I apologize that it has been two weeks sionce my last post. Between Thanksgiving and the ever popular holiday time in the food service business I have been a bit lax on keeping up. I wanted to dwell in to the realm of immigration reform. We have heard so much about it in the news. There are many arguements on what the best course should be. Like everyone else, I too have an opinion. There are an estimated 11.5 million illegal immigrants in the United States. They are here, what should we do about it?
Before I begin with my opinion, I want one thing understood. When we hear illegal immigrant we stereotypically think Mexican. The latest estimate I have seen says about half come from Mexico. The other nearly 6 million come from elsewhere. The reason why the number of Mexicans living here illegally is so high is only because of a shared border. If I were to guess, and I am sure I am correct, most come here for the work. For those of you who say they are taking jobs away from Americans, I call BS. Alot of them are serving in jobs that most Americans look down on, dishwashing, lawn care, construction, food prep, farms and slaughterhouses. There are an abundance of these jobs that need filling, but even when the economy collapsed and people were out of work, they were not seeking employment here. The next thing I would like to point out is that there are many who are not here by choice. At any given time there are about fifteen thousand people in the US against there will, victims of human trafficking and the modern day sex trade.
There is no doubt that we are a country founded by immigrants and built on the backs of immigrants. That is one thing that makes the United States special and unique. We are a melting pot of cultures. If you want an example, simply go to NYC. There is Little Italy, Chinatown, Spanish Harlem, Russians in Brighton Beach, and Koreans in Fresh Meadow just to name a few. Even our Native American ancestors came from somewhere else. Every nation deserves the right to set laws pertaining to who may come into their country and the process for doing so. Are we trying to protect our borders or are we trying to isolate ourselves?
One solution floated by George W. Bush was blanket amnesty. In this program a clear path to citizenship was outlined. It included returning to country of orgin to apply for citizenship and sped up the process if you were already here. The idea is a good one. My question would be why send them back first. Have them apply here. They are already here. Once they are citizens then there are tax benefits as well since they will be paying tax. Another option he floated was a guest worker program. These would allow people, primarily migrant workers on farms, to come to the US to work on a temporary basis. A worker could start in Washington in the fall to pick apples, southern California in the Spring for oranges and grapes in Napa in the fall.
Another solution would be to send out immigration officials to round up and deport illegals back to their country of orgin. This would only work however if the military were deployed to defend our borders. In this scenario illegals would be treated as invaders. I do not think a war should be declared on hardworking civilians, but this would have to be the approach taken to make this option work.
I think we can do one better than both these options. We could adopt a free movement policy much like in the European Union among the NAFTA countries of the United States, Canada and Mexico. In this scenario citizens of either of these three nations may look for a job in another NAFTA country, work there without needing a work permit, reside there for that purpose, stay there even after employment has finished and enjoy equal treatment with nationals in access to employment, working conditions and all other social and tax advantages. These would allow workers in all three nations cross the border to work, not lose their citizenship, and creates equality under the law.
Three options, three ways to combat this issue.Option three is in keeping in the spirit of Ezra Lazarus and the "New Collossus":
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand that
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Love me, hate me, everyone is entitled to my opnion!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Friday, November 22, 2013
A Specialty
My friend Camille posted on Facebook not too long ago, if someone is thought to be special by a big group of people what is it that makes that person so special? That is a very interesting question. We all have friends, we all belong to groups of friends, and there is always that one person in the bunch that everyone seems to flock to. We see it in the work place, in our families and in our social interactions. I have been giving this a lot of thought as of late and I think that there are some characteristics that we may be able to agree on.
I think the first quality is that they are a friend. It is someone that always seems to be there when you need them whether it is to help you move into a new home, or sits up and talks to you all night when you break up with your significant other, stops you from doing something stupid. It is that person that no matter what time or distance seperates you always makes time for you no matter what you need.
I think the next quality is that it is someone who makes you laugh. No one likes to be around angry people. This person has a definite sense of humor. They have a well timed joke, a laugh that makes you feel good and can definitely laugh at there own expense. The humor is not malicious at all.
The next quality is loyalty. This is a person who will not abandon you when things are at there worse. When all the world turns against you that person is there next to you. The loyalty is not blind, they will also be the first person to tell you that you are wrong or screwed up.
Finally I think that what makes a person special to a group of people is that they make you feel good about yourself. Through their freindship and/or guidance you discover things about yourself, test and surpass your limitations, and helps you discover things about yourslef.
These are of course my opinions, but I think what makes a person special to a group of people is that person represents that best in you. Love me, hate me, everyone is entitled to my opinion!
I think the first quality is that they are a friend. It is someone that always seems to be there when you need them whether it is to help you move into a new home, or sits up and talks to you all night when you break up with your significant other, stops you from doing something stupid. It is that person that no matter what time or distance seperates you always makes time for you no matter what you need.
I think the next quality is that it is someone who makes you laugh. No one likes to be around angry people. This person has a definite sense of humor. They have a well timed joke, a laugh that makes you feel good and can definitely laugh at there own expense. The humor is not malicious at all.
The next quality is loyalty. This is a person who will not abandon you when things are at there worse. When all the world turns against you that person is there next to you. The loyalty is not blind, they will also be the first person to tell you that you are wrong or screwed up.
Finally I think that what makes a person special to a group of people is that they make you feel good about yourself. Through their freindship and/or guidance you discover things about yourself, test and surpass your limitations, and helps you discover things about yourslef.
These are of course my opinions, but I think what makes a person special to a group of people is that person represents that best in you. Love me, hate me, everyone is entitled to my opinion!
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Crossroads
Call it a mini mid life crisis, call it confusion, call it what you will. I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. I actually have no idea of what I have done, or how I got to where I am. It is funny how one thinks that there is all this time in the world, that there are infinite possibilities. Perhaps there are and perhaps I can't see them like I once did. I do not know anymore.
I feel like there is something more for me, that I have not reached my full potential as of yet. I have ideas of where I want to be, what I want to be doing. I have had a good run with my career so far. 14 years, not bad for a job that was only supposed to last one night. I do not know what I am to become, I just know that this is not it.
I do envy those that seem to have it all figured out at a young age. I look at the many people I know that wanted to be doctors, lawyers and fire fighters and now are. They had a goal and they stopped at nothing until their dreams had been realized. Some studied a little bit harder, stayed up a little bit longer, pushed themselves a little further. I also pity them.
I pity them because they did not leave themselves open to anything else. They did not see the other options, they had tunnel vision with their eyes on a solitary prize. The problem is there is not just one prize in life. There are so many different outcomes and possibilities. Granted there are just as many wrong paths. That is life.
I feel that there is nothing left to discover, no new grand adventures. We live in a world where we have conquered all of the lands, sailed the entire ocean, we have written the great novel, painted great master pieces. We have developed many cures for disease, and we have built weapons that could destroy us all. What else is left? We have barely touched the stars, have not sailed to the ocean's depths, and find new stories to write. We continue to cure disease and find new ways to destroy each other. It all seems mundane and exciting.
I could be the leader of the free world, a surgeon, or a computer programmer. There are options. I appear to be limited only by my desire, my hopes and my dreams. I do not know what is in store for me, I just know that this is not it. Love me, hate me, everyone is entitled to my opinion.
I feel like there is something more for me, that I have not reached my full potential as of yet. I have ideas of where I want to be, what I want to be doing. I have had a good run with my career so far. 14 years, not bad for a job that was only supposed to last one night. I do not know what I am to become, I just know that this is not it.
