The work that needs to be done on a policy level is to dismantle No Child Left Behind. The law is unreasonable and purports to have all children on grade level by 2012.
Now, if I designed a test that I knew all of the test takers would fail, I would conclude that the fault is with the test maker, not the test taker.
Students and their teachers cannot possibly achieve the aim that the proponents of of NCLB intended.
In it's place, I would write and support laws that made sure that all students had safe schools to go to, with curricula that inspired them to reach beyond themselves.
I would put the emphasis on achieveable goals for each school, classroom, and student with high expectations for each but no punitive high stakes measures.
I would put the emphasis squarely on teacher quality, with lots of observation and feedback and professional development, but I wouldn't make people fear for their jobs or livelihoods, unless they were truly mediocre or bad.
I would put the emphasis on varying the school day, allowing enough time for sleep, play, and reflection.
I would put the emphasis on creating time to reflect, think, and do. These would be factored into the school day and year. Enough of this frenetic pace, which is like manifest destiny in real time. It's not yoga time that I would look for but a walk in the woods time.
I would put the emphasis on improving consciousness in students ("wake up") rather than media literacy or drug awareness literacy or abstinence literacy. How about just literacy literacy? How about reading a book for reading a book's sake?
Finally, I would put the emphasis on listening to the needs and wants and desires of children, students, teachers, and parents. That is what education is about: Collaboration.
It is simple, it is neo-platonic, and it is what we should be after for our students and the people who love them.
Showing posts with label NCLB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NCLB. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sunday, January 06, 2008
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Fred Thompson
In addition to being an actor who has played presidents in two films, Fred Thompson is trying to act his way into the White House. Thompson held out to the very last minute before announcing his candidacy to see if he can gain some momentum and save a little dough for the role errr... road ahead. Thompson voted for No Child Left Behind in 2001 but feels that charter schools are the answer. They aren't. According to USA Today, here's where Thompson stands on NCLB and other educational issues:
Fred Thompson on education
On No Child Left Behind law
When he was a U.S. senator representing Tennessee, Fred Thompson voted in 2001 for the No Child Left Behind education law. The law, signed by President Bush in 2002, requires states to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Thompson has said he believes it is appropriate for the federal government to provide money if states meet certain goals but thinks implementation of the law has gone too far. “The most encouraging reforms in education are occurring at the local level, with options like charter schools,” he said on his campaign website. “And often the best thing Washington can do is let the states, school districts, teachers and parents set their own policies and run their own schools.”
On making college affordable
Thompson has yet to unveil a higher-education platform. In the past, he has supported education savings accounts that allow parents to sock money away for college tuition and let it grow tax-free.
Other education priorities
Thompson said on his campaign website that he supports giving parents more choices in where they send their children to school, including vouchers that would allow them to pay for private-school tuition. He wants to reduce federal education mandates and emphasize science and math instruction.
Fred Thompson on education
On No Child Left Behind law
When he was a U.S. senator representing Tennessee, Fred Thompson voted in 2001 for the No Child Left Behind education law. The law, signed by President Bush in 2002, requires states to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Thompson has said he believes it is appropriate for the federal government to provide money if states meet certain goals but thinks implementation of the law has gone too far. “The most encouraging reforms in education are occurring at the local level, with options like charter schools,” he said on his campaign website. “And often the best thing Washington can do is let the states, school districts, teachers and parents set their own policies and run their own schools.”
On making college affordable
Thompson has yet to unveil a higher-education platform. In the past, he has supported education savings accounts that allow parents to sock money away for college tuition and let it grow tax-free.
Other education priorities
Thompson said on his campaign website that he supports giving parents more choices in where they send their children to school, including vouchers that would allow them to pay for private-school tuition. He wants to reduce federal education mandates and emphasize science and math instruction.
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Bill Richardson
Bill Richardson is another marginalized presidential candidate who has the right ida about No Child Left Behind. Catch his other stands on the issues, according to USA Today, before he's out of the race:
Bill Richardson on education
On No Child Left Behind law
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, says he wants to scrap the education law known as No Child Left Behind, which requires states to test students annually. It was signed by President Bush in 2002. “Our students are suffering under this failed policy,” Richardson said on his campaign website. He wants to beef up education funding and replace the current system of sanctions for chronically low-performing schools with one that provides more assistance.
