There’s been some pushback from the (so-called) radical left (unions, bloggers, etc., ) on some of Obama’s signature education plan. Recently, at the Urban League, he offered a defense of his approach
NYTIMES ARTICLE
Reforming education is perhaps "the economic issue of our time," President Obama [said]
"All I’m asking in return, as a president and as a parent," Mr. Obama continued, "is a measure of accountability. Surely we can agree that even as we applaud teachers for their hard work, we need to make sure they’re delivering results in the classroom. If they’re not, let’s work with them to help them be more effective. And if that fails, let’s find the right teacher for that classroom."
Pardon me, but in my humble opinion education, especially kindergarten through high school, is NOT an ‘economic’ issue, I don’t believe it is an ’economic’ issue NOW, neither do I think it EVER has been. I don’t think it is an economic issue in the first world, the developing world, or in the third world.
Education is a first and foremost a moral and ethical issue. Education is about developing the social, intellectual, and ethical capacities of our children so that they will be just citizens who will in some form or another contribute positively to the common weal (which dare I say, Mr. Obama, is NEVER about economics, though it may have an indirect effect).
It is about making sure that all children in our society get a decent education so that they can be informed, healthy, and just citizens. As a bonus, such an education should also help the child fulfill dreams about what they want to do when they grow up, or help them create dreams, or simply help them decide what might be the most fulfilling pursuit in their adulthood. Not only is it important that, in my opinion, that this be seen as the goal of education, but that it be communicated to children that that is what the goal of education is.
If there is one thing that Education should ABSOLUTELY NOT BE about is a "RACE TO THE TOP".
That’s such a horrible simile... to say that education is like a ‘RACE’. That the goal is to reach the TOP. The top of what? And what happens to those that don’t reach the top? Top by definition means there’s a middle and bottom. What happens to the kids that end up at the bottom? How will they feel knowing that Education is about the ECONOMY or a RACE TO THE TOP that they have lost. What do we do about kids that just don’t like to ‘race’? What do we do about kids who don’t have the capacity to ‘race’? Should we be emphasizing the meme of a RACE and the TOP?
Its sad that The Bush whitehouse "no child left behind" is actually a better meme that Obama's
Folks this highlights a much bigger issue. When the presidents closest buddies are Blue Dogs and Wall street water carriers, like Geithner, Summers, Rahm, Bernake and a democratic infrastructure that was weaned on the Clinton, it’s the economy stupid mantra that brought us NAFTA,, Bank deregulation, Telecom deregulation, and weddings of daughters of president that cost possibly $3-5 million dollars. It quite clear why the current president would think that Education is race to the Top.
That’s all these guys know. They just projecting their own ambitious race to the top on everyone else. If you can say one thing about Obama, Clinton's, Rahm, Geither, etc. Its the raw ambition to get to the top, which is so much clearer that the clouded sense of public service they project, say compared to someone like Volker or Warren.
If a school isn’t producing graduates with even the most basic skills — year after year after year — something needs to be done differently," Mr. Obama said. "If we want success for our country, we can’t accept failure in our schools."
Wow, how about not accepting failure in our banking industry, and "doing something differently" there? Oh wait, Elizabeth warren does not have industry experience. And Chris Dodd's been sent out to spread the whispers.
If he want to hold anyone accountable for "economics", why not start with obama's buddies Geithner, Rubin, Summers etc, whose economic world view got us into this fucking mess in the first place. Why keep them on?
Why does a GWB appointee (Bernacke) get rehired when he was central to the whole financial meltdown and lack of oversight? Why keep him, but talk about replacing non-performing teachers?
Or maybe this rhetoric is the same as when Obama says that its not just the Banker’s, but also greedy American homeowners that got us into the housing mess, or when he says that we cant control bankers pay because then we’d have to control pay for baseball players etc. as well (conveniently ignoring the fact that taxpayers don’t bail out Baseball clubs).
Folks, as I see it the rhetoric coming out of this white house is no different from what came out of the last one. The only difference is we knew they last ones were crooks, the final word is not in on this one.
All I have to say about education is:
ITS NOT THE ECONOMY STUPID.
If you want to fix the economy, first start with your economic team!