"America is the best half-educated country in the world." Nicholas M. Butler

I cannot be for sure that Butler meant what I got by this quote, but it seems to sum up our education pretty well. The problem is that America tries so hard to make sure everyone has education, that it is really screwing itself over. No Child Left Behind and like concepts sound really good on paper, but in reality cause problems for students who want to learn. Honestly, the program is focused so hard one specific category of children (ex. African American males on free/reduce lunch) that the others are all suffering. Because of the way the program goes, new standards are set every year - with the old ones never being met. It turns into a whirlwind of efforts that due nothing.

An example would be at Winburn. Our seventh grade year, our CATS testing slogan was "89 is the goal in mind" or something cheesy (keep in mind the test goes to an 140) and we did not meet that goal, labeling us as a failing school - again. My eighth grade year, they hired a tries-to-be-so-peppy-all-the-time CATS testing coach, of sorts, to get on the morning announcements and give us motivation and hints about the test. We even did a countdown starting 100 days before the test. That year, it was "91 is what it will be" or something. I could not believe they would raise our standards without us even getting to the the first one. Of course we failed; they are setting us up to do so.

While many parts of our education system are being reformed, we still have a lot of major issues. One I have been faced with once I came to Henry Clay is the wide range of teachers that should not necessarily be teaching. When I am taking the same class as someone else, I feel like it is only right that I should get a comparable education in it as they do. This is often not the case. I understand the difference between general, advanced, AP, and academy leveled classes should vary, but not within them. I know what it feels like to be both on the top and bottom of the teacher pool and the inconsistency makes building upon concepts so much more difficult.

I would like to see stricter limitations on who can take advanced and AP level classes at Henry Clay. A placement test is not necessarily what I'm talking about, but some sort of small writing assignment or recommendation process or something would work wonders. I hate it when you are in an advanced class that is an absolute zoo; some actually monkeys could comprehend the concepts better than the students in the classes. All they do is cause negative consequences for themselves, the other students, and the teachers. After some of the advanced math classes I have been in, I would never step foot in a general class; what can they possibly get done in there? I believe the standard should be re-established that general classes are for the general public, therefore most people should be in general classes. You must show a little bit of effort to be placed in an advanced level course, and a lot more to be in AP. If people were placed in environments that are challenging, yet appropriate, students would be more inclined to participate and learn.