On making college affordable
Richardson wants to make college available to “every high school graduate who wants to attend.” He supports expanding college grants and loan options but has not provided many specifics.
Other education priorities
Richardson wants to raise pay for new teachers (to $40,000 nationally) and establish a pre-kindergarten program for all 4-year-olds. He is opposed to vouchers that would allow families to pay for tuition at private schools. Richardson also says he wants to give schools money to expand outreach to parents.
Bill Richardson on education
On No Child Left Behind law
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, says he wants to scrap the education law known as No Child Left Behind, which requires states to test students annually. It was signed by President Bush in 2002. “Our students are suffering under this failed policy,” Richardson said on his campaign website. He wants to beef up education funding and replace the current system of sanctions for chronically low-performing schools with one that provides more assistance.
On making college affordable
Richardson wants to make college available to “every high school graduate who wants to attend.” He supports expanding college grants and loan options but has not provided many specifics.
Other education priorities
Richardson wants to raise pay for new teachers (to $40,000 nationally) and establish a pre-kindergarten program for all 4-year-olds. He is opposed to vouchers that would allow families to pay for tuition at private schools. Richardson also says he wants to give schools money to expand outreach to parents.
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney is the only presidential candidate willing to admit, however implicitly, that the No Child Left Behind and the current US Department of education is a way to neutralize the powerful teachers' unions. So, the smoking gun is in the hands of a presidential candidate who has flip-flopped (that is a pretty cool word) on educational issues.
Here is where Romney sits on the other issues, inluding NCLB:
Mitt Romney on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has talked about how his views on federal involvement in education have evolved. Romney said during a May 2007 debate in South Carolina that he supported abolishing the Department of Education during his 1994 U.S. Senate bid because "it was very popular with the (GOP) base.”
As governor from January 2003 to January 2007, he said he saw the impact the agency had in “holding down the interests of the teachers union.” He said that is why he embraced the No Child Left Behind education law, which requires states to test students annually. “I find the testing of our kids to be a good thing, to find out which schools are succeeding and which ones are failing,” he said at a New Hampshire town meeting in August 2007.
On making college affordable
As governor, Romney established a scholarship program to reward the top 25% of Massachusetts high school students with a four-year, tuition-free scholarship to any state public university or college.
Other education priorities
Romney supports vouchers that would allow students from low-income areas pay for private-school tuition. As governor, he advocated merit pay for teachers, English immersion classes for foreign-speaking students, and increased math and science requirements. He told a New Hampshire crowd in August 2007 that the failure of inner-city schools is “the great civil rights issue of our time.”
Here is where Romney sits on the other issues, inluding NCLB:
Mitt Romney on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has talked about how his views on federal involvement in education have evolved. Romney said during a May 2007 debate in South Carolina that he supported abolishing the Department of Education during his 1994 U.S. Senate bid because "it was very popular with the (GOP) base.”
As governor from January 2003 to January 2007, he said he saw the impact the agency had in “holding down the interests of the teachers union.” He said that is why he embraced the No Child Left Behind education law, which requires states to test students annually. “I find the testing of our kids to be a good thing, to find out which schools are succeeding and which ones are failing,” he said at a New Hampshire town meeting in August 2007.
On making college affordable
As governor, Romney established a scholarship program to reward the top 25% of Massachusetts high school students with a four-year, tuition-free scholarship to any state public university or college.
Other education priorities
Romney supports vouchers that would allow students from low-income areas pay for private-school tuition. As governor, he advocated merit pay for teachers, English immersion classes for foreign-speaking students, and increased math and science requirements. He told a New Hampshire crowd in August 2007 that the failure of inner-city schools is “the great civil rights issue of our time.”
Saturday, January 05, 2008
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Barack Obama
Other than the fact that my mother attends church with Senator Obama, I didn't know much about him until his candidacy for the US Senate seat in Illinois a few years back. He certainly is Kennedy-esque in coming out of nowhere to upset the apple cart of the status quo.
