This is a lose-lose situation in which no one wins, especially not the American people, who now have to wait for good ideas to go through simply because people are entrenched in their own butthurt and slinging vitriol across the aisle. This only makes the problem worse. The only way to remedy such a problem would be to communicate openly and kindly, making compromises when necessary, and handling defeat and victory with grace in hopes of reaching a situation in which both parties win, or the point of keeping such a detrimental system would be moot. (Tafel, 2013). The idiocy of those who write the laws have screwed the pooch once again as they degrade our education system by making nonsensical laws without teaching expertise. It is ridiculous …show more content…
“Now we have a chance to fix the law by refocusing on the proper federal role: equal opportunity. To do that we must change the way we think about accountability… has hinged entirely upon standardized test scores,” (Garciá & Otho, 2015, p.3-4). This excerpt from the Washington Post article ‘No Child Left Behind’ has failed offers up the exact problems that education today faces due to this act and others like it. By not communicating with educators, lawmakers set a high demand that is impossible to reach, due to a number of factors, namely the motivation of the child. To base the measure of a child’s success solely upon such a wanton score is futile and completely misses the most important part of learning. Rather than encouraging a child’s interest and bringing it into pre-existing curriculum the teacher is forced to run practice after practice in preparation for standardized test, in the hope that the state does not cut funding for the school. Bring into the mix a federal government whose demands are ever escalating to save face on the world stage, and its surprising that …show more content…
They may attempt to but in the end the American mind and body does not seem to give a shit. That is what American’s fill themselves with—shit. The over-processed and unsanitary meat factories, or the literal poisons that Americans pump into their bodies for illnesses that could sometimes have been avoided if a greater focus was put upon the prevention of diseases. Above all though stands health related to the environment, or perhaps people should continue to live in ignorance with that too. They will soon find that it is anything but blissful, with things like toxic run off from landfills and the like destroying citizens from the inside out. According to the Healthy People 2020 campaign we must actively monitor several factors, such as the quality of the air, water and soil, which if not good enough, can cause severe illness, cancer and death. Toxic waste is another problem, where the long-term dangers still are not fully known. Climate change is also highlighted as a source of increased natural disasters, such as floods and storms and the more unexpected infectious disease patterns (Healthy People 2020, 2014). The way things are going, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will not have to do anything, because America has taken care of it for
These desires interact with one another in different ways, giving rise to the need for different strategies employed by members of House and Senate. When members' reelection needs and personal policy preferences are similar within the party and differ substantially between parties, as we see in a highly polarized Congress, it makes sense for them to organize their parties and endow their leaders with the resources necessary to facilitate the achievement of their goals. Scholars have argued that the contemporary parties are elaborately organized so as to facilitate joint action toward collective goals, while also providing members with much-prized opportunities to participate in the legislative process. An increased reliance over the past three decades on special rules in the House to achieve legislative goals rather than compromise and negotiation has become the norm, rather than the
Even with the negative and positive functions of No Child Left Behind, there are many areas that still need to ironed out. Under the Obama administration several states have received a waiver from No Child Left Behind, “with this waiver students will still be tested annually. But starting this fall, schools in those states will no longer face the same prescriptive actions spelled out under No Child Left Behind” (Feller & Hefling, 2012). Since 2007, the law has been up for review, but due to opponents of the law there has not been an agreement reached and the law continues to stress our schools and children out. We can only hope that when this law is reviewed and agreed upon that it really is in the best interest of our children and the nation as a whole.
The implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act applied a market approach to school reform as a way of improving the school system. This new law promised an era of high standards, testing, and accountability in
In the United States of America, there are a number of national issues that go unresolved and become more of a major issue subsequently. The lack of resolution in some of our nation’s most critical issues is due to the lack of a common ground between opposing political parties. Issues such as healthcare, climate change, abortion, same-sex marriage, taxes and welfare are reoccurring problems in the United States due to congressional gridlock. The cause of congressional gridlock can be attributed to the difference in liberal and conservative views, which can be further examined through some of the nation’s most prominent reoccurring issues such as immigration and gun control.
The United States of America has engaged in the battle known as political polarization since before its foundation in 1776. From the uprising against the powerful British nation to the political issues of today, Americans continue to debate about proper ideology and attempt to choose a side that closely aligns with their personal beliefs. From decade to decade, Americans struggle to determine a proper course of action regarding the country as a whole and will often become divided on important issues. Conflicts between supporters of slavery and abolitionists, between agriculturalists and industrialists, and between industrial workers and capitalists have fueled the divide. At the Congressional level there tends to be a more prevalent display of polarization and is often the blame of Congress’ inefficiency. James Madison intentionally designed Congress to be inefficient by instating a bicameral legislation. Ambition would counter ambition and prevent majority tyranny. George Washington advised against political parties that would contribute to polarization and misrepresentation in his Farewell Address of 1796. Washington warns, “One of the expedients of party to acquire influence within particular districts is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts.” Today, the struggle to increase power between political parties results in techniques to gain even the smallest marginal gains. To truly understand political polarization, we must examine data collected through a variety of means, the effects of rapidly changing technology, and observe what techniques are used to create such a polarized political system.
