The Federal Govt. Needs to go on a Diet.

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   Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years ago

   Its way too fat.
   
   The Constitution gives these responsibilities to the Executive Branch:
   1. Oversee interstate commerce.
   2. Execute laws passed by Congress.
   3. Protect us from outside influence and military attack.
   4. The president is to act as our Commander in Chief.
   
   However, many Federal programs have emerged over the years such as the Dept. of Education. This department demands tax dollars from the states for its "helpfulness."
   
   Other Federal departments include The FDA, The EPA and The Dept. of Commerce. None of these departments are regulated by Congress or the People and have been given the leeway to make up their own rules.
   
   No Child Left Behind and Common Core were implemented by the Dept. of Education. This Federal department controls school curriculum through obvious tyranny at this point. And there is no oversight what-so-ever.
   
   And yet, the harm is becoming obvious as more and more kids do fall through the cracks and teachers become frustrated at having so little control in their own classrooms.
   
   What recourse do we have in improving the quality of education as concerned citizens at this point?
   
   Especially, when the states have lost their say-so and have become rather thin.

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      Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      We need to know how to vote and why. We must remember that our elected govt. officials work for us.
      We are the creators. We are able to help ourselves under the jurisdiction of the Constitution.
      Whoever we vote in must reveal that they respect the Constitution.
      
      Thank You for this Freedom of Speech.

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      Cgenaeaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Are federal funds spread across all schools evenly??? Or are there extra funds that go to schools that deserve them more because their parents are "responsible"?

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         Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I believe if the states had more power, the cities would have more power. If the cities have more power, then towns have more power. If towns have more power, school boards have more power. If school boards have more power, teachers have more power. If teachers have more power, then parents will have more power…If parents have more power, then the kids who need the most help will get it. Thank you for your concern and care, Cgenaea.
         
         Federal funds are not distributed adequately...period.

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         janesixposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         "Under the president's proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2006, 65 percent of the U.S. Department of Education's elementary and secondary school funds would go to help schools with economically disadvantaged students (ESEA, Title I) and to support children with disabilities (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA], Part B, Grants to States). If the president's FY 2006 request is enacted, the increases in these programs over the past five years will have substantially exceeded any previous increases over a similar period since the programs were created."
         
         I couldn't find any more recent data, though I might keep looking. Still, federal funding only provides 8 percent of the budget for public schools.
         
         http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/1 … x.html?exp

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   Cgenaeaposted 9 years ago

   A whole generation with inadequate education.
   It is no wonder why we have such a mess on our hands.

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      Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I agree.

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      gmwilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Totally concur, our educational system is beyond inadequate, it is abysmal.There need to be education that is relevant and conducive to the post modern 21st century society.  There need to be more emphasis on mathematics, science, and/or other technological subjects.  There also must be an emphasis on creative and critical thinking.

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      1. 77

         Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         My point:
         I believe without the influence of federal mandates, teachers and school districts would be on this accelerated educational track full speed ahead! But more importantly, in my opinion, the needs of the students in their particular districts would be better facilitated. Maybe highschoolers need to know how to balance budgets using quick books and learn the skills needed to live in our technological world as far as on-line banking, computer programs, office skills, salesmanship skills, computer repair, along with car repair and car brain repair… there are so many exciting avenues to take to allow our kids to interact with the modern world...including, programming, computer graphics… I believe we could set up real world environments where the kids learn to print, market and sell what they produce… Possibilities are endless. Let the districts find their own way with the populations they serve.
         
         (Younger kids/students may need to stick to the basics and master them before touching technology. )

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            Cgenaeaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Kinda on my line of thought.
            I read the employment office thing somewhere, and it resonated with me.
            School could fill a huge void for the children in that they don't get to see much productivity in poor neighborhoods. These kids will NEED to work. Trust funds are scarce where I'm from.

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         Cgenaeaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         With better funding, our teachers aren't stressed to see the minds that need shaping. She has adequate supplies, adequate opportunity for exploration trips.
         She may even have an "employment office" for children who want to "work" on various school projects like cleaning or plays. This preparation gives them the mind to work. Catching them earlier is best because some parents let them see too much nothingness going on... the seed of the grades 2-5 "employment office" should be beneficial in long-term decision making. Stretching for the duration of high school may not be a bad idea.
         Then churn out more equipped jobseekers.

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            Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            These are great ideas! (But, does the federal govt. want to give us the leeway/or $'s to explore such avenues?
            NOOOO!)

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               Cgenaeaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               They are too busy "tweaking" budgets for maximum "take-home"
               Treason!!!

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                  Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  How many employees work for the Dept. of Education and its branches?
                  http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budge … index.html
                  They have their work cut out for them after all!

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                     Cgenaeaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                     Huge organization. Remember when they used to really do well in public schools?  Or was it just me???