I do envy those that seem to have it all figured out at a young age. I look at the many people I know that wanted to be doctors, lawyers and fire fighters and now are. They had a goal and they stopped at nothing until their dreams had been realized. Some studied a little bit harder, stayed up a little bit longer, pushed themselves a little further. I also pity them.
I pity them because they did not leave themselves open to anything else. They did not see the other options, they had tunnel vision with their eyes on a solitary prize. The problem is there is not just one prize in life. There are so many different outcomes and possibilities. Granted there are just as many wrong paths. That is life.
I feel that there is nothing left to discover, no new grand adventures. We live in a world where we have conquered all of the lands, sailed the entire ocean, we have written the great novel, painted great master pieces. We have developed many cures for disease, and we have built weapons that could destroy us all. What else is left? We have barely touched the stars, have not sailed to the ocean's depths, and find new stories to write. We continue to cure disease and find new ways to destroy each other. It all seems mundane and exciting.
I could be the leader of the free world, a surgeon, or a computer programmer. There are options. I appear to be limited only by my desire, my hopes and my dreams. I do not know what is in store for me, I just know that this is not it. Love me, hate me, everyone is entitled to my opinion.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
They Deserve More Than Our Thanks
I may be a bit partial having grown up as a military brat, but I feel that we in this country do not do enough to assist our veterans. Some of you will think that these people voluntarily sign up to do this job and at the end of the their service they move on to do a new job and that they don't deserve any more. How many other jobs does one sign up for that may require you to risk your life? These men and women may have signed up for the armed forces because they had no other option, but they give there all every day, wether it be peacetime or in times of conflict.
Everyone that enters the military is trained for combat first regardless of their job that they will do during their service. They are trained in physical fitness, marksmanship, and mental agility. After they complete boot camp they are given training in a particular job, anything from infantry, to medical to even nuclear. They are given training to perform in a military setting. Those who stay in when their service contract is completed do not have to worry, it is business as usual. The problem comes when those who leave the service adjust to the civilian world. We need to better prepare them for the transition, more importantly we need to make sure that there are jobs available for them as well.
23% of the homeless are veterans, including 33% of the male homeless population. Of the homeless veterans population, 97% are male and 70% suffer from substance abuse. What are the causes of this? The first is the transition to civilian life. If you look at the homeless veterans population, 47% were from the Vietnam era. When Vietnam veterans returned home, they returned home to scorn. They were outcasts, and what was worse they got a "thank you for your service, don't let the door hit you on the way out." They were trained for jungle combat. No one explained there GI benefits, no one explained what to do with their money, and no one said I have a job for you. As combat operations wind down if Iraq and Afghanistan, we have an opportunity to correct mistakes of the past, and an obligation to make sure that our service members transition to civilian life.
Jobless rates among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is nearly 13% compared to a national average among civilians of nealry 8%. Those that are 18-24 have a jobless rate of nearly 30%. Veterans are ideal employees. They understand teamwork. Veterans can excel under stressful situations. Finally veterans are proven leaders. We hire people right out of college for many entry level positions that they learned about in a classroom. Veterans typically had real world experience. Look at the infrastructure in Iraq and Afghanistan, much of that was built by US troops in a combat zone, they are the people we need fixing roads, bridges, and dams.
Finally, we also need to remember the families of our veterans. We send these troops into harms way, we ask them to leave there families behind for months at a time, we ask their families to struggle, and we do nothing to help. I don't know how many of us could do that. These families need help with daily necessities like shopping for food, child care, paying utility bills, covering rent and mortgages. These families also need help transitioning to when their loved ones return.
"On this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free." --Dan Lipinski
Love me, hate me, everyone is entitled to my opinion!
Everyone that enters the military is trained for combat first regardless of their job that they will do during their service. They are trained in physical fitness, marksmanship, and mental agility. After they complete boot camp they are given training in a particular job, anything from infantry, to medical to even nuclear. They are given training to perform in a military setting. Those who stay in when their service contract is completed do not have to worry, it is business as usual. The problem comes when those who leave the service adjust to the civilian world. We need to better prepare them for the transition, more importantly we need to make sure that there are jobs available for them as well.
23% of the homeless are veterans, including 33% of the male homeless population. Of the homeless veterans population, 97% are male and 70% suffer from substance abuse. What are the causes of this? The first is the transition to civilian life. If you look at the homeless veterans population, 47% were from the Vietnam era. When Vietnam veterans returned home, they returned home to scorn. They were outcasts, and what was worse they got a "thank you for your service, don't let the door hit you on the way out." They were trained for jungle combat. No one explained there GI benefits, no one explained what to do with their money, and no one said I have a job for you. As combat operations wind down if Iraq and Afghanistan, we have an opportunity to correct mistakes of the past, and an obligation to make sure that our service members transition to civilian life.
Jobless rates among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is nearly 13% compared to a national average among civilians of nealry 8%. Those that are 18-24 have a jobless rate of nearly 30%. Veterans are ideal employees. They understand teamwork. Veterans can excel under stressful situations. Finally veterans are proven leaders. We hire people right out of college for many entry level positions that they learned about in a classroom. Veterans typically had real world experience. Look at the infrastructure in Iraq and Afghanistan, much of that was built by US troops in a combat zone, they are the people we need fixing roads, bridges, and dams.
Finally, we also need to remember the families of our veterans. We send these troops into harms way, we ask them to leave there families behind for months at a time, we ask their families to struggle, and we do nothing to help. I don't know how many of us could do that. These families need help with daily necessities like shopping for food, child care, paying utility bills, covering rent and mortgages. These families also need help transitioning to when their loved ones return.
"On this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free." --Dan Lipinski
Love me, hate me, everyone is entitled to my opinion!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
I Still Believe, Part II
Hello All! I hope you didn't miss me too much. Vacation was awesome. It was nice to get away and have very little interaction with the outside world! When I got back my friends Stephanie asked me "Why should she believe in fairy tales?" I reread the speech text and realized maybe I didn't elaborate enough, so I thought I would now.
First, fairy tales are about hope. It is believing that something is possible, something is better, or that you can do something. Hope gives us the ability to take one step forward and gets us to believe in our dreams. Hope is like a seed with the potential to grow into our hearts desires. It is hope that acts as a road map to turn a bad circumstance into a good one. It was hope that got Liz Murray from being a homeless teenager to a Harvard graduate.
Next fairy tales are about faith. It is about believing in yourself, a loved one, or some unseen source. Faith does not require physical proof, rather a mindset that what you believe is true.
Fairy tales are about overcoming adversity or your fears. We all face conflicts. Some of us avoid them, some of us charge at them, some of us find ways to overcome them and keep them behind us to never bother us again. We often get discouraged and feel like they are insurmountable, sometimes we give up completely. The choice is ours to make. The good thing is that they test our limits and can get us to push beyond our self imposed limitations or the limitations others have put on us. Regardless of the outcome, they are barriers that we either overcome or hold us back.
Imagination is another facet of fairy tales to believe in. It feeds our dreams. Imagination is limitless. It leads to innovation and invention. In our imagination nothing can hold us back other than our inability to imagine greater.
Another reason to believe in fairy tales love. Fairy tales give us an expectation of what we want from family, friends and a future mate. They help us see qualities that we admire and what we want to feel. There is no greater unifying force than love. It isn't always easy, it isn't always attainable, but it is out there and gives us something to strive for.
