newsobserver.com projects - No Child Left Behind - Comments

Re: Hagan works on dropout prevention

Seafever — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:12:12 -0400

By the time they reach high school, many "at-risk" kids are heavily into
drugs--either as customers or as dealers. "Using" and dealing lead to crime, so just ensuring they are not dropping out of school does nothing to relieve the bigger problem of criminality. Many budding dealers attend school for the sole purpose of engaging more customers--handing out samples, etc.
School is not the magic antidote to entrenched devilment, and it's simplistic to think so. Teachers are not wardens, but teachers.
The "at-risk" kids' problems begin in babyhood--set up a program to prevent abuse, neglect, molestation then and you might achieve something.

Re: New look at No Child Left Behind

greenswamp — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:20:47 -0400

I am not really for all the testing and truthfully, I would like to see NCLB in the trash can. But it looks like that is not going to happen. I only know that at my children's school, the last nine weeks is almost totally spent on review of the first three. It just seems that a more specific test at the end of each nine weeks would close each segment and the kids could be covering new ground during the last nine. Once they learn something they will retain it. Identify the one's that don't understand early and fix it. It seems that this would bring more successes. After all, success is what we're after isn't it?

Re: New look at No Child Left Behind

kevin_smith5 — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:38:06 -0400

Well greenswamp, it's called education for a reason. I remember what I learned in all of the 8th grade and could easily pass a test on it today, even though it's been 24 years.

And is it a good idea to have a guy on the committee to write this law who's entire salary is justified by there being LOTS of testing?

Re: New look at No Child Left Behind

rfnatureboy — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 08:13:35 -0400

Spend, no result, spend, no result, spend, no result. Just print more money and throw at the system and not look at the real problem. Can you speak Chinese, you might want to learn. They are going to want their money they have invested in the USA. I wonder if they will take all the uneducated, no care attitude, give me something free members of our society who are users and produce nothing? Sorry, they produce more kids to add to this cycle that will end someday, when we have to speak Chinese.

Re: New look at No Child Left Behind

greenswamp — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:32:47 -0400

If we are going to stay with standardized testing, why can't we have a smaller test at the end of every nine weeks instead of that excruciating EOG. That way the kids who did not understand the material in the nine week period could have tutoring and catch up and take the test again in a few weeks. How can a child remember completely in May what he/she learned in September or October? Especially a child that has struggled the entire year.

Re: Report: N.C. dropout rate 12th worst

dahedgehog — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:19:19 -0400

What's the source for that 95% number? I think you need to double-check your work there: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/newsroom/news/2007-08/20070906-01

State Superintendent June Atkinson highlighted the cohort graduation rate - a measure that moved up in 2007. "In 2007, 69.4 percent of the students who entered ninth grade in the fall of 2003 graduated from high school in four years or less," Atkinson said.

Re: Report: N.C. dropout rate 12th worst

uncgop — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:13:20 -0400

Given this information, all of DPI should be ousted and we should start from scratch instead of letting people like Howard Lee continue to waste our taxpaying dollars. It is time for real change in education, and yes that means starting over with No Child Left Behind on the federal level. Education should be the priority of the state and the state should adminster on all levels, but we must have capable people to do that and the current bunch is not it.

Re: Bill touts Hillary at Elon

karegi — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:19:14 -0400

I think women are going to vote more and more for Clinton and that women of all ages and of all races will be voting more and more for Clinton.

Re: More on Hafner's run

dahedgehog — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:20:20 -0500

I think Hafner is going to have to brush up on his economics:

"We've lost 40 percent of our dollar in the last six years," he said. "I don't know how anyone can be happy with that."

Evidently, he's unaware that there are businesses in this country that export their goods or services. When the dollar falls, US exports increase.

Evidently, the economics program at Wake Forest (where the above is taught in Econ 101) is stronger than the program at Graceland College (shocking, I know).

However, I again have to take issue with your reporting here, RTB. The story here isn't that we have a candidate who is basing his candidacy on economics. The story here is that we have a candidate who is basing his candidacy on economics...WHO CLEARLY KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT ECONOMICS! A good reporter should point out that there are indeed many Americans who profit from a falling dollar. Your readers deserve to be informed, not mislead!

Re: Norquist campaigns against Jones

Wildgoose — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:08:01 -0500

He's the one who keeps painting using the wrong brush! By the way I didn't see Jones voting with the Republicans on Conyers contempt charges against Meirs and Bolton. He voted "Yea!" with Pelosi and Conyers, check the voting record. While you are ar it check his voting record for the past two years this is a real RINO!

Re: Miller gets primary opponent

liam — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:03:17 -0500

The long tail of Ron Paul...

I've got not dog in the fight, but, Haffner's site needs help

ThomasBrock — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:49:46 -0500

It's clearly a canned template and all the filler hasn't been removed...Definitely not a sign of competency...

Re: Miller gets primary opponent

FSUNoles46 — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:34:32 -0500

Miller is too far left for me, but I'm not sure how I feel about this guy at this point.

Re: Norquist campaigns against Jones

CarltonH — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:00:33 -0500

I fail to see many Democrats who vote pro-life, standing up for Christian values, and fighting as hard as Tom Tancredo to secure the border. It may be fair to say his fiscal voting record isn't perfect but to paint him with the same brush as Conyers and Pelosi is downright silly.

Re: Norquist campaigns against Jones

FFC1304 — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 07:50:23 -0500

Like many 'republicans', Jones has been a disappointment. I guess its the hazard of being from one of the most democrackkk corrupted states in the country...