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                        Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                        I had an excellent education in public school. I am glad you did too.
                        We had SRA progressive reading development... it was a great program.  It instilled our natural ambition to progress. To learn our times-tables, we had headphones and memorized them to music. My sixth grade teacher even did experiments with ESP and taught us the power of positive thinking! She stressed creative writing which is why I love it so much to this day! She had us painting back-drops for plays, singing, and learning all sorts of musical instruments. We really had a blast…
                          - nothing like the stressed out classrooms I sub in these days!!!!

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3. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years ago

   Interesting statement from the link:
   "As depicted on the chart below, the United States is a world leader in education investment. However, nations that spend far less achieve higher levels of student performance."
   

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   Cgenaeaposted 9 years ago

   There needs to be more money allocated for poor schools so's poor people have a chance to compete...
   I think somebody's scared to see what they can do.

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5. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years ago

   Teachers… just do it! Learn from us here! Jump start yourselves and your students and live as though we were already in a more enlightened age… We will get there, we need to take the baby steps even though big daddy doesn't think we are capable or READY.
   We are ready…. we have been for years!!!!!
   
   In My Opinion.

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      Cgenaeaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      For sure teachers (often not political parties) were trained to know what is needed to successfully teach.
      They should have much more control.  They know the way to education.
      It's sad that so many are left behind; but passed on to the next grade anyway.

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         Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I agree. This situation also has to do with funding. Repeaters and Fails indicate an apparently poorly functioning district, so less funding $'s are forthcoming to the district from U NO WHERE...

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            Cgenaeaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            But it is s set-up for failure, with one piercing strike already against you.
            (Sssshhhh. paaaassss. He won't come to school knowing how to read, so what do they expect us to do?) Sad but true, where I'm from.

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               Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               I know. The mayor should take the bull by the horns. Maybe you could write him.
               There is something you can do at the local level.
               Especially if you are a parent.
               Get your neighbors and local citizens to write and request a change… and suggest how it could be made.
               I would start, cgenaea.
               What do you have to loose? Start slow and small. It will snowball gradually and then quickly.
               Be creative and have fun with it.
               You can kill more flies with honey.
               Thats my unrequested advice.

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                  Cgenaeaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  Sure! Thanks, budinski
                  I really shutter to think of my involvement. You know my mouth..  lol
                  It's a system that has disappointed me for years.
                  I had a great public school education too. Those teachers made an impression. I can picture every elementary school teacher and class today.
                  They cared. They commanded/demanded respect. They provided help to lagging students.
                  The environments are much lesd nurturing.

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6. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years ago

   The U.S. Constitution leaves the responsibility for public K-12 education with the states.
   
   The responsibility for K-12 education rests with the states under the Constitution. There is also a compelling national interest in the quality of the nation's public schools. Therefore, the federal government, through the legislative process, provides assistance to the states and schools in an effort to supplement, not supplant, state support. The primary source of federal K-12 support began in 1965 with the enactment of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
   
          Annual Secondary Education Expenditures per Student
   
   ESEA authorizes grants for elementary and secondary school programs for children of low-income families; school library resources, textbooks and other instructional materials; supplemental education centers and services; strengthening state education agencies; education research; and professional development for teachers.
   
   The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) is a reauthorization of ESEA. The law's express purposes are to raise achievement for all students and to close the achievement gap. This is done through accountability, research-based instruction, flexibility and options for parents, so that no child is left behind.
   http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/1 … x.html?exp
   
   Thats how the White House sees it.
   I was in sixth grade the year after ESEA took effect. So I am from the OLD SCHOOL way. Things rapidly changed after that.

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      Cgenaeaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Interesting... seems they've accounted for a lot in poverty stricken areas. But... uh... somebody's double-dipping and the quality of education suffers.

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7. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years ago

   <"They commanded/demanded respect. They provided help to lagging students.
   The environments are much less nurturing.">
   I agree.

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8. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years ago

   The sad thing is we are loosing our freedom because of good intentions. Good intentions are paving the way to hell.
   All the Social Programs and Departments were installed to help the government help the people and do GOOD.  The problem is that what works in theory does not work in practicality.
   Why?
   Because human nature is what it is.
   
   We are being robbed with good intentions, but allowing the fed govt. to play Robin Hood is not justifiable in my mind.
   
   Nor is it it beneficial to anyone in the long run, as taxes and tyrannic govt. mandates increase.
   
   For instance, I miss incandescent bulbs! BRING THEM BACK. The new mercury filled bulbs give out UV rays and are harmful. They emit CFRs and electromagnetic energy… or dirty energy. Yet we are pretty much forced to use them. Also the incandescent bulbs were not harmful to anyone's health and you could throw them away with no harm to the environment.
   
   
   But, NOOOO!
   Now they're like $6.00 a bulb!
   Ridiculous.

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      Cgenaeaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I didn't know about the harm of the new bulbs. How could they pass our government?
      Yes!!! They are too expensive.

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         Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Good question!
         EU and Canada is on board, so I think that is pretty suspicious. Influence of the Globalists?
         I think so.

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            Cgenaeaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            I am politically unlearned. I have no idea why it looks suspicious but I believe you.

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               Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Well, I am only surmising…

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                  Cgenaeaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  I started to ask why first... lol

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