Finally, we should believe in fairy tales because we want to. We always have whether it is from a bedtime story read to us as kids or from the latest Disney animated masterpiece, we have all dreamed of being the hero or heroine. They have made us do the impossible. They have helped us through some sad and difficult times. The problem with the world today is that we all want some magical solution to all of our problems, yet we refuse to believe in magic.
Love me, hate me, everyone is entitled to my opinion!
First, fairy tales are about hope. It is believing that something is possible, something is better, or that you can do something. Hope gives us the ability to take one step forward and gets us to believe in our dreams. Hope is like a seed with the potential to grow into our hearts desires. It is hope that acts as a road map to turn a bad circumstance into a good one. It was hope that got Liz Murray from being a homeless teenager to a Harvard graduate.
Next fairy tales are about faith. It is about believing in yourself, a loved one, or some unseen source. Faith does not require physical proof, rather a mindset that what you believe is true.
Fairy tales are about overcoming adversity or your fears. We all face conflicts. Some of us avoid them, some of us charge at them, some of us find ways to overcome them and keep them behind us to never bother us again. We often get discouraged and feel like they are insurmountable, sometimes we give up completely. The choice is ours to make. The good thing is that they test our limits and can get us to push beyond our self imposed limitations or the limitations others have put on us. Regardless of the outcome, they are barriers that we either overcome or hold us back.
Imagination is another facet of fairy tales to believe in. It feeds our dreams. Imagination is limitless. It leads to innovation and invention. In our imagination nothing can hold us back other than our inability to imagine greater.
Another reason to believe in fairy tales love. Fairy tales give us an expectation of what we want from family, friends and a future mate. They help us see qualities that we admire and what we want to feel. There is no greater unifying force than love. It isn't always easy, it isn't always attainable, but it is out there and gives us something to strive for.
Finally, we should believe in fairy tales because we want to. We always have whether it is from a bedtime story read to us as kids or from the latest Disney animated masterpiece, we have all dreamed of being the hero or heroine. They have made us do the impossible. They have helped us through some sad and difficult times. The problem with the world today is that we all want some magical solution to all of our problems, yet we refuse to believe in magic.
Love me, hate me, everyone is entitled to my opinion!
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
I Still Believe
I am on vacation this week in Disney World with my family. Due to the magic of fantasy that brings the happiest place on Earth to life, I leave you with the transcript of a speech I wrote for a public speaking class. Enjoy!
A long, long time ago in a land far, far away, a young boy was born. This young boy grew up wanting to be a knight and go on a quest to fight dragons and rescue a beautiful princess. This young boy was a dreamer. My name is John Walls, and I am that dreamer! Fairy tales have been around for thousands of years. Many of the stories still exist to this day. Some of the first stories we have ever been told were these same fairy tales that have been told to generations before us. How many of you young ladies wanted to be a princess? How many of you young men wanted to go on an adventure and find treasures? Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, we forgot those dreams and stopped believing in these fairy tales we grew up with. I am here today to convince you that although you are older, you do not have to stop believing that fairy tales exist, and you can still experience it in your everyday life!
First we should define what a fairy tale is. Mirriam-Webster defines a fairy tale as a story (as for children) involving fantastic forces and beings (as faeries, wizards, and goblins), b. a story in which improbable events lead to a happy ending. Marcia Lane in her book Picturing a Rose: A Way of Looking at Fairy Tales says about fairy tales:
"My own definition of fairy tale goes something like this: A fairy tale is a story-literary or folk-that has a sense of the numinous, the feeling or sensation of the supernatural or the mysterious. But, and this is crucial, it is a story that happens in the past tense, and a story that is not tied to any specifics. If it happens "at the beginning of the world," then it is a myth. A story that names a specific "real" person is a legend (even if it contains a magical occurrence). A story that happens in the future is a fantasy. Fairy tales are sometimes spiritual, but never religious."
The use of fairy tales to tell a story is thousands of years old. Fairy tales have been told in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Fairy tales have origin with the Ancient Druids of the British Isles and the days of the great Chinese Dynasties. Fairy tales were passed on by word of mouth long before they were written down. The best thing about these fairy tales is we still hear these same stories today.
There are many themes that are prominent throughout the realm of fairy tales. The three big ones are love, magic and a quest. Love is the most common. It is seen in fairy tales from Cinderella through Little Red Riding Hood. Every woman of all ages dreams of a romance that is unconditional and sweeps them off their feet. For guys, though we never vocalize it, I believe it is the same thing. I for one, search for love that is pure. I want to be that knight in shining armor that sweeps a girl off her feet and can provide and receive that love through a lifetime. Many of us have seen that kind of love before. How many of you know a couple that has been married for 40 or 50 years? At my job recently we hosted a wedding for a young couple. They met when they were 7 years old. One day the bride was at his house. She was 10 at the time. She saw the groom’s father and said to him, “I am going to marry your son some day.” They started dating in 8th grade. They dated all through high school, college and grad school. On March 6th, her dream came true. They were married. Their fairy tale came true. This can be argued as true love. It is love that turns the beast back to a human. It is love that breaks the spell of death and eternal slumber. It is love that turns a wooden puppet into a boy.
The second prominent theme is magic. In many of the stories there is a fairy godmother or some other fairy that that uses magic to help the heroine or hero of the tale. The fairy godmother turns Cinderella into a princess so she can attend the ball. But fairies aren’t the only forms of magic. In Jack and the beanstalk magic beans grow into a stalk and take Jack to a castle in the clouds. In 1001 Arabian Nights a genie helps Aladdin in his quests. By clicking her ruby slippers together three times, Dorothy is transported home. Magic is not always benevolent in fairy tales. The spindle is cursed so that if Sleeping Beauty touches it she dies. A poisoned apple is presented to Snow White. The dark side of the Force, seduces the chosen one into killing all of the Jedi. I would argue that magic exists in our everyday life. Take for example the miracle of life. Creation of another human being, though it can be explained by science, is truly a magical event. The re-birth of a forest after a destructive fire, a rainbow after a storm, are all magical. We grow up believing that magic is in the form of spells cast by wizards and witches. Why can’t magic be something extraordinary that we can not explain? Think about the birth of religion. The ancient Greeks, Native Americans, and Egyptians to name a few, had a god that controlled everything. That was how they explained why the tides changed, why flowers bloomed in the spring, and what happened when you died. They couldn’t understand what was happening in nature, they accepted it as divine intervention. It wasn’t until advances in science that we have come to accept the things we do. Why does everything have to have a reason or scientific proof?
The third theme is a quest. Heroes are often sent on a quest, whether it is to save a damsel in distress, fight a dragon, or destroy evil. The heroes’s quest is often a journey to learn their own strengths and weaknesses. It involves a struggle to overcome adversity. King Arthur went on his quest for the Holy Grail. Frodo went on a quest to destroy the Ring of Power. Peter went to hunt the wolf that terrorized his village. We all go on our own quests. Some of us go to college, some join the military, some even hike cross-country. In all of this, it is important that we stay true to the ideal of the quest and that is finding our own strengths and weaknesses.
