Unemployment rates are rising. Job security is becoming obsolete. Birth rates have hit an all-time low. High school drop out rates are progressively increasing.

The future of America is looking bleak. If less people are having children and the children that are in school are dropping out, the pool of individuals to pick from to run our country's future leaves "slim-pickin's".

It's time that America tackles our education epidemic in order sufficiently educate the K-12 generation. If it's not effectively dealt with by our future presidents, here's what's left: drop out rates continue to increase. Children who remain and don't drop out receive less-than-favorable education. That leaves the generation of our future. Leaders who are insufficiently educated.

Please, lets encourage our candidates to come up with a strategic method to steer education in the right track. Encourage presidential candidates to debate No Child Left Behind!

Proactive Presidents: Address No Child Left Behind!

While criticizing "testing over teaching" in the No Child Left Behind act, John Edwards said, "You Don't Make a Hog Fatter by Weighing it." Hilary Clinton says that the act is simply not working and Barack Obama claims that the NCLB needs a serious overhaul.

Oh yea? So what do they propose should be done to correct the problem? Clinton and Obama are both potential future presidents and they aren't addressing the problem; they are simply criticizing it.

There are countless problems to criticize within American democracy. The easy part is to bad-mouth the situation rather than sort out a solution. I need a proactive president: show, don't tell. Lets debate!




http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/us/politics/23child.html

Presidential Debates Are Leaving Children Behind

It's no secret that the quality of education in the United States is lacking. With the November elections rapidly approaching, we are entertained by mud-slinging instead of addressing hot-topic issues such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

Critics of the NCLB Act argue that standardized assessments are motivating educators to "teach to the test" while supporters assert that this systematic testing is revealing which schools are in need of intervention. As constituents, we could ponder the pros and cons of both arguments all day long; however, the question must be raised: Why aren't our presidential candidates? 

If the future of our nation is in the hands non-satisfactory education, how are we supposed to adequately educate our up-and-coming politicians? Folks, leave the mud-slinging at the door and focus on the youth. Mud-slinging doesn't determine our future.