Democrats must demand more education spending« Thread Started on Jan 26, 2007, 6:34pm » --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Democrats must demand more education spendingby Greg MathisJanuary 26, 20075 years ago, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind law. This piece of legislation was intended to improve the public school system by increasing the penalties for schools that didn't meet academic standards. Schools were required to test students in math and reading and were held accountable for the results. If a student was struggling, he/she could receive free tutoring and, if the school continued to fall short of expectations, students are allowed to transfer schools. Schools that repeatedly fail were subject to harsh penalties, including closing. Though controversial, the law was an attempt to provide America's public school children with a quality education. There was one huge flaw with the bill, however. Expectations for schools went up, but federal spending on public education didn't increase sufficiently. Without adequate funding, schools couldn't implement the strategies need to improve their schools. They were doomed to fail and, in turn, so are our children. The No Child Left Behind Act is up for renewal. With the Democrats exerting their recently won power in the Congress, now is the time for progressive thinkers to fight for an increase in education spending.read at source> http://www.chicagodefender.com/page/edi ... cleID=8304