As a result of one of the poorest public school systems in the state of Ohio (tax based system), I have witnessed how the public school system has not only left children behind but has left them in some of the lowest standards of life as adults, because the only intellectual skills they posses are the result of rote learning rather than problem solving skills. I have found that the only way out of the mess is an insatiable drive for learning.

I am currently reading a book by Paulo Freire entitled "Pedagogy of the Oppressed." Although I have always know something to be wrong with how schools are funded, what they are taught as well as extracurricular activities, even in high school I was unable to pinpoint the root of the problem. I had cousins who lived in a suburban areas that had classes I only wished I could attend, classes such as French or upper level chemistry classes. After reading "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" I have come to the realization or reality that the capitalism that afflicts our nation is at the very root of the problem. By learning rote material, our masses are not learning the problem solving skills needed to effectively function in society, leaving those jobs to the elite of our society. On our televisions and in our news we are constantly being faced with issues to take our attention away from the "real" issues thrusting us into a false consciousness.

All of these things that seem as non related to education (i.e. television, mass media) are related. These things are what we are educated with. In our public schools, especially low income areas we are taught rote learning. On our televisions we are taught a maladaptive form of problems solving and love for capitalism. We are taught to attain things that are unachievable because we have removed focus from the reality of the world.

I can only hope and work toward a more reality based focus where our educators become on a level with the students where both are learning. That is what our future America should be composed of, those people who can effectively problem solve among each other on a level other than economics.

Regarding the question of parents being able to take their children out of failing schools and take them to better schools: A huge problem is who determines what a better school is. Private and charter schools have different or no accountability systems. Will data from those tests, the scores, and the demographics of the school be made as public as the same data provided by public schools. People call these alternate types of schools "better" based purely on assumption. Plus, those schools may be "better" in some instances because they can pick and choose which students to service. Public schools service all children. How can the two schools even be compared?

Here in Texas, schools are being set up for failure. Students with disabilities are a current source of ammunition. Schools are being told that if a student in special education takes a test below grade level (a right provided through IDEA if a below grade level test is determined to be a more appropriate measure of that student's progress by the ARD committee), that test will be counted as a failure, whether the student passed the test or not.

Veronicadata, heatquest,e.al. I too am in Texas, It appears that the salaries for those desiring education cannot compair to those "business World" salaries. As a result, those "not as eager, sharp, or unable to get into anything else, go into the education field. Therefore to increase the attractiveness of education, government need devote more $$ to actual teacher salaries, not administrators. They then should be held partially accountable. i.e. test scores. No solely accountable by test scores, because then they would give out answers on test day to show their superior teaching ability. Home schooling- need be removed as an option for parents. Most parents do not realize the value of teaching "the whole picture", not just the things they think are important. Granted they may be able to teach those particular topics/subjects better than those in the educational field, however they do not realize the value of teaching it all by different angles/styles, etc.. Maybe one might not have a good teacher, but still required to be tested. The qtudents should work together, learn to question subject matter, think for themselves. Home schooled children are handed everything, and do not learn how to learn all the time in other than "Rosy Conditions", and get snacks, drinks when they want. Those in a school environment are "forced" to learn in maybe unpleasing conditions, distractions, etc.. The teachers instructing them are taught to set the example and endure a "broken airconditioner, etc.." in order to fulfill their educational requirements for all data as dtermined important by distinguished Educators, EdD, and the like whose learned field is education.

The standard solution to every problem appears to be "throw money at the problem". This clearly does not work with education. The state of Utah spends much less money on education per pupil than places like Washington or NYC but their level of achievement is vastly higher. I am not LDS but LDS parents are very involved in their children's education because they value it. Many parents in Washington or NYC, to the extent that they can actually be identified, quite frankly don't give a damn. They do not get involved in their children's schools, they do not make sure that their children do their homework, and many of them probably do not even know or care if thir children are even going to school.

The function of a school is to educate, not to function as a surrrogate parent.

I am a paraprofessional, teacher's aid, in Northern California. For the past four years, I have not seen that No Child Left Behind has made the slightest change in the quality of our children's education. In fact, paraprofessionals are now expected to teach children in the classroom as if we are credentialed teachers. When asked why we are expected to make and give lesson plans, I was told that more was expected out of us due to budget cuts.

Truth_Seller in response to:

The main problem with schools is that kids have to go to school in areas where the trouble making kids take up all the teachers' time.

I completely agree. I have been a teacher's aid in a class for special education students. Some have low IQ's and some have ADD. The children are all quiet and are learning, that is... until ONE student enters the room and disrupts the entire class. He blurts our profanity, is defiant, throws things, you name it... he does it. We are all trained in handling defiant behavior, but this one student is the exception to the rule. He even has his own peace officer that visits him at school about twice a week. This child is only ten years old. When he is present, the rest of the class emmulates his behavior and then NO ONE learns.

What do we do when a single student takes up a teacher's entire attention and energy (and instructional aid too), and takes away from the rest of the class?

Gail

How can a class filled with ADD and emotionally disturbed children receive quality education? Children such as this feed off of each other’s disruptive behavior. Classrooms are noisy. It would make it difficult for even an adult to learn and to concentrate.

The idea behind NCLB was to create a standard in education at the federal level and to develop some required expectations for teachers. However, all that has been produced from this unfunded mandate are teachers who are more concerned with being highly qualifed and standarized testing rather than their students' needs. As a young educator I have come into the field at an extremely difficult time. There is currently no money, micro-managing, and unclear standards with impossible expectations. I find it difficult to believe that a state like Michigan has 1200 failing schools yet Arizona has zero. If NCLB is to work properly the expectations need to be clearified and a federal standard must be developed. OH YEAH AND THEY MAY WANT TO FUND IT.

The No Child Left Behind Act is ineffective because of its ridiculous expectations and lack of funding. A typical school may have 100% of its students passing the standardize testing one year and then the following year have only 96% of its students passing. Although this may seem like the school is doing well, it is automatically labeled as a "Failing" school. The expectations are too high and the funding is too low. If the Government honestly expects this system to work more funding should be given to the schools. The NCLB act hurts the school districts, overworks the teachers and inconveniences the students.

The term "failing schools" is a vivid signal of the flaws of the No Child Left Behind [NCLB] law.  Schools are not failing by any reasonable definition of the term. Schools have AYP targets, and if one of the targets is not hit, the school does not get credit for all the others that were hit. As a specific example, a school has 21 AYP targets and hits 20. This equates to a 95.24% success rate. This is not failure! Another example, a school has 17AYP targets and hits 14. This is an 82.35% success rate, and once again, such a performance can't reasonably be described as failure.

The nomeclature and the tabulation methods of NCLB reveal the true purpose of the law. It is an attack on the public school system and it has no intention of helping children who are in constricted economic or social circumstances. The law is a fraud and the sooner it is drastically revised or completely repealed the better of the children, the schools and the nation will be.