Wednesday, June 3, 2009
education
i know we are in an economic problem, and there are wars all over the place, but what is congress and obama doing about education? Isn't education a huge issue and one that through time could solve a few of the issues of today? i just think education should kind of be a big issue that is always on the table.
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i don't claim to be an expert on Obama, i mean i didn't read either one of his memoirs. But as far as i know, education is one of his pet issues. I would agree, education is probably the largest issue on the face of the planet. The more educated people are, the more capable they are to rise above the poverty level, the more informed they will be about issues for the government, the more intelligent people we will have in government position, ad infinitum.
ReplyDeleteLike you said, I think the economy has been the focus for the first few months here. On his website, Obama has a 3 part outline of his plan/hope for education. Granted a tiny outline on his website is not actual legislation. I know he likes the idea of charter school and i think he's for the merit system. He appointed his education secretary a little while back and they are letting DC finish their program. that might have been vouchers, i can't remember.
Obama will do whatever the teachers unions want...so absolutely nothing. Especially while he is up for re-election. As it is, he is in a perpetual campaign.
ReplyDeleteI read this article by Peter Daou regarding Obama's speech in Cairo, and it talks about Obama being in a perpetual campaign rather than leading. I think it is really good and I would like to hear your thoughts. sorry if it's off subject, I know this isn't an open post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-daou/let-women-wear-the-hijab_b_211226.html
i read obama's website about education. and you are right nathan that he is infavor or charter schools and merit pay. the reason why i brought the subject up (other than the that education should always be number one) is the fact that no teacher and many other people were so upset with bush's no-child-left-behind, that i kind of assumed they would push obama to change it. but i haven't heard that much about any change. i do think they are waiting to see how DC does with the voucher system. i would think giving students more options is a good thing.
ReplyDeletebut you are very right sara and that we need to keep an eye out on what the unions are saying and see where obama goes in relation to that. teachers are a big part of education, but if parents are a majority of people outside of their union disagree with them don't they have a say too? since it is their children in school.
while reading obama's website a red flag flew up. it is about early childhood education.
this is what he says, "The years before a child reaches kindergarten are among the most critical in his or her life to influence learning....The President supports a seamless and comprehensive set of services and support for children, from birth through age 5....engaging parents in their child’s early learning and development..." this is the red flag, should not parents raise their children during their "most critical" time of learning? this seems to be a state engagement to raise children from "brith" to the university and in the process elminate the role of the parents. I almost stand on the other side, thinking the government should not even touch children until they are 5.
I fear parents maybe on board with this because then school turns into a daycare center, because both parents are working. What are your thoughts about early education? how invovled should the government be in development of children from birth to the university?
very interesting article, sara. great one.
ReplyDeletethe left is realizing that obama is not changing anything that bush did. just like when the People voted in the dems in 2006. nothing changed and in fact things were added on. what i feared was that obama was not going to change bush's policies and therefore gain the power that they give, and then add to those powers, such as control of businesses and banks and healthcare. so by the time these two administration are over the president has increadable power. the left, who voted obama in, are not beginning to see that obama is not changing but adding to bush. what happened to the patriot act that eveyone hated? it's still there. very dangerous.
also about obama being on a campaign, it makes so much sense. all obama knows how to do is be on a campaign. when he was senator, he stated he was present (and therefore did not vote) over 140 times. in 2004, his great speech, was a campaign. he ran the longest campaign in history, and i even remember reading on his campiagn website (which is now gone sadly) about his resume, on how he can be president because he has run a campaign for 18 months. that was his arguement on why he would be a good president, because he ran a good campaign. Bush was not qualified to be president, and it showed. now we made the same mistake again, shame on us. i could go on and on about how obama said one thing and has never done it. but i think we all know that.
but this all comes down to this one fact about the set up of our government, the president is only one man and there is no way he can help all 300 million of us let alone the rest of the world. leave that to the states.
What role do you thinkt he president should have in america? this cairo speech i really didn't have a problem with (and i read the whole thing which was super long). the reason why i didn't have a problem with it, was because i see speeches like that and tours around the world like what he is doing as part of the role as the president. he is our first-citizen. His role in GM and banks, i don't like one bit. the president is commander-in-chief, the first-citizen, the first-diplomat, and he makes sure that the laws passed by congress and aproved by the court are excuted and served out properly.
what do you guys think is the role of the president?