Reader comments
Utah improves its No Child Left Behind scores
16 comments | Read story
Anonymous | 7:06 p.m. Sept. 16, 2009
Why do we care?... it's called money.
Anonymous | 7:28 p.m. Sept. 16, 2009
@Matt,
Utah CHOSE how it would meet NCLB. Utah should be more open to being American. First banning the President's speech to kids, and now right wing nuts wanting to throw money away because it comes from the feds.
Utah CHOSE how it would meet NCLB. Utah should be more open to being American. First banning the President's speech to kids, and now right wing nuts wanting to throw money away because it comes from the feds.
Comments continue below
Rodger | 10:00 p.m. Sept. 16, 2009
Anon, we shouldn't have to "throw away" money the federal
government has no right to take from us in the first place. NCLB does nothing,
NOTHING to make our children more successful. Many Utah schools are doing so
well because out of fear of NCLB they spend ridiculous amounts of time teaching
kids how to take tests. Many of our global competitors are teaching their kids
how to think, a much more useful skill than the test-guessing ability our
government is demanding we create.
As a public school teacher, I say NCLB is killing our educational program. Leaders from both corrupt sides of the aisle say we need to revise or amend NCLB to be more effective. To this, I like the James Madison character's philosophy regarding the ineffectiveness of the Articles of Confederation in the BYU movie A More Perfect Union: America Becomes a Nation:
Let us amend it OUT of existence.
As a public school teacher, I say NCLB is killing our educational program. Leaders from both corrupt sides of the aisle say we need to revise or amend NCLB to be more effective. To this, I like the James Madison character's philosophy regarding the ineffectiveness of the Articles of Confederation in the BYU movie A More Perfect Union: America Becomes a Nation:
Let us amend it OUT of existence.
Anonymous | 10:18 p.m. Sept. 16, 2009
Not because it comes from the feds, but because it comes with strings attached.
who banned the presidents speech | 10:34 p.m. Sept. 16, 2009
Both of my kids watched it, in school, do Utah didn't ban anything.
As for NCLB, yes you are right the teachers are teaching the kids how to take and pass the tests. It's nice they are finally teaching something.
As for NCLB, yes you are right the teachers are teaching the kids how to take and pass the tests. It's nice they are finally teaching something.
money | 5:52 a.m. Sept. 17, 2009
NCLB is federally mandated AND underfunded. Here in Atlanta the teachers no
longer teach entire concepts to get to an endpoint, but instead teach kids only
that which will help them pass the test, often skipping important foundation
material. Public schools have gotten so bad, that we pulled out child out of
public school and moved our child to a private school (which is outrageously
expensive and are barely scraping by.) Is it worth it? Yes. Scores of 103%
were not enough to prove proficiency apparently, oh wait the real problem was
that our child could pass the federally mandated tests so no more money was put
into our child in the public school. In the private school, our child is now a
"b" student. There is no more teaching only that material which is on
a test, but instead stair step learning of concepts.
Even Hillary Clinton stated that she initially was behind NCLB, but now that it is in place realizes it thwarts creativity and is a failure.
Even Hillary Clinton stated that she initially was behind NCLB, but now that it is in place realizes it thwarts creativity and is a failure.
fix the problem | 6:04 a.m. Sept. 17, 2009
Rodger,
Perhaps the thought has not crossed your mind, but it is apathetic teachers (like yourself) that are killing public education. They left kids behind simply because they did not want to deal with them.
Yes NCLB needs an overhaul because it will get to the point of impossibility of passing eventually. It has been relatively easy to pass so far and yet all we hear is crying of how unfair it is from educators and administrators who do not pass. It is those entrenched educators who can't or won't try that we need to rid the schools of.
Perhaps the thought has not crossed your mind, but it is apathetic teachers (like yourself) that are killing public education. They left kids behind simply because they did not want to deal with them.
Yes NCLB needs an overhaul because it will get to the point of impossibility of passing eventually. It has been relatively easy to pass so far and yet all we hear is crying of how unfair it is from educators and administrators who do not pass. It is those entrenched educators who can't or won't try that we need to rid the schools of.
Problem is not the people | 8:38 a.m. Sept. 17, 2009
I don't think the problem is in the teachers and administrators, although
like any profession there are weak ones. When a system fails, most people like
to point their fingers at people instead of the system (See Foucault). Good
teaching is often done away because pressure of the test/NCLB is supreme.
Realization of "the gap" is excellent; however, the washback effect
with such large repercussions is stronger than than the goal NCLB is trying to
achieve.
