EDUCATION – POLICY

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Since we advocate that all Educational issues be passed to state jurisdiction, the following is advice to states:

Replace Letter Grading System with Number Grading System
If “Little Johnnie” can’t read and receives a failing grade, the parents will blame the teacher and say the teacher doesn’t “LIKE” the child; a combative relationship between the parents and teacher will result. In today’s school systems, receiving an “A” in one school has no bearing on a student’s performance in another school. If a child receives an “A”, did they really understand the subject, or does the teacher just want to please the parents? How does an “A” from a Charter School relate to an “A” from a failing school? WE SAY, “Take the issuing of grades from the teacher out of the equation and replace the A, B, C, letter grading system with a number grading system that is derived via standardized computer tests given every grading period”. The standardized tests would be similar to the ACT test high school students take before going to college. A grade of 3.5 in reading means the student reads as someone halfway through the 3rd grade. It would be much easier to tell who are good teachers and who are poor performing teachers.

ON AVERAGE the students will advance by at least 1 number grade during a school year from a good teacher. ON AVERAGE the students will advance less than a 1 number grade during a school year from a poor performing teacher.

What the Federal Government Should be and Should NOT be Doing
This is one of the few areas where the federal government could and should be doing more. This is where a federal education center could monitor performance of students in other countries and report to states their findings, which should include such programs as Programs for International Student Assessment (PISA) for all ages. Although the states would be responsible for coming up with a computer system, list of questions, and problems that will test the students during each grading period, the federal government could offer a periodic test that would permit parents, teachers, and students in one state to see how they compare to students in another state as well as the rest of the world. Otherwise, the federal government has no business in the education of America’s students. No student loans, no special teacher funding, and certainly no requirements.

WE SAY: That ALL primary and secondary educations should be privatized by states issuing student vouchers. For example, the state of Kentucky invests at least $4,000 per year in the education of each student and is given the term, Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) money. If a student progresses by more than the national rate (no matter how or where in the state they are educated, even home schooling) then we say that education program should be paid 90% of the SEEK money or $5,940 per year. The only requirement on any private or public school system is for its students to do well on the centralized testing program and advance by more than one number grade per year. Isn’t this the only real job of a school system is to advance the student by more than 1 number grade per year?

Education (Colleges & Universities)
Most engineers are graduating with wholly inadequate education. While some engineers and scientists do need to perform upper levels of mathematics, most would be better educated with courses in Project Management and Quality Engineering.<br Most engineers graduate with no knowledge of:

• How to run a project;
• How to write a business plan or balance a spreadsheet or
• How to create drawings with realistic and necessary dimensions.

Most engineering graduates go to work at factories with no idea of how to run a product or know what are acceptable tolerances. Most engineers and scientists graduate with no knowledge on how to read and write a legal contract. 

Many companies take their best engineers and technicians and promote them to supervisors. Some may be promoted to upper levels of management, but were never taught how to supervise subordinates or how to fire (or even hire) people, or how run an office. Most college business administration and finance programs do not teach how to evaluate and nurture workers. How often do we hear of the boss’ friends getting better evaluations or promotion over others? How often have we heard of the loudest speaker in a meeting getting his way? Is this a way of running businesses?