You may be asking yourself, “When is he going to get to the creatures in fairy tales, like dragons, dwarves and others?” The answer is now. Dragons may not be seen in their thick, scaly skin in winged flight breathing fire. In the story of fairy tales dragons represent an obstacle that gets in the way of a hero. In our lives we encounter many things and people that try to disrupt and derail us from accomplishing our goals. In essence we encounter dragon’s everyday and we must choose to stand and fight them or runaway from them. Dwarves are another creature we see. Dwarves are small humanoid creatures. Often consumed with work in caves as miners, dwarves often befriend and help the heroes. How many of you found help in an unexpected place? Has someone tutored you, coached you, or even befriended you in a difficult time? They are the dwarves of fairy tales.
I would be remiss of my duty if I didn’t tell you that not all fairy tales have happy endings. Many of us know the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Many of us however have never heard the real ending. In the original story Little Red Riding Hood is eaten by the wolf. It is only in later adaptations that the woodsman cuts her from the wolf’s belly. Though sad, one thing is certain, there was enough people who believed that fairy tales should have a happy ending, and did something about it. That gives me hope. The second thing I should tell you is that all fairy tales exist with some sort of condition. Cinderella could have everything she wanted as long as she left the ball by midnight. Sleeping Beauty needed to stay away from a spinning wheel to have a long life. Ariel could be with the prince as long as she made him fall in love with her within three days without use of her voice. In all of our fairy tales, be aware of our own limitations.
I came here to tell you why you should believe in fairy tales. We went through some of the main themes, we touched on magical creatures. We have seen similarities in our own lives. I want to conclude with this. I don’t know if true love or love at first sight exists, but I would hate to live in a world where it wasn’t possible!
Love me, hate me, everyone is entitled to my opinion!
A long, long time ago in a land far, far away, a young boy was born. This young boy grew up wanting to be a knight and go on a quest to fight dragons and rescue a beautiful princess. This young boy was a dreamer. My name is John Walls, and I am that dreamer! Fairy tales have been around for thousands of years. Many of the stories still exist to this day. Some of the first stories we have ever been told were these same fairy tales that have been told to generations before us. How many of you young ladies wanted to be a princess? How many of you young men wanted to go on an adventure and find treasures? Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, we forgot those dreams and stopped believing in these fairy tales we grew up with. I am here today to convince you that although you are older, you do not have to stop believing that fairy tales exist, and you can still experience it in your everyday life!
First we should define what a fairy tale is. Mirriam-Webster defines a fairy tale as a story (as for children) involving fantastic forces and beings (as faeries, wizards, and goblins), b. a story in which improbable events lead to a happy ending. Marcia Lane in her book Picturing a Rose: A Way of Looking at Fairy Tales says about fairy tales:
"My own definition of fairy tale goes something like this: A fairy tale is a story-literary or folk-that has a sense of the numinous, the feeling or sensation of the supernatural or the mysterious. But, and this is crucial, it is a story that happens in the past tense, and a story that is not tied to any specifics. If it happens "at the beginning of the world," then it is a myth. A story that names a specific "real" person is a legend (even if it contains a magical occurrence). A story that happens in the future is a fantasy. Fairy tales are sometimes spiritual, but never religious."
The use of fairy tales to tell a story is thousands of years old. Fairy tales have been told in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Fairy tales have origin with the Ancient Druids of the British Isles and the days of the great Chinese Dynasties. Fairy tales were passed on by word of mouth long before they were written down. The best thing about these fairy tales is we still hear these same stories today.
There are many themes that are prominent throughout the realm of fairy tales. The three big ones are love, magic and a quest. Love is the most common. It is seen in fairy tales from Cinderella through Little Red Riding Hood. Every woman of all ages dreams of a romance that is unconditional and sweeps them off their feet. For guys, though we never vocalize it, I believe it is the same thing. I for one, search for love that is pure. I want to be that knight in shining armor that sweeps a girl off her feet and can provide and receive that love through a lifetime. Many of us have seen that kind of love before. How many of you know a couple that has been married for 40 or 50 years? At my job recently we hosted a wedding for a young couple. They met when they were 7 years old. One day the bride was at his house. She was 10 at the time. She saw the groom’s father and said to him, “I am going to marry your son some day.” They started dating in 8th grade. They dated all through high school, college and grad school. On March 6th, her dream came true. They were married. Their fairy tale came true. This can be argued as true love. It is love that turns the beast back to a human. It is love that breaks the spell of death and eternal slumber. It is love that turns a wooden puppet into a boy.
The second prominent theme is magic. In many of the stories there is a fairy godmother or some other fairy that that uses magic to help the heroine or hero of the tale. The fairy godmother turns Cinderella into a princess so she can attend the ball. But fairies aren’t the only forms of magic. In Jack and the beanstalk magic beans grow into a stalk and take Jack to a castle in the clouds. In 1001 Arabian Nights a genie helps Aladdin in his quests. By clicking her ruby slippers together three times, Dorothy is transported home. Magic is not always benevolent in fairy tales. The spindle is cursed so that if Sleeping Beauty touches it she dies. A poisoned apple is presented to Snow White. The dark side of the Force, seduces the chosen one into killing all of the Jedi. I would argue that magic exists in our everyday life. Take for example the miracle of life. Creation of another human being, though it can be explained by science, is truly a magical event. The re-birth of a forest after a destructive fire, a rainbow after a storm, are all magical. We grow up believing that magic is in the form of spells cast by wizards and witches. Why can’t magic be something extraordinary that we can not explain? Think about the birth of religion. The ancient Greeks, Native Americans, and Egyptians to name a few, had a god that controlled everything. That was how they explained why the tides changed, why flowers bloomed in the spring, and what happened when you died. They couldn’t understand what was happening in nature, they accepted it as divine intervention. It wasn’t until advances in science that we have come to accept the things we do. Why does everything have to have a reason or scientific proof?
The third theme is a quest. Heroes are often sent on a quest, whether it is to save a damsel in distress, fight a dragon, or destroy evil. The heroes’s quest is often a journey to learn their own strengths and weaknesses. It involves a struggle to overcome adversity. King Arthur went on his quest for the Holy Grail. Frodo went on a quest to destroy the Ring of Power. Peter went to hunt the wolf that terrorized his village. We all go on our own quests. Some of us go to college, some join the military, some even hike cross-country. In all of this, it is important that we stay true to the ideal of the quest and that is finding our own strengths and weaknesses.
You may be asking yourself, “When is he going to get to the creatures in fairy tales, like dragons, dwarves and others?” The answer is now. Dragons may not be seen in their thick, scaly skin in winged flight breathing fire. In the story of fairy tales dragons represent an obstacle that gets in the way of a hero. In our lives we encounter many things and people that try to disrupt and derail us from accomplishing our goals. In essence we encounter dragon’s everyday and we must choose to stand and fight them or runaway from them. Dwarves are another creature we see. Dwarves are small humanoid creatures. Often consumed with work in caves as miners, dwarves often befriend and help the heroes. How many of you found help in an unexpected place? Has someone tutored you, coached you, or even befriended you in a difficult time? They are the dwarves of fairy tales.
I would be remiss of my duty if I didn’t tell you that not all fairy tales have happy endings. Many of us know the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Many of us however have never heard the real ending. In the original story Little Red Riding Hood is eaten by the wolf. It is only in later adaptations that the woodsman cuts her from the wolf’s belly. Though sad, one thing is certain, there was enough people who believed that fairy tales should have a happy ending, and did something about it. That gives me hope. The second thing I should tell you is that all fairy tales exist with some sort of condition. Cinderella could have everything she wanted as long as she left the ball by midnight. Sleeping Beauty needed to stay away from a spinning wheel to have a long life. Ariel could be with the prince as long as she made him fall in love with her within three days without use of her voice. In all of our fairy tales, be aware of our own limitations.
