IB, it is somewhat ironic that while the government is presumed to act with lawful authority, most individuals working within the government can be held personally accountable if it is determined that they acted without lawful authority. Unless you were a judge or a prosecutor you were one of those people.

Mmm...that's unusual for you! You're usually so sure of yourself. What's our world coming to if I.B.LeTruth is confused? I think I feel the earth shaking...

Scarey!

Aren't all governments based on that principle, some even more so than the U.S.?

Someone in the State rules over parents and teachers, but I don't know who they are. A lot of them will jump to take the authority, but not the responsibility. A whole lot of them want to tell you what to do or how things have to be until something goes wrong.

Not you, love life.

Responsibility and authority are two different things. I don't think responsibility can ever be really removed or relinquished, but the authority has surely been weakened, don't you think and if you assume authority then you have to accept the responsibility that goes with it.

How about parents authority, where did that go and I also think I feel a little amused and slightly sorry for you.

Someone mentioned States Rights and States Responsibility. How about teaching Parents Responsibility. That is one thing lacking in South East Missouri. For that matter in so many areas of our country. Our children are brought up learning that Life is a Beautiful Thing. Well Life in Proverty is not a Beautiful Thing. (In my opinion). My Mother always reminded me that I had better think twice before I took a chance getting pregnant because I would have to figure out how to raise my baby and that she would not. I was a virgin when I married. Thanks to my wonderful Mom. Now not only do parents take care of the cild but also the children's children. And lets not forget that we all pay for them. Personally I have enough trouble taking care of my own. I have no interest in taking care of someone else's stupity. Maybe just the people in the country who want to encourage pregnancy should kick in the money to raise these children. We should tighten up more on the benefits provided to young people who think that can live off taxpayers.

Also we might try to explain at a young age what wonderful things there are to see in the world and give students a desire to study hard in school and make something out of themselves instead of getting hooked on welfare.

What do you think?

I.B., I'm with you. Until last week I thought an elipse was a geometric shape. A Grammar Cop straightened me out that it is what I always simply thought of as three dots.

Wow, I went to sleep and missed this whole train of conversation. No wonder it cropped up on another blog, and I didn't know what was going on! I thought CS01 was talking about ME, when he said something about old people and good grammar! (Duh....) (Oops...Let's use three dots...)

Sometimes we just catch each other in a bad mood. I often think how nice it is that we don't have to look each other in the eyes the next day.

I find that I often use elipses to indicate an unfinished thought that I'm not quite sure about. (I also have no problem with ending a sentence with a preposition.)

I knew that Bringwine would want me to bring this to their attention(I don't know your gender). Your use of ellipsis was incorrect. It is only three dots...and is used for suspense,trail off into silence,or an omission in a list.

I am not sure if the passage"then and only then and probably then......" is correct either.It just doesn't sound proper.

I do not mind being corrected or asked to use proper spelling,if it is done in a civil manner.

Charles,

When "she'll" becomes "shell" and when "I" becomes "i" and when "someone's" becomes "somebodys" and when "I'd" becomes "i'd" and when we abolish spacing between words and when we don't take the fraction of a second it takes to capitalize and when we implement the butchering of the English language such as you have done herein, until it becomes commonplace, then and only then and probably then.......will she be "hot." And you, unfortunately, will be deemed as "normal." God forbid. One of the few gifts we have left is the gift of language...let us treat it as the gift that it is and not destroy it in the process of presenting an opinion. It speaks volumes about the writer.

Wow!! She needed to take speech and drama in school!! She can not think on the spot can she? EDUCATION!!!! Not only for her, but also for those who cannot read a map. I wonder what levels of education they had?

Everyone that I know receives a results oriented evaluation in their job. Why shouldn't teachers and students be evaluated?

If it is as you say that everyone likes their own personal school then there should be no fear of private edcation or vouchers, no one will use them.

On the other hand, if a large number were to opt for the private education it would seem to insinuate that the product being produced was inadequate.

Or maybe the schools are producing Ford's and the public wants a Chevy.

On a hunch, I checked with several people I know who homeschool their children. They said NCLB doesn't apply to homeschooling. So that's the answer -- all children should be homeschooled! There are actually homeschool co-ops where parents are joining together to teach their children as a group, since adults have different levels of knowledge about subjects and to allow for things like work schedules.

