“Today, the U.S. Senate took a bold and historic step to usher in a new era in public education,” said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García. “This is a deserved victory for public education because the Every Student Succeeds Act will ensure all students have equal opportunity to a high-quality public education regardless of ZIP Code.”As is typical of such union pronouncements, there's no mention of what was wrong with the previous law or what is good about the new law. (My guess is that the answer to the first part is "President Bush signed it" and the answer to the second is "President Obama will sign it", but that's just me.)
Students and educators have lived with the unintended consequences of the failed No Child Left Behind (NCLB) for more than 14 years. NEA members have waged an unprecedented mobilization and advocacy campaign on behalf of the nation’s students in an effort to turn the page on the failed NCLB law and to bring in a new federal education law that provides more opportunity for all students.
What do you think you can infer from this? And if you don't like a law drafted by the (Democratic) Lion of the Senate and voted for by all these people, what do you like? Answer: probably nothing that's good for kids in particular or education in general.
NEA President Lily Eskelsen García said that "the Every Student Succeeds Act will ensure all students have equal opportunity to a high-quality public education regardless of ZIP Code.”
ReplyDeleteSo, in other words, mere legislation can overcome talent (or lack thereof), culture, and free will? And once these children are blessed with a high-quality public education (putting aside the definition of "high-quality"), then they will.....what?
*sigh*
Yeah, these people are union first, education second. I'm not really even sure that they actually mean well. I've rubbed shoulder with one of these union rah-rah types, and he was like a one-note piano-- everything lived and died for, by and of the teacher's union.
I work with one of those types. I truly don't understand it.
ReplyDeleteI do love how every article written about NCLB always says "the Bush era legislation" without ever mentioning that it was coauthored by George Miller and Edward Kennedy...
ReplyDeleteAt least 20 years ago, I remember hearing the head of the DC union saying "I'll pay attention to parents when they start paying union dues" - in response to parent complaints/requests. At least he was honest.
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