1% of the population owns the majority of the wealth in this country

[VinBucFan]

The county building is in my town. That means welfare checks are given out in my town. That means many of these people getting these checks live in my town to be close to the building. That means many of these peoples children go to the local school. It is a sad state of my school. Really good facilities because of the amount of state aid that is given because it is now a poor district but not many use them. The teachers spend time trying to deal with the trouble makers while the students who want to learn sit and wait. The parents call the district office and treat the school like day care. Calls are made home that little Johnny isn't doing his home work and parents respond with "so what" and "what am I suppose to do about it".

It has to start at home and no amount of government funding can make the parents care.

This ^^ is precisely what I meant

[dbucfan]

There are plenty of people who consider it cool to be a parent.

And is the rearing and education of their children something you want the Federal Government to do?  What you want the Federal Government to do is the key to so much of this.

Where did I say I wanted the Federal Government to do anything?  If anything they should stop making stupid mandates that cause our kids to be tested to death with no real benefit.

You didn't - but in considering possible corrections to the current unsatisfactory outcomes the thought has been raised in this thread - and that is what folks have to decide.  Mandates have origins - local, state or federal... where do folks want decisions made?

[dbucfan]

I would posit that it is the school being evaluated more so than the individual student.

And I would offer that is correct - and that means the focus has been taken from the student.  And that is the practical outcome - intervening levels of middle management so that large groups can be managed from afar.  Accountability is lost at the local level as teachers make middle managers happy - and get the grade the school needs...

[olafberserker]

Accountability isn't lost?  The ability to actually "teach" has been taken from the teachers.  It starts at the federal level trickles down to the state level and then to the local level.   

[dbucfan]

Accountability to the students and parents