system produces conflicts between the Congress and the President and promotes very outdated beliefs that stem from the Constitution. A vast majority of the American population has the stern belief that the Constitution does not need to be changed in any way, shape, or form. This belief, however, is keeping the country from progressing along with other countries around the world. These single parties are holding control of multiple branches of government at once and monopolizing the power during their respective terms. The government “faces an incapacity to govern since each party works as a majority party” and believes there is no reason for innovation (Dulio & Thurber, 2000). The two parties are seemingly always clashing about one thing or the other, making it difficult for things to get accomplished, and proves the thesis correct that the two-party system is ineffective for a growing country.
In the United States we are divided by the left and right side on the political spectrum; even further divided into political parties such as Republicans, on the right, and Democrats, on the left side. These two political parties show philosophical differences through their viewpoints on major topics such as the economy, separation of church and state, abortion, and gun control.
Though standardized testing has played a part in America's education system it took several tries before it played such a large role in education like it does today. The No child left Behind Act of 2002 was the foot hold standardized testing needed in order to be implemented into schools at a national level with such force. During the 1990’s the U.S felt as though it was falling behind on the Programme for International Assessment. “After No Child Left Behind (NCLB) passed in 2002, the US slipped from 18th in the world in math on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to 31st place in 2009, with a similar drop in science and no change in reading”(walker 1).
I agree with many of the points that Wilson brings up in his article, as stated previously. The gap between liberals and conservatives is getting wider and wider, leaving nowhere for those with moderate views to be in the mix. Polarization is detrimental to our two-party dominated republic, and it is difficult to determine what may fix our political system.
The new "No child left behind" legislation theorizes the idea that standardized testing will improve the instruction level of students. In actualization, the government is teaching the students and the teachers are their puppets. The government likes to call this education reform, however in many eyes it is education death. "The 100 percent goal was simply a target, an admittedly unreachable goal designed to motivate schools to stretch themselves to do better, such as scientists trying to cure cancer or gardeners hoping to grow the perfect tomato" (Matthews 1). Beginning with the first day of school...
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is currently the educational policy in the United States. Prior to NCLB the educational policies in effect were “A Nation at Risk, in 1987 America 2000, and a few years later with Goals 2000” (Eisner, 2001, p.21). No Child Left Behind is a test based accountability system used in schools to measure their performance holding the districts, administrators and teachers liable and accountable for the outcomes. Supovitz (2009) States that No Child Left Behind was a major reform initiative intended to bring about widespread improvements in student performance and reduce inequities between ethnic groups and other traditionally under-served populations like economically disadvantaged students, students from major racial
Almost state has gained federal funding from accumulating the test data from all of their schools (Ravitch 107). Data collected from multiple choice questions determines the intelligence of every student and their teachers. The test data is tracked throughout their lifetime in relation to their test scores, graduation dates and other statistics companies such as Amazon and Microsoft use to evaluate different groups (by age, ethnicity, etc) as a whole (Ravitch 107). Ravitch claims there are many problems with this, mainly, tests do not measure character, spirit, heart, soul, and potential (112). Not everyone is the same, and just because one may be weak in math or writing doesn’t mean they’re not smart, resourceful individuals with much to share with the world. For schools to be even seen with a slight amount more than just their test scores, they have to be in great standings with their students’ average test results. The government’s intense focus on test results hurts schools’ ability to be a well-rounded school immensely. In contrast to federal’s pinpoint focus on what students learn, educated consumers desire their kids to have a full, balanced, and rich curriculum (Ravitch 108). Schools need to be more than housing for test-takers. The Education Board may claim students’ proficiency in their testing makes them better people, prepares them for college, and ultimately, the workforce. What they are
In 2002, President George W. Bush passed the “No Child Left Behind Act” which tied in schools’ public funding to standardized tests and enforced the tests in elementary and high schools every year by state education departments. This law also began to put more emphasize on standardized tests which has diminished our level of education and the law “made standardized test scores the primary measure of school quality” (Diane Ravitch 28). Bush hoped this law motivated more students to do well on these exams and teachers to help them prepare better, but it ended up hurting many schools in the process. These exams like the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) should not play such a prominent role in schooling and the government should not make tests the main focal point.
The No Child Left Behind Act, a federal social program that tries to encourages after school programs should be eliminated and the extra funds given to schools to decide where it goes.
No Child Left Behind Act did not have a positive effect on teaching students with disabilities. The law’s requirement for all students to be tested, regardless of cognitive ability was unfair. The added pressure on teachers to teach did not produce better test scores. The law gave students with disabilities a disadvantage over those students who did not have a disability. The only positive that came out of the law was it put the pressure on schools to hire highly qualified teachers, giving disabled students access to a better education.