I think that anyone concerned about the quality of their child's education will put the child in a private school or home school if possible.

There's a proto-libertarian book called "The God of the Machine" written in the 40's by a woman named Isabel Paterson that has a chapter that clarifies the core of the problem with the public school system.

The public school system cannot be "reformed" or "fixed" or altered in any way to do a better job of educating children. You can't get there from here.

Yep I'm afraid you're right J. I had him in private school for the first 7 years then thought he might benefit from exposure to the 'extras' offered by the public middle schools. Some extras.

GG,

My perspective is slightly different. About 20 years ago I was in college studying to be a school teacher and spent a semester student teaching a fourth grade class in rural Georgia. During an interview with the principal he revealed his own 'no child left behind' program. He said,"we don't fail the black kids", "they just cause more trouble if you leave them back." I was shocked somewhat speechless by his remark and didn't persue it further.

Now I understand what the government was trying to accomplish with their program, we can't graduate kids that don't know how to read and write.

That said, I believe the intent of the program was good but the way it's being carried out is harmful to all parties.

Maybe new leadership in Washington can fix it?

"Maybe new leadership in Washington can fix it."

I remember when the education of children was not the responsibility of the central government.

Under the direction of the central government, schools have become significantly worse.

Since there doesn't seem to be a Constitutional requirement that the central government have anything to do with educating children, and since the public school system is failing, let's get government out of the school business and give parents back the responsibility for educating their kids.

It'll happen as soon as pigs fly.

I would agree with that unique. There were definitely good reasons to try to implement a program to stop the policy of just passing kids to get them out of the system and of condemning those who got off to a slow start to endless frustration and probably drop-out status. But like you said, the current 'fix' isn't working. It's simply stifling all the kids now. Particularly in the states with a large non-English speaking population.

I'm not sure new leadership will fix this problem though. Clinton is staunchly in favor of 'No Child Left Behind'. So much so that she's naming her health care initiative in a similar fashion: 'No One Left Out'

I'm not sure what the fix would be at this point but these tests are simply creating a 'teach the test at all costs' mentality in the schools. Accelerated programs for advanced students help some but those programs are suffering severe budget cuts as we speak. Simply dividing classrooms up into performance levels (tracking) didn't work either and was abandoned in many if not all states because it resegregated the schools. Besides, if we do that do they then just decide to teach the slower classes in Spanish so they keep up? That would seem to defeat the long-term purpose of integrating the immigrants into society. i don't know the answer either but the current program reeks.

Janus,

I agree with you, that is why I put the '?' at the end of my sentence (should have put a few more!)

The local school board might fight back a little if they were not so dependent on 'funding'. Our kids already have to sell wrapping paper and fudge (and other crap)to fund school activities (except football , but that's another rant)

I wonder, if control of schooling was held at the local level, what kind of freedoms the boards would take with subject matter?

Guys, I want to abolish the public school system.

Fire the administrators, few of whom will be employable. Fire the teachers, some of whom are excellent teachers who will be employed by private schools.

Sell the buildings.

Now, here's the real deal breaker: eliminate all the taxes the government takes for "education."

Sure.

Well, in theory folk would have more money from paying less taxes and private schools would spring up to fill the need. Most parents want a good education for their children and they'd be in a position to choose schools that delivered.

This is fantasy. Americans can't begin to imagine a world without public schools and there's no way governments are going to give up that much power and money.

We once managed quite well without them. Find a newspaper from, oh, 1850. You'll be surprised by the structured sentences and the vocabulary.