Blogspot: Education

THANK YOU
THANK YOU FOR COMING TO OUR GED Graduation. You made it feel special, Taking time from your busy schedule to make a speech for people who arent feeling to main stream (Graduating late), I felt 19 this june. My life hasn't been one to win any awards, and until i got my Ged and graduated in a real ceremony, I felt left out. I'm 44 yah! I know. but you see i had to grow up quickly, my parents werent so responsible and i felt the only way to get away was to get pregnant so at 14 i did just that, and got married . Married 30 years next may. I pushed my kids , tried to make them aware of theyre choices my son served in IRAQ! Is home now Thank GOD. We are the lucky family! I have a long way to go and plan to further my education. I wish you well and best of luck. Go get "em" we need someone like you to fight for our State and Country HONEST, HARDWORKING, SINCERE! Again ,THANK YOU Sincerely

Jayne Engel enook@gpcom.net

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NEED FOR SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE
Our President stated way back in his first run at the office that he had a plan for education. In some small way the war in Iraq has a positive impact in that it has so occupied his time, and those of the congressmen, that they haven’t had an opportunity to mess up education more than they currently have. No Child Left Behind is woefully under funded. It’s provisions would give public school education to a private company (as if they would have answers for some of our most needy schools). The bill was to give money to struggling schools. With it’s current funding, that can’t happen, but the requirements and threats have remained.

No two states are alike in their requirements so that there is no unification in expectations. These are just a few of the glaring shortcomings of this bill and its implementation. We need a new look at education. We need not re-invent the wheel. We need to utilize what has been successful in our own system as well as borrow what has been successful from other programs. Testing is one piece of the puzzle. Adequate funding is another. Working with parents of at-risk children is another. Developing intensive learning opportunities for those who are behind is another. Providing a cheap college education for the poorest of the society is another. There are so many holes to plug in we currently approach education, it is hard to see where to begin, but, to be sure, our current programs are not meeting our need.

 

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I'M HAPPY THIS IS A PRIORITY
The way I see it... The only way to keep families in this state long term is to focus on education as a means of attracting new families. It's hard though because when my boys were grown up - they wanted to move away immediately. A strong economy hand in hand with a strong education policy... that's the way.