I think we're winding down...

Here is my reply to Rick. After the nasty spat I think things have cooled & everyone is tiring of the fight...

Hi Rick!

Hope your family is doing well...did those storms affect you or am I talking about the wrong geographic area?! One nice thing with living in Yuma, Arizona...you lose track of the fact that most of the nation has a winter!

All right...enough of the pleasantries!! Here goes...

For my personal journey, it started after 9/11...hell I voted for Bush in 2000! I was very Republican, especially still in business (I still lean towards the right in that area...for example I don't think unions are the answer). The amount of hate we all had was understandable...I had it too. But when I saw that hate being applied in blanket fashion to all Arabs I didn't think that was the answer. As we moved towards war with Iraq I slowly realized that the values I had identified with growing up did not define me as an adult. The day we invaded Iraq I changed my party affiliation and over the rest of the Bush presidency I steadily grew more and more involved in Democratic party.

NCLB requires states to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades, if those states are to receive federal funding for schools. NCLB does not assert a national achievement standard; standards are set by each individual state, in line with the principle of local control of schools and because education is considered the right of the states, not the feds. NCLB also requires that teachers have a degree in education & be certified in the subject they teach. Again, the states control what this looks like. In Arizona...educators must pass a professional knowledge exam (how to teach) & a content exam...in elementary its all subjects & middle & high schools its by subject (math, science, etc.). When they do they are considered "highly qualified" to teach.

The pros/cons can fill up a book. NCLB does not dumb it down as you said earlier...it requires states to assess their students to see if they are achieving the standards the state itself set. The catch is that the lower the state sets the standards...the easier it is to achieve those standards & get federal money....maybe that's dumbing it down?
Here is a link for the wikipedia article on NCLB (I know its open source but its a quick reference & fairly reliable). It has a good section on the pros & cons...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Child_Left_Behind_Act

I haven't heard of discovery math? I did a search on the web for it & couldn't find anything? What is your experience with it & I'll try to find out more from my teaching compadres.

You have some valid concerns on affirmative action. I do not have the research info on its long term success. As much as we would like to think we have progressed in regards to race though...the data definitely supports the fact that a white male has enormous advantages as composed to a black male...in every aspect. I know that statement opens up a tremendous amount of philosophical cans of worms...so I won't go down that road unless you want to...of course it might be fun ;-)...

Well...gotta go. Until your next response...Jon