While attending an educator's of color conference in Independent Schools in Boston at the tail end of November 2007, we (mostly African American) educators debated Barack's chances for getting the Democratic Party's nomination and later winning the election. Out of the seven or eight of us who debated his chances, I was the lone voice who said that Obama had a chance of getting the Party's nod to head the ticket. Not that I was or am endorsing Obama at this point, but I did see that Obama's luck and skill as a candidate is more savvy than we have seen in many generations--perhaps not since the initial candidacies of Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, John Kennedy, or Franklin Roosevelt.
At the moment, Barack's populist candidacy is in the Carter mode, which doesn't portend a great presidency. Yet, I'll argue now what I argued in Boston: Barack creates his own luck and inspires people's imagination in a way that is rare in US politics. Whether it's education or foreign policy, the American people would like to see some forward progress in most areas in the overall effectiveness of the next presidency.
According to USA Today, Obama's views on education policy is as follows...
Barack Obama on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was not in office when Congress passed an education bill in 2001 that requires states to annually test students, known as the No Child Left Behind law. He has said it is a well-intentioned attempt to erase long-standing achievement gaps between white and minority students, but he believes the Bush administration ruined it through inflexible application. Obama wants more money for schools and to move away from traditional testing to judge schools.
On making college affordable
Obama has been pushing for an increase in the federal Pell grant awards that students can get to pay for college. That increase was part of a wide-ranging college funding bill that the Senate passed in September 2007. Obama was a co-sponsor of legislation that President Bush signed in September 2007 lowering fees and cutting interest rates for student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increasing Pell grant awards from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. But Obama missed the vote on final passage.
Other education priorities
Obama says he wants to improve teacher quality and increase pay, especially for those teachers who also mentor students or boost achievement. Obama has said, however, that improvements in achievement shouldn’t be based “on some arbitrary test score.”
While attending an educator's of color conference in Independent Schools in Boston at the tail end of November 2007, we (mostly African American) educators debated Barack's chances for getting the Democratic Party's nomination and later winning the election. Out of the seven or eight of us who debated his chances, I was the lone voice who said that Obama had a chance of getting the Party's nod to head the ticket. Not that I was or am endorsing Obama at this point, but I did see that Obama's luck and skill as a candidate is more savvy than we have seen in many generations--perhaps not since the initial candidacies of Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, John Kennedy, or Franklin Roosevelt.
At the moment, Barack's populist candidacy is in the Carter mode, which doesn't portend a great presidency. Yet, I'll argue now what I argued in Boston: Barack creates his own luck and inspires people's imagination in a way that is rare in US politics. Whether it's education or foreign policy, the American people would like to see some forward progress in most areas in the overall effectiveness of the next presidency.
According to USA Today, Obama's views on education policy is as follows...
Barack Obama on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was not in office when Congress passed an education bill in 2001 that requires states to annually test students, known as the No Child Left Behind law. He has said it is a well-intentioned attempt to erase long-standing achievement gaps between white and minority students, but he believes the Bush administration ruined it through inflexible application. Obama wants more money for schools and to move away from traditional testing to judge schools.
On making college affordable
Obama has been pushing for an increase in the federal Pell grant awards that students can get to pay for college. That increase was part of a wide-ranging college funding bill that the Senate passed in September 2007. Obama was a co-sponsor of legislation that President Bush signed in September 2007 lowering fees and cutting interest rates for student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increasing Pell grant awards from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. But Obama missed the vote on final passage.
Other education priorities
Obama says he wants to improve teacher quality and increase pay, especially for those teachers who also mentor students or boost achievement. Obama has said, however, that improvements in achievement shouldn’t be based “on some arbitrary test score.”
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Ron Paul
Like Sen. Barack Obama, the constituent base for Rep. Ron Paul (R.-Texas) are rabid and different. Both men garner support that echoes Beatlemania or Ross Perot-like enthusiasm. Rep. Paul is also in the populist camp, which seems to be striking a chord with the fringe as well as mainstream folks alike. His take on families who homeschool their children separates him from his other presidential competitors.
Below is where Ron Paul stands on education, as compiled by USA Today...
Ron Paul on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, voted against the education law known as No Child Left Behind, which requires states to test students annually, and remains wary of federal intervention in education. He is co-sponsoring a bill that would allow states to opt out of the No Child Left Behind mandates but still receive federal education aid. Under the proposal, residents of those states would receive a tax credit equal to the amount that they otherwise would have received in federal funding.