Nothing that I can see. I feel that much of the reasoning for the tests is insincere, in that it's designed not to make the schools better but rather make the politicians look like they're "doing something."

However, the testing also seems to be an effort to standardize American education, so that everyone is learning the exact same thing at the exact time. Sort of a robotic answer to the problem.

Too bad, because some teachers are absolutely gifted in some subject matter - while others are gifted in another. If you standardize, you lose that opportunity for the kids to get some excellent enrichment.

I don't know how to respond to the comment about the school's being in charge of "every aspect" of a child's life. I guess I don't know what you're referring to. Do you have an example?

If it is a failed program he has to accept responsibility, but I am not one to search for a conspiracy in every situation. Suppose he was honestly trying to improve our education system which you will have to agree if you believe in statistics has a successful rating less than many other countries. GB didn't cause that.

I don't like these large schools where you are a number without a first name, but I also don't like policies that require a student to fail a class if they have one too many unexcused absence, no matter what their actual grade is.

I don't know what happened from the time I graduated, but I know that by the time my children started school it was a whole lot different place. When my children started school I felt like they were not only teaching my children but that they were in charge of every aspect of my childs life and mine. I know my parents never had to deal with that. School and home were two totally separate institutions.

It is apparent to me that NCLB couldn't have done any harm. When we are always looking for the negative it sure must be a tough life. Maybe GB felt that education was the most pressing problem in our country at the time. Had he been able to foretell the future and what was going to happen on 911 I assume he would have thought different.

I think there will always be a free education. Parents have been removed from the equation for a a long time by the government and teachers, well maybe not teachers, but school boards and administrators is probably more accurate.

I personally am for busting up all these supers school and limiting the size of all schools to no more than 300 to 500 students and give the teachers a chance to interact with their students as they used to be able to do.

First -- I.B. - Private education is fine for its purpose (which is primarily to educate the upper class for college). However, it should not receive public money if the school is not going to be held accountable for the same things as the public school is. No proficiency testing required in the private schools, no requirements to accept special students (which cost a FORTUNE to educate).

I have to wonder why some folks in the legislature seem to want to get rid of the public schools. What are their goals? What is going to happen to America when there is no more free education?

And FJGuy, I have a pretty good idea about the answer to your last question.

Very darn little benefit!

I am not anti anything if it would improve our system. That also means I don't oppose private education. Private education does reduce the amount of money a school receives, but it also reduces the number of students in a classroom in public schools. What is the difference between a student receiving private education and moving out of the school district? Are parents going to have to get permission to move out of a school district next?

One thing I do believe in is States Rights and States Responsibility. That being said, I believe that education of its people is a State responsibility. So what is the federal government doing involved in a States responsibility?

What is the real impact of private education? Fewer teachers in the teachers union?

Dear wise I.B., I hope you're not one of these anti-public education, pro-private education gurus, like our dear Peter Kinder. When the public education system has to take EVERY student -- no matter how physically or mentally disabled -- and educate them up to proficiency by 2014, how can it possibly be considered anything BUT "failed"?

Who knew???? Apparently FJGuy did! How very interesting.It's like a very poorly put-together puzzle...one that when the pieces wouldn't fit, they just sawed off the edges and MADE them fit.

Goat Lady,

You are SOOOOO right, especially citing the No Child Left Behind fiasco. It has proved itself to be one of the most ridiculous mandates to come down from the federal (then state) level in a long time. Some day we will look back and wonder how in the world that went into effect. In the real world, unfortunately, some kids ARE left behind, at least in the realm of attaining goals that are reachable by the average student. But, some students are NOT average and when their test scores are placed on a scale that brings down district averages, then the district is declared as "Needing Improvement." When they attain the goals, then the standards are set higher, virtually guaranteeing that at some point in time, we're all going to "need improvement." The worst aspect of the NCLB mandate is that to keep up with all of its demands, goals, objectives, etc., etc.,....teachers don't have time to teach. Oh, to go back to the days of reading, writing and arithmetic and cut all the red tape to proficiency. Let the teachers TEACH and they'll know how to locate their home states on a map!! Whew..glad that's off my chest..now, everyone click on the site that Sacha listed above because it's just too funny to describe. Unbelievable that she could have gotten that far.

I didn't see the program but I think that a good geography class is one of the most important things that should be included in middle and high school.