Gen. Clark outlined these issues when he spoke before the U. S. House of Representatives for the subcommittees on Education Reform and Education in the Workforce. Wesley Clark is very concerned about America's future competitiveness against the likes of China and others.
Fund All-Day Kindergarten and Required pre-school for all 4-year olds
Create World-Class System — Curriculum and Programs
Improve Student:Teacher Ratios (18:1 for grades 4-12)
Staff Special-Needs for Demand, Some schools need more staff than others of same enrollment
Teacher Pay Commensurate with Value to Society
Child Left Behind has been underfunded and poorly implemented
Tests don’t measure individual success“…administration has focused too much on narrow tests and punishments, and too little on ensuring that every child can learn and succeed.”
He appears to be on the teacher's union payroll.
You hit the nail on the head JW. Looks like the union bought another politician. I particularly like item 6, If we paid teachers what they were worth, most othem would be working for free or owe the taxpayers money.
stumpy is it your contention that the majority of teachers are bad?
Teacher Pay Commensurate with Value to Society. is this what you dont agree with?
S&S-- Mr Clark's speech seems to be right out of the NEA handbook.
I believe in pay for a job well done. A job done with consistency year after year. In all truthfulness, some if not many, teachers would not fall into that category. Then there is the method used to determine their "value to society". Do the unions decide, the taxpayers, the students, graduation rates, college admission tests, We have a major problem gauging their "value". If the west coast in producing better teachers does the east coast get a raise? This is all a smoke screen aimed at procuring votes with the promise of whatever will get the most traction with a voter base. I admit I will not be backing some one with hidden agenda while he tries to blow smoke up a certain orifice.
well i will say it is difficult to measure "value to society". pay for performance as we had previously discussed is a florida and texas program.
i think they are the only two states that do this. i figure it is because they are two of the lowest ranked public school systems in the country.
however i do think good teachers should get paid a good amount. of course the problem is determining guidelines or a some type of rating system. but stump as far as wes clark is concerned if that is the worst we can find on him that certainly puts him way ahead of all the other candidates on both sides, wouldn't you agree?
i will dream of a clark / hagel or hagel / clark ticket. as i have stated on other posts i want either the president or the vp to have not only had military experience but combat experience as well. with clark & hagel you get that with both.
Well S&S we seem to have a little bit of an agreement I think Hagel would be a good choice but Clark seem to pander to his base a lot more than I think an ex-military man and future Prez should. I currently lean towards Newt/ Hagel or Hagel /Newt. Although Steve forbes is also on the top of the possibles list.
stumpy i had to laugh when i read your post. of course clark is going to pander if you want to call it that. are you going to tell me hagel and gingrich dont? cmon. every politician panders to their party to some degree. this is called unity for a reason. ya kn ow to get a rep. from each party. also we probably agree on more than you think except in my opionated opinion i think i am a lot more open minded than you.
Wesley Clark, as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe was responsible for thousands of U.S. Military school children under his command. He's been there and done that. How many politicians do you know have administrative experience with schools and REALLY understand the issues of educating our young. While other politicians eat in the dining room and declare how good the food is, Wes has been in the kitchen making the meal. Leadership Experience is what counts for me.
Spurred by an accountability-conscious political climate and reports of school districts revamping pay models, several states have committed to developing teacher bonus or compensation programs related to student and/or teacher performance.
Among those states are Arizona, Florida, Iowa, and Kentucky. Education World takes a brief look here at their initiatives, and some of the potential obstacles to implementing them, including a shortage of details and funds. More information about differentiated pay programs for teachers in the U.S. can be found on the Web site of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE).
ARIZONA
S&S --we do see most of the issues pretty much the same. I admit I have a weird set of principles but I blame that on my parents (ha, ha).
I have a long memory and remember some of the comments Clark made when he was running for Prez last cycle (2004). I can't qualify or quantify, my misgivings, as much as it is my hunch he is not saying what he wants to say or is trying to hide another agenda. I spent a great deal of time dealing with "military commander types" like Wes Clark over the years and I can usually tell in the first five minutes if they are sincere or playing head games.
I have not had a chance to check out the pay for performance site you mention above, but if you have been as thorough as usual it should be interesting reading.
Since 2024 I've seen Wes Clark on Fox News, CNBC, and speak at various events. He means what he says and says things as he believes it to be. What I think is great about him, is he puts America first. Duty, Honor, Country seem to be the code by which he lives. Which politicians can you name graduated first in their class? Wes Clark first in his class at West Point. Which politician can you name is a Rhodes Scholar? Which politician can you name was shot four times in VietNam and received a real Silver Star? Which politician can you name commanded anything but their own political career? Which politician can you name lived on a military salary for 33years before getting into politics? Wes Clark is knowledgeable, humble, and a true American and American hero. He panders to no one, he doesn't have to.