On making college affordable
Paul says he is concerned about the increasing debt load college students are bearing. He would lower taxes so families have more money to pay for college. Paul missed the vote on a bill that cut the interest rate on federally backed student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increased Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. President Bush signed the bill into law Sept. 27, 2007.
Other education priorities
Paul champions home schooling. He would push for tax credits to help parents instruct kids at home, promote home-school diplomas as equivalent to regular high school certificates and block federal mandates on home-school curricula. Paul also supports abolishing the Department of Education and believes education decision-making should be made at the state or local level.
Below is where Ron Paul stands on education, as compiled by USA Today...
Ron Paul on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, voted against the education law known as No Child Left Behind, which requires states to test students annually, and remains wary of federal intervention in education. He is co-sponsoring a bill that would allow states to opt out of the No Child Left Behind mandates but still receive federal education aid. Under the proposal, residents of those states would receive a tax credit equal to the amount that they otherwise would have received in federal funding.
On making college affordable
Paul says he is concerned about the increasing debt load college students are bearing. He would lower taxes so families have more money to pay for college. Paul missed the vote on a bill that cut the interest rate on federally backed student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increased Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. President Bush signed the bill into law Sept. 27, 2007.
Other education priorities
Paul champions home schooling. He would push for tax credits to help parents instruct kids at home, promote home-school diplomas as equivalent to regular high school certificates and block federal mandates on home-school curricula. Paul also supports abolishing the Department of Education and believes education decision-making should be made at the state or local level.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Education As We Know It Is Dead: Radical Ideas About Education
Two days ago, one of our readers wrote:
>NCLB, Great concept but DUMB implementation
I'm not all that in love with the concept of NCLB because of what it does. I hate to be a platonic elitist but, like you, I believe that all children should be seeking what they are good at and what their strengths are. We should figure out the bare-bones of what kids absolutely need to know and then get them into societally appropriate endeavors where they will be productive. Do all kids need to have Geometry and Algebra II? Do they all need to have Ancient History, World History, and US History? Can we feed them early on in their educational careers by having them fed by things like culinary schools or a sales academy, perhaps, rather than dragging their carcasses through a regiment of "what we think you need to know" think? What about giving kids who aren't real school-type kids the Cliff Notes' version of education, with the appropriate credit, of course, and get them doing more stuff that might make a difference in their lives, and more importantly in the lives of their community.
Education as we know it is dead, or at least close to it. When in many urban and rural communities, over half of the children are dropping out between 7th and 12th grade (see they never give us the drop out rates of the kids who have never made it into high school), then you know that the*system*isn't*working. It's not about teachers, administrators, or parents, per se, it just means that what we are selling (in teaching) isn't being bought by America's youth.
In any event, I like NAF's Academy model or even CART in Fresno. Do you know that school. If you don't, you should visit it some time. CART is what I was basing some of my Agassi School ideas on.
About the environment. It's like ulcers. Remember everybody got ulcers back in the day. What happened to ulcers? We as a society work ourselves into conditions, illnesses, and diseases. We need to stop doing that. Global warming is one thing that we have created, like the Cold War, that truly exists and yet it doesn't. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall."
>NCLB, Great concept but DUMB implementation
I'm not all that in love with the concept of NCLB because of what it does. I hate to be a platonic elitist but, like you, I believe that all children should be seeking what they are good at and what their strengths are. We should figure out the bare-bones of what kids absolutely need to know and then get them into societally appropriate endeavors where they will be productive. Do all kids need to have Geometry and Algebra II? Do they all need to have Ancient History, World History, and US History? Can we feed them early on in their educational careers by having them fed by things like culinary schools or a sales academy, perhaps, rather than dragging their carcasses through a regiment of "what we think you need to know" think? What about giving kids who aren't real school-type kids the Cliff Notes' version of education, with the appropriate credit, of course, and get them doing more stuff that might make a difference in their lives, and more importantly in the lives of their community.
Education as we know it is dead, or at least close to it. When in many urban and rural communities, over half of the children are dropping out between 7th and 12th grade (see they never give us the drop out rates of the kids who have never made it into high school), then you know that the*system*isn't*working. It's not about teachers, administrators, or parents, per se, it just means that what we are selling (in teaching) isn't being bought by America's youth.
