parents. Parents get involved.