As I've told complained to many people, I've spent far too much time at a tire shop in the past few days. The alignment on my car is finally done, though, at least.
That's not the point of this, though.
While in the tire shop, I've overheard and been party to a number of discussions, revolving around politics in some way or another. I've kept my mouth shut for the most part, not having any foil to make a hat out of to block out the government efforts to track me once I started speaking about thoughtcrimes trying not to incite people I don't know the way I do to people I do know.
One of the conversations was about the schools, and failures of "No Child Left Behind". It doesn't take a genius to figure out what the real goal is, and why the stated goal is failing.
No Child Left Behind
- Stated Goal: set federal standards for schools and students, help schools improve so that all students do better and have better schools. Not a terrible goal.
- Real Goal: make local schools dependent on the federal dole. Move a little more power from the state and local levels to the federal level.
- Why the Real Goal can't/won't Work: As with most things in politics/government, a small group (like a school board?) might actually be able to do things well. A group far insulated from the actual schools (like in Washington?) isn't going to be able to run things effectively.
- The Rub: add in more layers of beaurocracy, and skim a little money off the top at each one. Suddenly the schools are forced to comply with tons of requirements, and not getting much from it, since it's been skimmed at the Federal, (Regional?), State, County, and finally District levels. That doesn't leave a whole lot.
Next up, faith-based initiatives. Anyone want to guess what the real goal for that is?
Another thing to keep in mind is that No Child Left Behind also mandates that names of young people be given to military recruiters by the schools.
In the given environment of a massive, no-end-in-sight general war in the Middle East, imagine how effective such a database would be for a government intent on finding young people who refuse to file with Selective Service after a draft has been initiated.
It gives an entirely new meaning to No Child Left Behind, doesn't it?