I came here to tell you why you should believe in fairy tales. We went through some of the main themes, we touched on magical creatures. We have seen similarities in our own lives. I want to conclude with this. I don’t know if true love or love at first sight exists, but I would hate to live in a world where it wasn’t possible!
Love me, hate me, everyone is entitled to my opinion!
Saving Columbus
Last night at dinner I asked my daughter a few questions regarding Christopher Columbus. I figured in Sixth Grade she should know something. She didn't know the answers. When I asked her why she didn't know anything about him she told me it was because her teacher said he isn't important anymore. WTF?!? Not important! There is definite reason to believe that his importance may be somewhat exaggerated, but to say he is not important is a much bigger exaggeration. There is definitely a need to teach about Columbus. The education system needs to be addressed. This is a paper I had written for a class a few years ago. I think that this is a good proposal, it may not be great, but perhaps this is the beginning of a way to fix education and give kids what they deserve! (I apologize that the sourcing did not attach due to using footnotes, it would not copy and paste with the original document. I will email the original to any who request it).
Introduction
The United States was the first country in the Western World to make public education free and mandatory. Billions of dollars are needed to build schools, pay teachers, buy books and supplies, and provide for underprivileged students. Unfortunately that money isn’t there. Both the national and state governments are diverting money from education to pay for other programs and fill budget downfalls. There is also a lack of national standards for all fifty states. States have to set a standard that at a minimum meets the criteria of No Child Left Behind. States can also opt out of No Child Left behind by proving that they have higher standards or who decline federal funds for No Child .
History
Education policy affects the national, state and local levels of government. Since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965, the federal government has attempted to give more money to the states to combat education gaps, and to make American students competitive with students from around the world. This was among the first times that all three levels of government, federal, state, and local took a joint approach to education.
ESEA was part of the Johnson Administrations war on poverty and came on the heels of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The original purpose of ESEA was to provide states with the necessary dollars to provide for underprivileged children and underprivileged schools. To receive the money states had to prove that they were adhering to the desegregation laws set forth in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Four billion dollars was authorized for ESEA and was split among five entities: Title I, which will be touched upon later, school libraries, supplemental services, research and state departments of education. The law further stated that it would have to be renewed every five years by Congress. Major changes were not made through subsequent votes until the 1990’s.
In 1993 The Clinton Administration signed into law, Goals 2000: Educate America Act. The purpose of Goals 2000 was to set minimum standards of education for students by grades 4, 8, and 12. The law stated among other things, that students will reach certain levels in reading, writing, science, foreign language, civics and government, art, economics, history and geography. Goals 2000 also wanted to increase the graduation rate for high school seniors to above ninety percent and completely eliminate the education gap among minority students. $105 million dollars was set aside for states to apply for these grants by submitting action plans on how they would meet these criteria. For the first time states would be held accountable in regards to a national education standard. They would be required to submit there action plans as well as a report card on state effort to an independent board.
In 1999 EASA was not reauthorized by Congress. No action would be taken again until 2002 when the Bush Administration signed into law the reauthorization of EASA as the No Child Left Behind Act(NLCB) . More standards were put in place and teachers were going to be held accountable as well for the failure and success of the students. The NLCB Act expired in 2008 and has yet to be renewed. The United States Department of Education still enforces the standards of NLCB, but has relaxed some requirements while awaiting reauthorization of NLCB. The Obama Administration has sent bills to Congress to consider and vote on to revamp NCLB. The Obama administration believes that the purpose of NLCB was correct but needs to be more structured. The three biggest changes proposed to NLCB include: defining student proficiency, evaluating and turning around struggling schools and adding more competition for federal dollars for unique programs that focus on improving schools and student performance.
The NCLB act was designed to hold teachers and schools accountable and set standards for student testing to gauge performance particularly in areas of reading and math. Major provisions of the act were increased accountability, more choices for parents and students, greater flexibility for states, school districts and schools, putting reading first, class size reduction, improving teacher quality state grants, help for limited English speaking children and drug and violence programs.
Increased accountability was the requirement of NLCB. Under NLCB states were required to submit plans to the U.S. Department of Education that showed how they would implement a statewide plan of accountability for all schools and school districts. There were three major factors of NCLB when it cam to accountability in that all states had to: 1) develop content standards to determine what students should know, 2) administer assessments to measure whether students are meeting those standards, and 3) institute accountability mechanisms to ensure all students attain the proficiency standards. Challenging state standards were to be set up for reading and mathematics and annual testing would be required for students from third to eighth grade. Assessment results were to be reported by poverty, race, ethnicity, disability, and limited English proficiency to ensure that all goals were met and “no child was left behind.
The second point of NCLB was greater choice for students and parents. This gave parents and students the ability to transfer out of schools that were rated as schools that need improvement or need to take corrective action under the 1994 ESEA reauthorization. This is to include the option of attending another public school or public charter school at the expense of the school district to include expenses associated with transportation. Another point of this clause was that schools that failed, needed corrective action or designated as needs improvement in 3 of the 4 proceeding assessment years were required to notify parents and obtain help for the student in either the public or private sector. This was to include tutors and mentors, and the option to attend other schools. A final provision of this clause was incentive awards for school grants to improve schools that were listed as failing, needed corrective action or designated as needs improvement in an attempt to give schools the opportunity to still improve though they lost the money associated with the students who transferred out because of the school listing. Schools that failed to meet improvement and standards criteria for five years would be designated for restructuring and possible closure.
The next major provision of NCLB is greater flexibility for states, school districts and schools. This gave states and school districts greater flexibility in how they would use and implement Federal dollars on education in exchange for stronger accountability and increased results. States were able to transfer up to fifty percent of their funds under one of four new major categories, Teacher Quality State Grants, Educational Technology, Innovative Programs, and Safe and Drug-Free Schools, or into Title I programs. As an experiment up to seven states would be able to consolidate all of their Federal funding for Title I and Title V funding if they would enter into up to 10 performance agreements with local school boards and develop a contract with the Secretary of Education.
The fourth critical point of NCLB is putting reading first. The initiative requires all students to have the ability to read by the third grade as part of the Early Reading First program. States were given six year grants to distribute grants to school districts to administer screening and diagnostic assessments of students in grades kindergarten through third grade to identify kids who are at risk of failure and to give teachers the education they need to implement reading enhancement programs.
Other initiatives were to decrease the size of classrooms by construction of new schools and higher better and more quality teachers. Improving Teacher Quality State Grants were set up to help states prepare train and recruit higher quality teachers. States were also given flexibility to develop strategies that best met their individual needs to develop teaching curriculums that increased or improved the quality of education in the core subject areas. Previously states that needed bilingual education assistance received funding directly from the U.S. Department of Education. Under NCLB the money was given to the states to develop statewide initiatives to address the problem of English as a Second Language due to increased immigrant youths in school who do not speak English outside of the school setting. This was designed to ensure that immigrant youths would still be able to meet the high standards for assessment in place with NCLB.
Finally money was to be spent on violence and drug education and prevention programs in schools. Students who go to schools labeled as persistently dangerous schools, or students who are victims of violent action in schools are permitted to transfer out to safer schools, again at the expense of the school districts.
