Obama School Bills:
School halls allow students to move from one class to another. However, Congressional halls do more than transport. They extend opportunities for the growing of goverment. It is as if many public servants have not heard that less is more. For them, grants are seen as the answer to fixing 'why Johnny can't read.'
Many of our elected officials throw dollars at any and all educational problems. Though many of their funding actions appear sincere,the solutions they pay for are oftentimes not practical nor logical.
S114:
On 1/4/2007, Obama introduced S114, Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act. S114 authorizes 20 LEA competitive grants to compensate for children of color and poverty's poor classroom performance. The stated premise is the act's funding will address the root cause: "inadequate resources and low teacher quality." This legislation brings added levels of bureaucracy in individual student tracking and teacher career ladders.
S116:
With S's Mikuluski,Murray, and Sanders, Obama also re-introduced his Step up Act of 2007. Step Up establishes summer school scholars through competitive demonstration grants, $100,000,000 price tag for FY 08. In the April 26, 2007 Congressional Record, Obama thanks S's Bingaman and Alexander for accepting part of his S116 in their American Competes legislation.
The S116 amendment dealt with summer learning for math and problem solving skills.Obama stated: "This is particularly important for children of poverty, for whom summer learning losses are greatest."
Maybe if legislators were really committed to American competitiveness,they would extend the school year, as Europeans already do, to all children, not just the disadvanaged.
S3047:
Conspiciously off the 21 co-sponsors list of S.7, College Opportunity Act of 2007, Obama joins up with Reid, Lugar, Saunders and S. Brown to introduce S3047 o n 5/21/2008. This legislation, titled Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Act of 2008, is to provide for the coordination of the Nation's STEM initiatives.
New levels of bureaucracy include: committee on STEM; improvement of coherence of Federal STEM thru President's Office of Science & Technology Policy; an office of STEM in the Dept of Ed; a consortium annual grant of not more than $20,000,000; and annual funding to a National STEM Ed Research Repository of $1,500,000.
All of which, with the help of a roadmap for the bloated organizational chart, is "to preserve competitiveness in the global economy."
Monday, June 30, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
OBAMA ON 3 R'S
NEA ENDORSEMENT:
NEA President Weaver released a press release on June 3rd recommending Obama in November election. Weaver endorsed Obama and requested that the NEA convention, to be held from July 1st thru July 6th, formally vote for the candidate. Weaver's reasons for the decision included: (1) "clear" he had won Democratic nomination; (2) his commitment to partner w/NEA; (3) his opposition to vouchers; (4) belief No Child Left Behind Law needs change; (5) health care for every child; (6) teachers deserve a living wage; and (7) class size needs reduction.
STUDENT TAX CREDIT
Stumping in Michigan, Obama promised a college tax credit of $4,000 in exchange for a 100 hours of community service. (a 6/17/08 USATODAY posting)His campaign estimated this program would carry an annual price tag of $10 billion. The Senator's promise was vaguely based on his experience w/student loan debt and the "American Dream." His argument seems to be missing logical tenets.
Education like all commodities of worth "gets the greatest bang for the buck" when the participants earn it and thus truly value it. When the nation is swamped by academic degrees whose holders often "teach rather than do", another tax supported program should be the least of our concerns. The U.S. needs trades and how- to-vocations to compete globally.Liberal arts can indeed produce well-rounded, thoughtful and logical thinkers, and students can acquire this curriculum through their own efforts. Scholarships, jobs and the military provide such opportunities
NEA President Weaver released a press release on June 3rd recommending Obama in November election. Weaver endorsed Obama and requested that the NEA convention, to be held from July 1st thru July 6th, formally vote for the candidate. Weaver's reasons for the decision included: (1) "clear" he had won Democratic nomination; (2) his commitment to partner w/NEA; (3) his opposition to vouchers; (4) belief No Child Left Behind Law needs change; (5) health care for every child; (6) teachers deserve a living wage; and (7) class size needs reduction.
STUDENT TAX CREDIT
Stumping in Michigan, Obama promised a college tax credit of $4,000 in exchange for a 100 hours of community service. (a 6/17/08 USATODAY posting)His campaign estimated this program would carry an annual price tag of $10 billion. The Senator's promise was vaguely based on his experience w/student loan debt and the "American Dream." His argument seems to be missing logical tenets.
Education like all commodities of worth "gets the greatest bang for the buck" when the participants earn it and thus truly value it. When the nation is swamped by academic degrees whose holders often "teach rather than do", another tax supported program should be the least of our concerns. The U.S. needs trades and how- to-vocations to compete globally.Liberal arts can indeed produce well-rounded, thoughtful and logical thinkers, and students can acquire this curriculum through their own efforts. Scholarships, jobs and the military provide such opportunities
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