Who thinks NCLB stinks? Texas Republicans, that's who.

[LWolf]

2:43 PM Mon, Jul 14, 2008 | Permalink
Kent Fischer

<snip>

Paul Burka down at Texas Monthly is slogging and blogging through political party platform papers. He's got some initial thoughts posted about Republicans, and promises to do the same for Democrats.

But he hasn't blogged one amazing tidbit I found on page 16 of the GOP platform, whereby the state's Republicans officially declare NCLB "a massive failure should be abolished."

Cripes! Do the good folks who wrote this platform paper realize that Texas Republicans basically midwifed NCLB?

And that NCLB is the centerpiece of their Texas Republican President's domestic policy?

http://dallasisdblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/07/who-thinks-nclb-stinks-texas-r.html

When even Texas Republicans agree that it should be abolished, will Democrats keep trying to "fix it" and "fund it?"

Or can we get rid of this weapon of mass public ed destruction once and for all?

[Hydra]

1. As Carlin said:

"No child left behind, no child left behind...used to be, we were giving them a 'head start.' Head start...left behind- someone's losing f***ing ground!"

[LWolf]

6. Someone's losing ground...

we all are.

That NCLB outlived Carlin is a shame on the nation.

IMO, of course.

[rudy23]

7. I think "no child left behind" is one of those Bush "jokes" he likes to see if he can get away with

It seems to fall into that category of anti-government humor that ideologues like himself seem to love so much.

[LWolf]

8. No Child Left Behind

is the ultimate in orwellian labeling; it's pretty obvious fodder for anyone.

I'm glad Carlin thought to include it.

[rudy23]

15. Yes, Orwellian labeling. Like the Clean Air act, or the Patriot Act.

I'm surprised more people don't catch on to things like "No Child Left Behind". Then again, I'm surprised more people don't realize we have a sociopath in the Oval Office, either.

[LWolf]

16. Exactly.

I, too, am still, after 7 years, confounded that more people don't see his sociopathic tendencies.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. K&R

I posted this as a question to Pelosi at Netroots. Rate it up!

http://www.askthespeaker.org/akira/dtd/1926-885

[LWolf]

5. Done.

If you haven't done so already, post that as an OP, and I'll help kick it. Hopefully we can push that rating even higher!

:hi:

[flashl]

3. K&R nt

[ChazII]

4. K&R to the greatest .

[progressoid]

9. End that debacle.

[MasonJar]

10. Basically one of the Bush brothers had a zillion sets of tests he wanted

to pawn off (sell to the unsuspecting public) and so Bush gave him a nudge...with NCLB...a miserable fiasco, but what else has W ever engendered?

[LWolf]

12. Yes, and more.

NCLB was the first Bush plan that got bipartisan support. I was pissed at the time, but I had no idea it was the beginning of 7 years of complicity.

[seasat]

11. Even conservatives are abandoning support for vouchers.

There was an article in the Washington Monthly discussing the change in position by conservatives on vouchers. It quoted recent studies that concluded that vouchers to private schools did not result in increased achievement over private schools. Plus conservatives realized that those poor voucher student might end up in school with their precious little ones and we can't have that. :sarcasm:

[LWolf]

13. On a related thread,

we've wondered if, right on schedule with NCLB serving it's purpose well, the calls for getting rid of NCLB wouldn't include vouchers as an "alternate" tool to "close the achievement gap."

Kind of a set-up.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6508429

[seasat]

14. I think vouchers only appeal to a segment of their base

The religious right are really the only ones left supporting it and the die hard conservatives like McCain and the Bushies. It's their way of getting out of actually doing anything to really address education by offering up vouchers. IMHO, the support for vouchers will slowly fall off even among the conservatives so I don't think they'll be able to push it much longer.

[LWolf]

17. I hope you are right.

I've always seen vouchers as a two-pronged agenda. There's the religious agenda, to spread religious doctrine wider using public funds.

Then there's the traditional republican agenda: privatization. Aside from religious concerns, they want to privatize everything but financial downturns. Privatization of public education guarantees that private groups can narrow the world view and inculcate the culture that best serves tptb.

[seasat]

18. I agree that their agenda is eliminate public education

Jebbie has probably done the largest job of that here in Florida. They've cut funding for public education and tried in several ways to institute vouchers. They've even put several initiatives on the ballot to codify vouchers in our state constitution. If we can defeat those initiatives on Florida's ballot, I think it'll put the stake in the heart of vouchers.

[LWolf]

19. I hope you're able to defeat those initiatives.

Keep us posted.