The Obama administration has outlined a nine-point plan for revamping No Child Left Behind. The first step is to reform NCLB. To do this he wants to improve student assessment and focus on accountability. The second point is to invest in zero to five early child education, including directing more funds to Head Start. Point three is to recruit, prepare, retain, and reward America’s teachers. Point four is supporting quality school leaders focusing on principals. Point five is making science and math education a national priority. Point six is helping our most at risk children succeed in school. Point seven is to invest in what works. The eighth point is one of the most important, enlisting parents and communities to support teaching and learning. Point nine is a commitment to fiscal responsibility.
Problem
The first problem with NCLB is there is no national standard scoring index. The law states that students need to be able to read and do math by the third grade and that students will be assessed from the third to the eighth grade. It doesn’t address what scores they need to have to be considered at the appropriate level, or define what the appropriate level is other then at grade level.
Another problem with NCLB is that each state sets its own criteria for minimum grades to meet the students proficiency in reading and mathematics and sets up its own assessment system for testing their students. For example, North Carolina allows local education agencies, or LEA’s to set the requirements for testing scores and reported assessments. North Carolina will record the higher score of the original test or the retest in reporting to the U.S. department of education. On the other hand, the State of California states that a gain is 1 point or more over the previous year whereas a drop in scores is 1 point or less. LEA’s are required to submit a comprehensive plan that meets California’s criteria. The state then will grade and report the assessment scores as a proportion of those scoring at or above the criteria set forth. States can also change their criteria from year to year since there is no national standard.
A problem not addressed within NCLB is that at its implementation not all schools were playing with a level playing field. Many schools do not have the same resources, number of qualified teachers, and even lack the technical ability to improve scores. Schools, particularly those in urban and rural areas often lack the necessary textbooks or the ability to recruit teachers. These schools are often financially strapped and lack any technology in the classroom.
Another problem with NCLB is that it only accounts for testing in mathematics and reading, bit ignores all other subject areas like science, civics, geography, history and the arts. Many nations, particularly those in Asia, test in science. Science often helps math scores and vice-versa. Students proficient in history and civics get that way from reading and reading comprehension. Changing the focus to incorporate all aspects of education will truly gauge a students and schools performance and possibly help identify the strengths and weaknesses of both entities.
In some cases teachers are “teaching to test.” This presents the danger that teachers are just focusing on the areas of math and reading and neglecting other areas of instruction. Teachers and administrators may receive up to $1800 in annual bonuses for increased scores in those areas. Teachers do not have any incentive to teach beyond those to subjects and administrators have no incentive to force teachers to teach beyond those subjects either.
Finally a problem not addressed is the family, home and school environment characteristics for favorable high testing scores. The bottom line in these areas is that students need to have a positive and safe learning environment. Education does not simply end when the bell rings. Students often have homework that they need to complete. Personal and family culture has a huge impact on the ability of the student to learn outside the classroom. Students from impoverished and low-income homes are often at home alone after school due to parents working. In some cases students have to deal with many varieties of abuses, lack of proper nutrition, adequate housing, safe communities and health care. For some students the only contact with a dentist or doctor is annual fluoride treatments or seeing and hearing assessments in school. Children that do not have proper healthcare miss more school then those who can see a doctor when they are sick. Many students are left to their own devices after school. They have to cook and clean up after themselves and are also responsible for initiating homework. Students that have a parent at home after school tend to be of higher socio-economic status in safe communities with adequate nutrition and health care. These students will score better of assessments. The school is also a major factor in the quality of education. Schools that are positive, have many extra-curricular activities, high levels of parent-teacher involvement and even advanced technology see greater aptitude in their students. A culture of learning is being established that supports the student in all aspects of education. Teacher’s beliefs in student’s abilities may be the biggest factor in providing a positive educational experience. Unfortunately none of these issues were addressed in NCLB. This is not to say that students of low socio-economic status can not succeed. Studies have shown that some characteristics will help promote educational success, such as belief in self, determination, independence and cultural appreciation.
Solution
The question then turns to, “Is NCLB effective and if not what needs to be changed or does the whole thing need to be re-written?” Some studies show that the education improvement is on the rise in areas of math and reading. Others show that whereas overall state scores are up, the scores among minority and impoverished students are down. One study showed a 26-point difference on average between minorities and their white peers. This shows that some type of change needs to be addressed when the No Child Left Behind Act is voted on for reauthorization.
The first thing that needs to be addressed is funding. Unfortunately every government agency needs funding and is always trying to show why there needs are more important then the other agencies. Of a LEA’s education budget, only 8.3 percent of funding came from the Federal budget, 45.6 percent from state budgets, 37.1 percents from local governments and 8.9 percent from the private sector. How do we increase education dollars? My first idea would be a national lottery. Many states have lotteries already, but they don't all contribute the same way. For example, in Georgia lottery funds go for higher education tuition for students attending instate schools, teacher post-graduate education, pre-kindergarten programs, and technology grants. In North Carolina, the education lottery only allows for construction of new schools, purchase of land for new schools, and retiring school debt. A national lottery would allow for participating states to draw on funds for whatever purpose is stated. I would argue that the stated purpose of a national education lottery would be for college expenses for education majors, technology upgrades for schools, and new school construction. Current education dollars then could go for textbooks, school maintenance, etc. Another plan for funding that may increase math and reading scores would be to tie specialty programs for education to the defense budget. The US Department of Defense and NASA can be forced to fund science and math programs to schools that qualify for grants. This can help with technology upgrades in schools and take the burden of schools.
After the funding issues have been sorted out standards need to be put in place. Minimum scores on a national level need to be put into effect for students in all states that is uniform to all states. This will allow for accurate reporting in all testing scores to better gauge the proficiency of state programs in increasing the scores for students. The next step is to level the playing field. Larger amounts of money should be redirected to schools that serve kids from lower socio-economic areas, and less to higher socio-economic areas.
Finally teacher’s need to be given the means to succeed. Teacher’s need to be held responsible for teaching all aspects of education. Money needs to be provided for teacher’s to have further education on technology and new education trends and teachings. Many professions, such as medical, require continuing education and re-certification. Giving teacher’s the opportunity to succeed gives students the opportunity to succeed.
Conclusion
The education system is not perfect by any means, but has provided people who helped make the United States into a super-power. A re-structuring of the education system and focuses on all subject matter that hold students, parents, teacher’s and administrators accountable is desperately needed. To ensure this the NCLB Act has to be re-examined and changed to guide American kids through the 21st century.
Love me, hate me, everyone is entitled to my opinion!
Tashlik, Phyllis. "Changing the National Conversation on Assessment." Phi Delta Kappan 91.6 (2010): 55-59. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 18 Apr. 2010.
Schmidt, William H., Wang Hsing Chi, and Curtis C. McKnight. "Curriculum coherence: an examination of US mathematics and science content standards from an international perspective." Journal of Curriculum Studies 37.5 (2005): 525-559. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 18 Apr. 2010.
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Hopmann, Stefan Thomas. "No child, no school, no state left behind: schooling in the age of accountability." Journal of Curriculum Studies 40.4 (2008): 417-456. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 18 Apr. 2010
Ravitch, Diane. "Time to Kill 'No Child Left Behind'." Education Digest 75.1 (2009): 4-6. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 18 Apr. 2010.
Phillips, Gary W. "How to Fix No Child Left Behind." Education Week 28.31 (2009): 28-31. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 18 Apr. 2010.
