Bush's No Child Left Behind solution: Keep'em dumb.....Like me!

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13834334&BRD=1712&PAG=461&dept_id=478996&rfi=6

School district cancels spelling bee

LINCOLN -- Karen Adams always enjoyed receiving her invitation. The WPRI-TV news anchorwoman and Lincoln resident looked forward to penciling in the school district’s spelling bee in her appointment calendar.

But there’s no note in her calendar this year. The Lincoln district has decided to eliminate this year’s spelling bee -- a competition involving pupils in grades 4 through 8, with each school district winner advancing to the state competition and a chance to proceed to the national spelling bee in Washington, D.C.
Advertisement Through the years, it had become a tradition for Adams to pronounce and define spelling words used in the bee.

<snip>

The administrators decided to eliminate the spelling bee, because they feel it runs afoul of the mandates of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

<snip>

The administrators agreed, Newman said, that a spelling bee doesn’t meet the criteria of all children reaching high standards -- because there can only be one winner, leaving all other students behind.

------------------------------------------------------------------

As Mr. Incredible had said:
"They keep finding new ways to celebrate mediocrity" :eyes:

That is just dumb n/t

Sit a high school kid down and ask the following questions:

1.) Name Your Congressman
2.) What's the Capital City of Eygpt...even better, find it on a map.
3.) What does GDP mean...not what it really means, I'll just take the abbreviations
4.) Figure out a 15% tip on $50.00 without a calculator
5.) Come within 1,000 of the current dead American solider in Iraq.

Wanna bet most fail this one.

Then ask them who the lead guitarist for the Foo Fighters or which video game is the best and you'll get an essay.

Our culture has become so self absorbed in its own pleasure and self-importance and no one is targeted more than kids and teens. They're told not to "bother their haids" with complicated things like learning about the government, and to become part of the short-attention span consumer cult. Don't try to figure how money works (since you're gonna need it one day), instead avoid anything that doesn't involve some quick self gratification or status.

In the middle ages, the kings kept the populace illiterate, ignorant and in fear...it kept the serfs from rising up and thinking. Looks like we've just updated this old system.