JenniferErix
03-15-2007, 02:38 AM
While watching the TV, late tonight, I was watching CNN and Lou Dobbs Tonight was on. They began a segment about the state of American Schools and how they are "Failing an entire generation of American kids".
Of course, my ears perked up. :eek:
I ran over to CNN.com and grabbed the trascript for you guys to read, if you wish to.
It is nothing new, but it is the most current and latest report of how American schools are failing the students. (If you were looking for this type of reference in your research or debates....)
This is the transcript itself... followed at the end by the link to the actual CNN.com page where you can site it for yourself, if you need to reference it... I always like to have receint news reports to refer to, when discussing educational freedom of choice and so on with various people. :twisted:
Transcript:
DOBBS: Congress today began hearings on the future of the No Child Left Behind Act, a program supposed to solve this country's education crisis. And now it's up for renewal. But after five years after it went into effect, that measure is receiving failing grades from politicians and education experts alike.
Lisa Sylvester has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Five years into the No Child Left Behind program, U.S. students are still lagging well behind their counterparts in other countries and leaving school unprepared. But Education Secretary Margaret Spellings touted the program saying it's working.
MARGARET SPELLINGS, EDUCATION SECRETARY: My recent department national education report card shows strong gains in the early grades where we focused our efforts. More progress, in fact, with our young readers in the last five years than the previous 28 combined.
SYLVESTER: Under No Child Left Behind, all students in the United States are supposed to be testing at grade level in reading and math by the year 2014. The program is supposed to be the answer to the nation's education problems, but lawmakers say it is not working because of a lack of funding.
SEN. TOM HARKIN (D), IOWA: If we're going to put higher demands on schools, shouldn't we help give them the resources to do the job?
SYLVESTER: Other critics say it's unrealistic to expect that 100 percent of students will be academically proficient by the deadline, but a former education secretary does not believe the targets should be abandoned.
SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R), TENNESSEE: This is not a country where we say 85 percent of men are created equal, or we say we're only going to leave 15 percent of the children left behind. We set big goals. We hope and try for every child to achieve.
SYLVESTER: As No Child Left Behind comes up for renewal, the political lines are being drawn. Some who say it should be tweaked, others say it should be scrapped. JACK JENNINGS, CENTER ON EDUCATION POLICY: And the president is going to have to deal with the conservatives who want to walk away from federal involvement in education, and the Democrats are going to have to deal with some liberals who don't want accountability in education.
SYLVESTER: Many lawmakers also took issue with some of the funding cuts in the Bush administration's education budget. Forty- four programs are actually losing funding.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SYLVESTER: Studies suggest the nation's students are sliding, not gaining, academically. A new report by the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that high school seniors in 2005 scored significantly lower in reading than seniors who graduated in 1992 -- Lou.
DOBBS: Public education, the great equalizer in this society of ours. It is simply failing an entire generation of Americans. And we have nothing less than a crisis for this Congress, this president to deal with. Hopefully they will deal with it.
Lisa, thank you very much.
Lisa Sylvester reporting from Washington.
END TRANSRIPT
Found here: (About 2/3 rds down the page)
http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0703/14/ldt.01.html
Of course, my ears perked up. :eek:
I ran over to CNN.com and grabbed the trascript for you guys to read, if you wish to.
It is nothing new, but it is the most current and latest report of how American schools are failing the students. (If you were looking for this type of reference in your research or debates....)
This is the transcript itself... followed at the end by the link to the actual CNN.com page where you can site it for yourself, if you need to reference it... I always like to have receint news reports to refer to, when discussing educational freedom of choice and so on with various people. :twisted:
Transcript:
DOBBS: Congress today began hearings on the future of the No Child Left Behind Act, a program supposed to solve this country's education crisis. And now it's up for renewal. But after five years after it went into effect, that measure is receiving failing grades from politicians and education experts alike.
Lisa Sylvester has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Five years into the No Child Left Behind program, U.S. students are still lagging well behind their counterparts in other countries and leaving school unprepared. But Education Secretary Margaret Spellings touted the program saying it's working.
MARGARET SPELLINGS, EDUCATION SECRETARY: My recent department national education report card shows strong gains in the early grades where we focused our efforts. More progress, in fact, with our young readers in the last five years than the previous 28 combined.
SYLVESTER: Under No Child Left Behind, all students in the United States are supposed to be testing at grade level in reading and math by the year 2014. The program is supposed to be the answer to the nation's education problems, but lawmakers say it is not working because of a lack of funding.
SEN. TOM HARKIN (D), IOWA: If we're going to put higher demands on schools, shouldn't we help give them the resources to do the job?
SYLVESTER: Other critics say it's unrealistic to expect that 100 percent of students will be academically proficient by the deadline, but a former education secretary does not believe the targets should be abandoned.
SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R), TENNESSEE: This is not a country where we say 85 percent of men are created equal, or we say we're only going to leave 15 percent of the children left behind. We set big goals. We hope and try for every child to achieve.
SYLVESTER: As No Child Left Behind comes up for renewal, the political lines are being drawn. Some who say it should be tweaked, others say it should be scrapped. JACK JENNINGS, CENTER ON EDUCATION POLICY: And the president is going to have to deal with the conservatives who want to walk away from federal involvement in education, and the Democrats are going to have to deal with some liberals who don't want accountability in education.
SYLVESTER: Many lawmakers also took issue with some of the funding cuts in the Bush administration's education budget. Forty- four programs are actually losing funding.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SYLVESTER: Studies suggest the nation's students are sliding, not gaining, academically. A new report by the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that high school seniors in 2005 scored significantly lower in reading than seniors who graduated in 1992 -- Lou.
DOBBS: Public education, the great equalizer in this society of ours. It is simply failing an entire generation of Americans. And we have nothing less than a crisis for this Congress, this president to deal with. Hopefully they will deal with it.
Lisa, thank you very much.
Lisa Sylvester reporting from Washington.
END TRANSRIPT
Found here: (About 2/3 rds down the page)
http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0703/14/ldt.01.html