Great Schoold, Staff. "What the No Child Left Behind Law Means for Your Child." Great Schools. GreatSchools Inc., 2010. Web. 18 Apr 2010. <http://www.greatschools.org/improvement/quality-teaching/no-child-left-behind.gs?content=61&page=all>.
Department of Education, United States. "10 Facts about K-12 Education Funding". US Department of Education. April 18, 2010 < http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/10facts/index.html>.
"Proceeds to education." Georgia Lottery. Georgia Lottery, 2010. Web. 18 Apr 2010. <http://www.galottery.com/education.>
"NC Lottery Fast Facts." NC Lottery Fast Facts. North Carolina Legislature, 2010. Web. 18 Apr 2010. <http://www.person.k12.nc.us/parentquickreference/NC%20Lottery%20Fast%20Facts%201.25.10.pdf>.
Rose, Garrett. "NCLB Reauthorization: The New Blueprint." Education.com Bringing education to Life. Education.com, Inc., 16 Mar 2010. Web. 18 Apr 2010. <http://www.education.com/magazine/article/new-nclb-blueprint/>.
Department of Education, North Carolina. "State Board of Education, State of North Carolina, Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook". US Department of Education. April 18, 2010 <http://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateplans03/nccsa.pdf>.
Department of Education, California. "State of California Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook". US Department of Education. April 18, 2010 <http://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateplans03/cacsa.pdf>.
GreatSchools, Staff. "What the No Child Left Behind Law Means for Your Child". Great Schools, Inc.. April 18, 2010 <http://www.greatschools.org/improvement/quality-teaching/no-child-left-behind.gs?content=61&page=all>.
"Public Education." The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965: From the War on Poverty to No Child Left Behind . 10 Aug 2007. Ohio Education Association, Web. 5 Mar 2010. <http://www.ohea.org/GD/Templates/Pages/OEA/OEADetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=170&Content=8038>.
Hanna , Julia. "News Features & Releases." The Elementary and Secondary Education Act 40 Years Later. 10 Feb 2010. Harvard graduate School of Education, Web. 5 Mar 2010. <http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/features/2005/08/esea0819
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Love me, hate
Introduction
The United States was the first country in the Western World to make public education free and mandatory. Billions of dollars are needed to build schools, pay teachers, buy books and supplies, and provide for underprivileged students. Unfortunately that money isn’t there. Both the national and state governments are diverting money from education to pay for other programs and fill budget downfalls. There is also a lack of national standards for all fifty states. States have to set a standard that at a minimum meets the criteria of No Child Left Behind. States can also opt out of No Child Left behind by proving that they have higher standards or who decline federal funds for No Child .
History
Education policy affects the national, state and local levels of government. Since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965, the federal government has attempted to give more money to the states to combat education gaps, and to make American students competitive with students from around the world. This was among the first times that all three levels of government, federal, state, and local took a joint approach to education.
ESEA was part of the Johnson Administrations war on poverty and came on the heels of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The original purpose of ESEA was to provide states with the necessary dollars to provide for underprivileged children and underprivileged schools. To receive the money states had to prove that they were adhering to the desegregation laws set forth in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Four billion dollars was authorized for ESEA and was split among five entities: Title I, which will be touched upon later, school libraries, supplemental services, research and state departments of education. The law further stated that it would have to be renewed every five years by Congress. Major changes were not made through subsequent votes until the 1990’s.
In 1993 The Clinton Administration signed into law, Goals 2000: Educate America Act. The purpose of Goals 2000 was to set minimum standards of education for students by grades 4, 8, and 12. The law stated among other things, that students will reach certain levels in reading, writing, science, foreign language, civics and government, art, economics, history and geography. Goals 2000 also wanted to increase the graduation rate for high school seniors to above ninety percent and completely eliminate the education gap among minority students. $105 million dollars was set aside for states to apply for these grants by submitting action plans on how they would meet these criteria. For the first time states would be held accountable in regards to a national education standard. They would be required to submit there action plans as well as a report card on state effort to an independent board.
In 1999 EASA was not reauthorized by Congress. No action would be taken again until 2002 when the Bush Administration signed into law the reauthorization of EASA as the No Child Left Behind Act(NLCB) . More standards were put in place and teachers were going to be held accountable as well for the failure and success of the students. The NLCB Act expired in 2008 and has yet to be renewed. The United States Department of Education still enforces the standards of NLCB, but has relaxed some requirements while awaiting reauthorization of NLCB. The Obama Administration has sent bills to Congress to consider and vote on to revamp NCLB. The Obama administration believes that the purpose of NLCB was correct but needs to be more structured. The three biggest changes proposed to NLCB include: defining student proficiency, evaluating and turning around struggling schools and adding more competition for federal dollars for unique programs that focus on improving schools and student performance.
The NCLB act was designed to hold teachers and schools accountable and set standards for student testing to gauge performance particularly in areas of reading and math. Major provisions of the act were increased accountability, more choices for parents and students, greater flexibility for states, school districts and schools, putting reading first, class size reduction, improving teacher quality state grants, help for limited English speaking children and drug and violence programs.
Increased accountability was the requirement of NLCB. Under NLCB states were required to submit plans to the U.S. Department of Education that showed how they would implement a statewide plan of accountability for all schools and school districts. There were three major factors of NCLB when it cam to accountability in that all states had to: 1) develop content standards to determine what students should know, 2) administer assessments to measure whether students are meeting those standards, and 3) institute accountability mechanisms to ensure all students attain the proficiency standards. Challenging state standards were to be set up for reading and mathematics and annual testing would be required for students from third to eighth grade. Assessment results were to be reported by poverty, race, ethnicity, disability, and limited English proficiency to ensure that all goals were met and “no child was left behind.
The second point of NCLB was greater choice for students and parents. This gave parents and students the ability to transfer out of schools that were rated as schools that need improvement or need to take corrective action under the 1994 ESEA reauthorization. This is to include the option of attending another public school or public charter school at the expense of the school district to include expenses associated with transportation. Another point of this clause was that schools that failed, needed corrective action or designated as needs improvement in 3 of the 4 proceeding assessment years were required to notify parents and obtain help for the student in either the public or private sector. This was to include tutors and mentors, and the option to attend other schools. A final provision of this clause was incentive awards for school grants to improve schools that were listed as failing, needed corrective action or designated as needs improvement in an attempt to give schools the opportunity to still improve though they lost the money associated with the students who transferred out because of the school listing. Schools that failed to meet improvement and standards criteria for five years would be designated for restructuring and possible closure.
The next major provision of NCLB is greater flexibility for states, school districts and schools. This gave states and school districts greater flexibility in how they would use and implement Federal dollars on education in exchange for stronger accountability and increased results. States were able to transfer up to fifty percent of their funds under one of four new major categories, Teacher Quality State Grants, Educational Technology, Innovative Programs, and Safe and Drug-Free Schools, or into Title I programs. As an experiment up to seven states would be able to consolidate all of their Federal funding for Title I and Title V funding if they would enter into up to 10 performance agreements with local school boards and develop a contract with the Secretary of Education.
The fourth critical point of NCLB is putting reading first. The initiative requires all students to have the ability to read by the third grade as part of the Early Reading First program. States were given six year grants to distribute grants to school districts to administer screening and diagnostic assessments of students in grades kindergarten through third grade to identify kids who are at risk of failure and to give teachers the education they need to implement reading enhancement programs.