In any event, I like NAF's Academy model or even CART in Fresno. Do you know that school. If you don't, you should visit it some time. CART is what I was basing some of my Agassi School ideas on.
About the environment. It's like ulcers. Remember everybody got ulcers back in the day. What happened to ulcers? We as a society work ourselves into conditions, illnesses, and diseases. We need to stop doing that. Global warming is one thing that we have created, like the Cold War, that truly exists and yet it doesn't. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall."
Monday, December 31, 2007
US Presidential Candidates On Education: John Edwards
In 2001 John Edwards voted for the awful No Child Left Behind bill that has become the scourge of most public schools and school districts in this country. Make no mistake, NCLB is a mistake. There is no way to sugar-coat how bad the law and its intended or unintended impact on teaching and learning has meant for American education.
However, we do like some of the other more creative solutions that Edwards is authoring about reducing the drop-out rate and providing more access for students to go to college. Yet, does Edwards go far enough? Not nearly. According to USA Today, here are some of the other issues that Edwards has grappled with educationally...
John Edwards on education
On No Child Left Behind law
As a senator representing North Carolina, Democrat John Edwards voted in 2001 for the education bill known as No Child Left Behind. Now, he says, the law should be “radically overhauled.” The law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Edwards wants better tests that measure true skills (essay questions instead of multiple choice, for example) and an assessment system that takes actual student progress into account. “We need to find out if schools are working, but I think we need a more precise way to measure what’s happening. And the parameters of what we’re measuring need to be more diverse, not just whether you can fill in a bubble in response to a math or science question,” he said at a community meeting in Dubuque, Iowa, in August 2007.
On making college affordable
Edwards would create a national program to pay for one year of public-college tuition, fees and books. He has predicted the program would allow more than 2 million students to go to college who might not be able to afford it otherwise. In return, Edwards says, students would be required to work part-time in college, take a college-prep curriculum in high school and “stay out of trouble.” He would pay for the $9 billion cost of his initiative through changes to the federal student loan program.
Other education priorities
Edwards wants to tackle the nation’s dropout problem (three out of 10 ninth-graders don’t finish high school) by creating "second-chance schools" that he says would help dropouts by offering them one-on-one attention and a chance to earn a diploma. He’s also proposing to help states provide universal pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds; parents would pay on a sliding scale based on their income.
However, we do like some of the other more creative solutions that Edwards is authoring about reducing the drop-out rate and providing more access for students to go to college. Yet, does Edwards go far enough? Not nearly. According to USA Today, here are some of the other issues that Edwards has grappled with educationally...
John Edwards on education
On No Child Left Behind law
As a senator representing North Carolina, Democrat John Edwards voted in 2001 for the education bill known as No Child Left Behind. Now, he says, the law should be “radically overhauled.” The law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Edwards wants better tests that measure true skills (essay questions instead of multiple choice, for example) and an assessment system that takes actual student progress into account. “We need to find out if schools are working, but I think we need a more precise way to measure what’s happening. And the parameters of what we’re measuring need to be more diverse, not just whether you can fill in a bubble in response to a math or science question,” he said at a community meeting in Dubuque, Iowa, in August 2007.
On making college affordable
Edwards would create a national program to pay for one year of public-college tuition, fees and books. He has predicted the program would allow more than 2 million students to go to college who might not be able to afford it otherwise. In return, Edwards says, students would be required to work part-time in college, take a college-prep curriculum in high school and “stay out of trouble.” He would pay for the $9 billion cost of his initiative through changes to the federal student loan program.
Other education priorities
Edwards wants to tackle the nation’s dropout problem (three out of 10 ninth-graders don’t finish high school) by creating "second-chance schools" that he says would help dropouts by offering them one-on-one attention and a chance to earn a diploma. He’s also proposing to help states provide universal pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds; parents would pay on a sliding scale based on their income.
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Duncan Hunter
Duncan Hunter?!! Your guess is as good as mine. I hadn't heard of him either. Wouldn't you know it that he has a very Libertarian streak when it comes to education--with the exception of school vouchers. People like Hunter cloak their disdain for public education but is willing to have taxpayers bankroll private schools in the form of vouchers. Here's where Hunter stands on the other educational issues...
