archived: 27 July - 2 August, 2003 Back Next
NORTH CAROLINA
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
Many teachers and educators refer to "No Child Left Behind," the
new federal testing law, as "No Child Left Untested." NCLB, conceived as an
instrument of accountability, has thrown panic into schools nationwide.
NCLB mandates that all students be 100% proficient at grade level
by 2014. Strangely, the law fails to spell out what proficiency means or what
test shall determine who is proficient.
The result is utter mayhem: some school systems are dumbing down
tests or lowering the score necessary to pass, all in the name of protecting
their students and saving school funding. Many educators find themselves
devoting huge amounts of time to "teaching to the tests" at the expense of real
education. Students are the big losers, faced with the pressure of high-stakes
tests combined with less time spent learning.
And it's not like NCLB brings huge amounts of money to help
implement its changes. On the contrary, NCLB is a classic unfunded mandate,
requiring states like North Carolina to make massive changes in its educational
system without providing nearly enough resources to make sure that it's done
right. In fact, the National Conference of State Legislatures estimates that
NCLB could end up costing the states as much as $35 billion.
Instead of providing federal aid to help improve school systems,
the federal government has created a hopeless system that will set back
educational efforts for years to come. NCLB even specifies how schools will
allow prayer and provide names to military recruiters.
Wasn't this president supposed to be a big fan of states' rights?
It's a shame that North Carolina can't spend more of its
educational dollars on hiring, training, and retaining excellent teachers.
Instead, we're buying test booklets.
Common Sense
BUSH FIRE IN NORTH CAROLINA
Economic leadership and President Bush's tax cuts keep running in opposite directions.
As recent labor statistics make clear, President Bush's Tax Cuts have only given more money to the rich and done nothing to stimulate the economy.
The 2003 tax plan enacted by Bush and the GOP is heavily skewed towards the wealthy. In North Carolina, 52 percent of taxpayers - 2,030,000 - will receive less than $100 from Bush's tax plan in 2003. The top 1 percent of North Carolina taxpayers receive 25.6 percent of the benefits in 2003 and get an average tax cut of $18,575. [CTJ Fact Sheet, 6/5/03, 6/13/03, http://www.ctj.org]
When not stuffing the richest North Carolinians' pockets, President Bush is eliminating job opportunities for working families.
The unemployment rate
in North Carolina was 6.6 percent in June 2003, up from 4.4 percent in January
2001. This change represents a 50 percent increase since Bush took office. North
Carolina has lost 93,300 jobs since January 2001.
[Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov]
"President Bush's tax cuts have dangerously reduced funds for bedrock education, health care and national security programs and produced a record $455 billion deficit," NCDP Chair Barbara Allen said. "What they have failed to do is produce jobs." -- NCDP
NC GOV 04
Less than two months after being re-elected state chairman, Bill Cobey stepped down as leader of North Carolina's Republican Party Monday to join the race for governor. Cobey's entry came weeks after the state GOP convention in Charlotte, where he applauded the party's other gubernatorial candidates. On Monday he held himself out as the most qualified of the field. I'm sure there are Republicans more qualified than me, but they haven't stepped forward, he told a news conference. I just believe I'm the best person to go up against (Democratic Gov. Mike) Easley in the fall. Charlotte Observer
DAVID PRICE
U.S. Rep. David Price, a Democrat with a reputation for toiling effectively behind the scenes, was front-and-center on several high-profile issues this week on Capitol Hill, including fights over media ownership rules and AmeriCorps funding.
On Tuesday, the House approved a spending bill that effectively halts a move by the Federal Communications Commission to allow media companies to own more local TV stations.
Price, of Chapel Hill, helped write the change when the bill was in committee earlier this month. But when the legislation hit the House floor this week, he also sought to block additional changes in media-ownership rules.
An amendment offered by Price and U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, a New York Democrat, would have suspended two other new FCC rules, including one that permits a company to own the local newspaper, local TV stations and several top local radio stations in a single market.
Price's amendment failed, 254-174, in part because of opposition from some key Democrats who argued that it would make a veto by President Bush more likely. Still, Price argued that the better-than-expected vote might strengthen the hand of senators who are working toward the same end in their chamber.
This strong a showing in the House under some pretty adverse circumstances shows this has some appeal, he said.
Price's amendment picked up 34 Republican votes, which is noteworthy given Bush's opposition and the FCC's party-line vote on the media-rule revisions.
Price was less successful at courting Republicans earlier in the week when he and two other Democrats sought an increase for AmeriCorps funding during the Appropriation Committee's consideration of another spending bill.
The effort to secure an additional $100 million in funding for the program was shot down 34-24 on a party-line vote. News & Observer [Junkie: TPJ kudos to Price for leading the Dems on these issues something we need to see more of.]