XIAM007

Making Unique Observations in a Very Cluttered World

Wednesday 9 March 2011

82 percent of U.S. schools could be labeled as "failing" under the nation's No Child Left Behind Act this year -

82 percent of U.S. schools could be labeled as "failing" under the nation's No Child Left Behind Act this year -



An estimated 82 percent of U.S. schools could be labeled as "failing" under the nation's No Child Left Behind Act this year, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday.
The Department of Education estimates the number of schools not meeting targets will skyrocket from 37 to 82 percent in 2011 because states are toughening their standards to meet the requirements of the law. The schools will face sanctions ranging from offering tutoring to closing their doors.
"No Child Left Behind is broken and we need to fix it now," Duncan said in a statement. "This law has created a thousand ways for schools to fail and very few ways to help them succeed."
Duncan delivered the news in remarks to a House education and work force committee hearing, in urging lawmakers to rewrite the Bush-era act. The law was established in 2002 and many education officials and experts argue it is overdue for changes.
President Barack Obama has highlighted reforming the act as a priority for his administration, and both Democrats and Republicans have agreed that it needs to be changed — though disagreements remain on how.
The current law sets annual student achievement targets designed with the goal of having all students proficient in math and reading by 2014, a standard now viewed as wildly unrealistic.
Duncan said the law has done well in shining a light on achievement gaps among minority and low-income students, as well as those who are still learning English or have disabilities. But he said the law is loose on goals and narrow on how schools get there when it should be the opposite.
"We should get out of the business of labeling schools as failures and create a new law that is fair and flexible, and focused on the schools and students most at risk," Duncan said.
The Department of Education said its estimate was based on four years of data and the assuming all schools would improve at the same rate as the top quartile.
"Even under these assumptions, 82 percent of America's schools could be labeled 'failing' and, over time, the required remedies for all of them are the same — which means we will really fail to serve the students in greatest need," Duncan said.

Jesse Jackson Jr, "Change Constitution So Every Ghetto Kid Gets an iPod and Laptop" -

Jesse Jackson Jr, "Change Constitution So Every Ghetto Kid Gets an iPod and Laptop" -



This is a hilarious speech from Jesse Jackson Jr., he says how the government should just declare an endless stream of products and services "rights" and somehow that would automatically create tons of jobs and solve our unemployment problems. Who is going to pay for all his socialist schemes is left out, apparently he thinks the government creates its own wealth.

Man found dead near top of 1,000-foot radio tower in Oak Park Michigan - If you go to Google maps, you can see his body -

Man found dead near top of 1,000-foot radio tower in Oak Park Michigan - If you go to Google maps, you can see his body -


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OAK PARK – Police are investigating the death of a man whose body was found near the top of a 1,000 foot radio broadcast tower Tuesday.

The man was reportedly wearing only a T-shirt and underwear when he was discovered on a platform on the tower.

Police said workers discovered the body of a young black man about 12:30 p.m. after they scaled the tower at 20931 Meyers near Eight Mile Road to do repair work.

“They found the body at the top of the tower,” said Oak Park Deputy Public Safety Director Steve Cooper. “We have not identified him yet.”

Cooper said investigators would have a better idea of what may have killed the man after an autopsy is done Tuesday by the Oakland County Medical Examiner.

There were no obvious signs of violence on the body such as stab or gunshot wounds, police said.

“We’re not ruling anything out as to the cause of death,” Cooper said.


Link - http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=20931+Meyers,+oak+park,+Michigan,+United+States&aq=&sll=42.504123,-83.769379&sspn=0.083779,0.181789&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=20931+Meyers+Rd,+Oak+Park,+Oakland,+Michigan+48237,+United+States&t=h&ll=42.447703,-83.173441&spn=0.000655,0.00142&z=20