Other initiatives were to decrease the size of classrooms by construction of new schools and higher better and more quality teachers. Improving Teacher Quality State Grants were set up to help states prepare train and recruit higher quality teachers. States were also given flexibility to develop strategies that best met their individual needs to develop teaching curriculums that increased or improved the quality of education in the core subject areas. Previously states that needed bilingual education assistance received funding directly from the U.S. Department of Education. Under NCLB the money was given to the states to develop statewide initiatives to address the problem of English as a Second Language due to increased immigrant youths in school who do not speak English outside of the school setting. This was designed to ensure that immigrant youths would still be able to meet the high standards for assessment in place with NCLB.
Finally money was to be spent on violence and drug education and prevention programs in schools. Students who go to schools labeled as persistently dangerous schools, or students who are victims of violent action in schools are permitted to transfer out to safer schools, again at the expense of the school districts.
The Obama administration has outlined a nine-point plan for revamping No Child Left Behind. The first step is to reform NCLB. To do this he wants to improve student assessment and focus on accountability. The second point is to invest in zero to five early child education, including directing more funds to Head Start. Point three is to recruit, prepare, retain, and reward America’s teachers. Point four is supporting quality school leaders focusing on principals. Point five is making science and math education a national priority. Point six is helping our most at risk children succeed in school. Point seven is to invest in what works. The eighth point is one of the most important, enlisting parents and communities to support teaching and learning. Point nine is a commitment to fiscal responsibility.
Problem
The first problem with NCLB is there is no national standard scoring index. The law states that students need to be able to read and do math by the third grade and that students will be assessed from the third to the eighth grade. It doesn’t address what scores they need to have to be considered at the appropriate level, or define what the appropriate level is other then at grade level.
Another problem with NCLB is that each state sets its own criteria for minimum grades to meet the students proficiency in reading and mathematics and sets up its own assessment system for testing their students. For example, North Carolina allows local education agencies, or LEA’s to set the requirements for testing scores and reported assessments. North Carolina will record the higher score of the original test or the retest in reporting to the U.S. department of education. On the other hand, the State of California states that a gain is 1 point or more over the previous year whereas a drop in scores is 1 point or less. LEA’s are required to submit a comprehensive plan that meets California’s criteria. The state then will grade and report the assessment scores as a proportion of those scoring at or above the criteria set forth. States can also change their criteria from year to year since there is no national standard.
A problem not addressed within NCLB is that at its implementation not all schools were playing with a level playing field. Many schools do not have the same resources, number of qualified teachers, and even lack the technical ability to improve scores. Schools, particularly those in urban and rural areas often lack the necessary textbooks or the ability to recruit teachers. These schools are often financially strapped and lack any technology in the classroom.
Another problem with NCLB is that it only accounts for testing in mathematics and reading, bit ignores all other subject areas like science, civics, geography, history and the arts. Many nations, particularly those in Asia, test in science. Science often helps math scores and vice-versa. Students proficient in history and civics get that way from reading and reading comprehension. Changing the focus to incorporate all aspects of education will truly gauge a students and schools performance and possibly help identify the strengths and weaknesses of both entities.
In some cases teachers are “teaching to test.” This presents the danger that teachers are just focusing on the areas of math and reading and neglecting other areas of instruction. Teachers and administrators may receive up to $1800 in annual bonuses for increased scores in those areas. Teachers do not have any incentive to teach beyond those to subjects and administrators have no incentive to force teachers to teach beyond those subjects either.
Finally a problem not addressed is the family, home and school environment characteristics for favorable high testing scores. The bottom line in these areas is that students need to have a positive and safe learning environment. Education does not simply end when the bell rings. Students often have homework that they need to complete. Personal and family culture has a huge impact on the ability of the student to learn outside the classroom. Students from impoverished and low-income homes are often at home alone after school due to parents working. In some cases students have to deal with many varieties of abuses, lack of proper nutrition, adequate housing, safe communities and health care. For some students the only contact with a dentist or doctor is annual fluoride treatments or seeing and hearing assessments in school. Children that do not have proper healthcare miss more school then those who can see a doctor when they are sick. Many students are left to their own devices after school. They have to cook and clean up after themselves and are also responsible for initiating homework. Students that have a parent at home after school tend to be of higher socio-economic status in safe communities with adequate nutrition and health care. These students will score better of assessments. The school is also a major factor in the quality of education. Schools that are positive, have many extra-curricular activities, high levels of parent-teacher involvement and even advanced technology see greater aptitude in their students. A culture of learning is being established that supports the student in all aspects of education. Teacher’s beliefs in student’s abilities may be the biggest factor in providing a positive educational experience. Unfortunately none of these issues were addressed in NCLB. This is not to say that students of low socio-economic status can not succeed. Studies have shown that some characteristics will help promote educational success, such as belief in self, determination, independence and cultural appreciation.
Solution
The question then turns to, “Is NCLB effective and if not what needs to be changed or does the whole thing need to be re-written?” Some studies show that the education improvement is on the rise in areas of math and reading. Others show that whereas overall state scores are up, the scores among minority and impoverished students are down. One study showed a 26-point difference on average between minorities and their white peers. This shows that some type of change needs to be addressed when the No Child Left Behind Act is voted on for reauthorization.
The first thing that needs to be addressed is funding. Unfortunately every government agency needs funding and is always trying to show why there needs are more important then the other agencies. Of a LEA’s education budget, only 8.3 percent of funding came from the Federal budget, 45.6 percent from state budgets, 37.1 percents from local governments and 8.9 percent from the private sector. How do we increase education dollars? My first idea would be a national lottery. Many states have lotteries already, but they don't all contribute the same way. For example, in Georgia lottery funds go for higher education tuition for students attending instate schools, teacher post-graduate education, pre-kindergarten programs, and technology grants. In North Carolina, the education lottery only allows for construction of new schools, purchase of land for new schools, and retiring school debt. A national lottery would allow for participating states to draw on funds for whatever purpose is stated. I would argue that the stated purpose of a national education lottery would be for college expenses for education majors, technology upgrades for schools, and new school construction. Current education dollars then could go for textbooks, school maintenance, etc. Another plan for funding that may increase math and reading scores would be to tie specialty programs for education to the defense budget. The US Department of Defense and NASA can be forced to fund science and math programs to schools that qualify for grants. This can help with technology upgrades in schools and take the burden of schools.
After the funding issues have been sorted out standards need to be put in place. Minimum scores on a national level need to be put into effect for students in all states that is uniform to all states. This will allow for accurate reporting in all testing scores to better gauge the proficiency of state programs in increasing the scores for students. The next step is to level the playing field. Larger amounts of money should be redirected to schools that serve kids from lower socio-economic areas, and less to higher socio-economic areas.
Finally teacher’s need to be given the means to succeed. Teacher’s need to be held responsible for teaching all aspects of education. Money needs to be provided for teacher’s to have further education on technology and new education trends and teachings. Many professions, such as medical, require continuing education and re-certification. Giving teacher’s the opportunity to succeed gives students the opportunity to succeed.
Conclusion
The education system is not perfect by any means, but has provided people who helped make the United States into a super-power. A re-structuring of the education system and focuses on all subject matter that hold students, parents, teacher’s and administrators accountable is desperately needed. To ensure this the NCLB Act has to be re-examined and changed to guide American kids through the 21st century.
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