DAVIS (DE) - According to recent studies, American students score a below average in the latest international tests. American students still trail their peers in other countries in science and math. Does that really surprise anyone? In 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was signed into law to help combat our failing schools and low test scores but according to the largest education union, the National Education Association, it simply does not work. With the presidential primary race heating up, it has become one of the big issues here at the Davis Enterprise.
Unlike Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, Barack Obama was not in office when NCLB was signed into law. He has said it is a well-intentioned attempt to erase long-standing achievement gaps between students, but he believes the current presidential administration ruined it through inflexible application.
“Well, I think it's doing very well for some. But it's not doing very well for all. So, No Child Left Behind has been false advertising.” Said Obama at a debate, “And there doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency about improving the education system. It is a sense of urgency that we've got to restore if we're going to be able to remain competitive in this new global economy.”
He plans to improve our education system by fundamentally changing NCLB and give more money for schools to pay for teachers and treat them like professionals. Nationwide programs should be implemented to help reconstruct crumbling school buildings. He also wants to start up a STEP UP program that will help disadvantage kids during the summer.
Obama’s heart and mind is in the right place for school children from kindergarten to the 12th grade, but what about higher education? As of right now, the University of California in Davis charges around $225 a unit. Most people can’t afford to go to college because it is extremely expensive, even for a public school. Senator Obama has been pushing for a bill that will increase the federal Pell grant awards from $4,310 to $5,400 by 2012. He has also been pushing for another bill that will cut interest rates for student loans by half.
If Barack Obama is elected for president, he will have to prove what he is worth and that he is a man of the people. To redo the NCLB will be a tremendous task for him but with Obama already pushing for other education bills to pass, he seems like the man that will stand by his words.
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