December 19, 2012
So far Congress has not resolved the fiscal cliff negotiations, and financial ratings firm Fitch Inc. recently announced that it could downgrade the U.S. credit rating if no deal is made. Last year Standard and Poor’s (S&P) downgraded the U.S. credit rating from AAA to AA+, so if Fitch follows through on its suggestion, it would be the second credit rating agency to...
October 26, 2011
One solution to the problem of how to set standards for schools that has grown increasingly popular in the U.S. is the use of private schools. Private schools usually offer smaller classrooms, and generally provide better facilities for students.
The usual argument for private schools is that they have the freedom to offer any curriculum that they choose, and the freedom to hire or fire teachers who can teach effectively. Public schools receive money from federal and state governments and are obligated to do whatever the state and national governments say....
October 18, 2011
Recent news investigations have reported that hundreds of teachers in Atlanta school districts have been involved in organized, extensive cheating programs to improve their students' test scores in order to get increased funding from the government. These actions are related to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act signed into law in 2001. Under the law, schools are given increased funds if their students record high test scores, and funds are reduced if scores are too low. Under certain circumstances, a school can be closed altogether if scores are consistently low. In other circumstances, a teacher's job may be endangered if his or her students consistently post low marks.
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