The Dumbing Down of America

No Child Left Behind:  In 2001 the passage of "No Child Left Behind" tied student test scores to federal education dollars. The Bush Jr. administration implemented this program.  Each state got to MAKE THEIR OWN TESTS (formulate easy questions), and thereby achieve high test scores, and hence receive federal funding.  If a state implemented difficult achievement tests, the students performance was designated as inferior, and the state with the most difficult tests were left out of the federally funded program.  States like Tennessee dumbed down the tests to achieve high test scores, resulting in a misrepresentation of the academic ability of the students, and poorly educated children were tricked into thinking they were smart!

Problems with America's Educational System:

Competition:  Public schools do not have to compete for business.  If a public school is performing poorly, they get more money so they can “improve.”  In the private sector, if a school isn’t performing, parents won’t send their children there, and it will go out of business.  In the public school system of America, poor performance is rewarded with money.

Tenure:  If a public school teacher has been teaching for 3 years (in New York City), then they have tenure and it is just about impossible to fire them.  If the firing process is initiated, it will take 3 years to complete the termination, meanwhile the state will have to pay 100% of his/her wages.

Propaganda: School officials and teacher’s unions misrepresent, exaggerate or even lie about the performance of children in their school systems.

The Look-Say Method (“sight reflex”): This replaces “phonics” and actually CAUSES DYSLEXIA, as discovered in the Lincoln School in 1920.