Re: Who banned the presidents.. | 8:40 a.m. Sept. 17, 2009
Now if we could just get the parents to do something such as being parents to
their kids instead of being friends.
Re Fix the Problem: | 8:45 a.m. Sept. 17, 2009
It is pretty easy to leave a kid behind when there are 40 of them in the
classroom. Most teachers are great and do a great job given the limited
resources they are encumbered with and it has been the norm to unfairly teacher
bash. Perhaps if the public was more concerned about providing a good education
for their children rather than spending all of their money on paying for that
big McMansion financed by a sub-prime loan, our education system would improve.
As a businessman I firmly believe that you get what you pay for.
Private schools | 9:55 a.m. Sept. 17, 2009
NCLB is not helping students learn. Public schools are overcrowded and
underfunded. If you want the best education for your children and an investment
that will increase in value you should look college prepatory private
schools....Rowland Hall, Waterford, Meridian, and a few others are following the
model of good independent schools around the country and really preparing
students for success in the real world.
LAKE WOEBEGONE | 12:17 p.m. Sept. 17, 2009
"...where ALL THE CHILDREN are ABOVE AVERAGE..."
Have an "ABOVE AVERAGE DAY" everyone!
Have an "ABOVE AVERAGE DAY" everyone!
Re: Private School | 1:18 p.m. Sept. 17, 2009
I am not discounting the fact that many private schools are good. They are.
The key difference in success in those schools, however, almost always have to
do with the fact that the parents are heavily involved in the eduction of their
kids. School should never be considered as daycare. A call from teachers about
your child should never be considered an inconvenience for you. Unfortunately,
too many parents feel that way about education.
40 kids in a classroom? | 9:03 a.m. Sept. 18, 2009
Please give at least one example where there are 40 kids in a classroom. There
may be some isolated examples, but I have dozens of friends and family who work
in the public schools, and while most of them rightly complain when the class
size gets close to or above 30, I don't know of any classes at 40. Please
don't exaggerate to make a point. Either you look like someone who will
say anything to make a point or you look completely ignorant, and that
doesn't help the cause.
Teacher | 9:44 a.m. Sept. 19, 2009
RE: 40 kids in a classroom. Check out Highland High's Language Arts 12
Grade classes. The average is 41 students per class. I know the numbers are
real because I teach these kids. There are reasons for the high numberof
students in LA12, but the numbers are not an exaggeration nor are they isolated
nor are they unique. Who is being ignorant? You.
Add your comment
Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.
Words Remaining
E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.
Related content
- Comments sought on Bitter Creek 10:31 p.m.
- National news briefs 10:29 p.m.
- Cougars turn back Wildcats' 10:23 p.m.
- Hogle Zoo showcases honeybees 10:22 p.m.
- Birthdays for Saturday, Nov. 28 10:18 p.m.
- Brown to discuss assault 10:18 p.m.
- Ansel Adams print up for auction 10:17 p.m.
- Queen plans visit to Canada 10:16 p.m.
- Horse group honors Swayze 10:15 p.m.
- Insuring young key to health-care 10:14 p.m.
- BYU would like friendlier rivalry
263 - Protests against Phoenix LDS temple211
- RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks202
- Thunder rolls by Jazz136
- Letters: Rushing to judge Palin133
- Boys basketball rankings127
- Editorial: Poor welcome for Palin112
- Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies108
- Letters: Trump card for believers92
- Real Champions87
I wanted to tell them not to go. I dropped subtle hints. "My money is on...
When I was a kid, I worshipped my grandpa. He was undoubtedly my hero....
Latest comments
go cougs!!!
Living in the past | 4:11 p.m. Nov. 27, 2009 Utah might be dragging 2008...
What does hunderlated mean? I just did a search on google, and I think you...
Living in the past | 4:11 p.m. Nov. 27, 2009 gotta love how Utah fans keep...
in the infamous words of Gob Bluth, "I think I've made a huge mistake." Good...
is a figment of Al Gore's imagination.
the concept that Ute defense is so much better than Y defense just doesn't...
Thank you for very much for sharing this inspirational story...A tribute to...
a rebuilding year. Go Utes!
hey all you cougar fans, this is how its gonna be utah is going to beat byu...
Advertisements
We should opt out of NCLB and set our own goals and standards, our own curriculum, our own everything. We know what's best for our children and can figure out how to improve the system. We don't need federal "help" of any kind, including Race to the Top.