Duncan Hunter on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Although Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., voted in 2001 for the education law known as No Child Left Behind, he is no fan of federal intervention in education. Signed by President Bush in 2002, the law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Hunter says he would move to dismantle the top-down “expensive and inefficient” mandates of the law and has co-sponsored legislation to change it. That bill would give states the right to opt out of the law and allows them to “assume full responsibility for the educational needs of its students,” according to Hunter’s congressional website. States not willing to take this step would be required to follow current mandates under the law. “I believe we can educate students more effectively by returning school curriculum prerogatives to the states, local communities and, most importantly, to the family,” he said.
On making college affordable
Hunter has said he doesn’t think the federal government should play a large role in college affordability. He voted against legislation that Congress passed and the president signed in September 2007 that increased Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 in 2012 and cut the interest rate by half, to 3.4%, on federally backed student loans.
Other education priorities
Hunter supports vouchers and government aid to pay for private school tuition, from kindergarten through 12th grade. He also wants to make sure home-schooled children have the same access to federal benefits, such as financial aid, as those attending public school.
Duncan Hunter on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Although Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., voted in 2001 for the education law known as No Child Left Behind, he is no fan of federal intervention in education. Signed by President Bush in 2002, the law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Hunter says he would move to dismantle the top-down “expensive and inefficient” mandates of the law and has co-sponsored legislation to change it. That bill would give states the right to opt out of the law and allows them to “assume full responsibility for the educational needs of its students,” according to Hunter’s congressional website. States not willing to take this step would be required to follow current mandates under the law. “I believe we can educate students more effectively by returning school curriculum prerogatives to the states, local communities and, most importantly, to the family,” he said.
On making college affordable
Hunter has said he doesn’t think the federal government should play a large role in college affordability. He voted against legislation that Congress passed and the president signed in September 2007 that increased Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 in 2012 and cut the interest rate by half, to 3.4%, on federally backed student loans.
Other education priorities
Hunter supports vouchers and government aid to pay for private school tuition, from kindergarten through 12th grade. He also wants to make sure home-schooled children have the same access to federal benefits, such as financial aid, as those attending public school.
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Chris Dodd
Chris Dodd, like most of the other candidates, would like to spend more money on fully funding No Child Left Behind, particularly in funding failing schools. He voted for the original legislation in 2001. Not much innovation in his arsenal. Just the same old thing. Here is where Dodd stands on NCLB and some of the other issues...
Chris Dodd on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., would keep intact the basic accountability-driven framework of the education law, known as No Child Left Behind, that President Bush signed in January 2002. The law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Dodd wants to spend more money on failing schools, a departure from the law’s emphasis on punishing schools that perennially score poorly on tests. Dodd voted for the legislation in 2001.
On making college affordable
Dodd says no one who wants a college education should be denied one. As president, he would make community college free for anyone who can’t afford a traditional four-year university by partnering with states to subsidize tuition at community colleges. Dodd says he can pay for the program through cuts in federal government subsidies to student lenders.
Dodd missed the vote on a bill that would cut the interest rate on student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increase Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. President Bush signed the bill into law Sept. 27, 2007.
Other education priorities
Dodd proposes a number of programs that require local buy-in and lots of money: universal pre-kindergarten for low-income families, a school modernization fund, smaller class sizes and a longer school day. Dodd also wants to develop national academic standards that states would voluntarily adopt instead of having a mishmash of different programs.
Chris Dodd on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., would keep intact the basic accountability-driven framework of the education law, known as No Child Left Behind, that President Bush signed in January 2002. The law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Dodd wants to spend more money on failing schools, a departure from the law’s emphasis on punishing schools that perennially score poorly on tests. Dodd voted for the legislation in 2001.
On making college affordable
Dodd says no one who wants a college education should be denied one. As president, he would make community college free for anyone who can’t afford a traditional four-year university by partnering with states to subsidize tuition at community colleges. Dodd says he can pay for the program through cuts in federal government subsidies to student lenders.
Dodd missed the vote on a bill that would cut the interest rate on student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increase Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. President Bush signed the bill into law Sept. 27, 2007.
Other education priorities
Dodd proposes a number of programs that require local buy-in and lots of money: universal pre-kindergarten for low-income families, a school modernization fund, smaller class sizes and a longer school day. Dodd also wants to develop national academic standards that states would voluntarily adopt instead of having a mishmash of different programs.
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