Talent Search/Upward Bound (wrote letter today)

[Horse with no Name]

March 7, 2005

Dear Members of Congress;

The current budget submitted by the Bush administration seeks to funnel funds from the successful programs of Talent Search and Upward Bound into the unpopular No Child Left Behind which is at best is a substandard program designed for failure instead of success. NCLB requires that 95 percent of students meet basic math and reading standards and another 40 percent exceed them. Another 88 percent of students must meet attendance standards. Schools must make “adequate yearly progress” toward reaching the goal of 100 percent compliance. This program is taking the important and necessary studies out our schools in order to pass these tests, and indeed, many educators are cheating at these tests just to keep their jobs. NCLB promotes nothing positive and everything negative.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/registration/register.jsp?fw=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/123104dnmetcheating.add1e.html

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBSJ81NX2E.html
Personally, I would prefer my child spend his/her time learning about geography, history, and science so that they can compete in a global economy instead of how to pass a standardized test. By NCLB, we are encouraging an entire generation of children who will not know the definition of critical thinking, let alone how to implement it.
National standards are unrealistic because children don’t learn at the same pace, and unfair because single-day testing decides whether they pass or not. NCLB does not prepare these kids for the future; it is just a random dipstick into the high school education.
However, the kids involved in Upward Bound/Talent Search can realize tangible benefits from these programs in the form of being adequately prepared for college as well as instills in them the need for a college education. I have included the link for state-by-state impact of these programs.
http://trioprograms.org/news05/StatebyStateImpact.pdf
This administration also has record deficits that our children will be saddled with for many years to come. If our children and grandchildren are being saddled with record debt before they even reach the age of 18, then as their guardians we are duty bound to give them the tools they need to face this critical juncture. We cannot in good conscience take away their educational opportunities and I strongly urge the members of Congress to stand up for these kids. You were elected to serve the best interests of our society, and it is time that you stand up for whom you were elected. With election time just around the corner for many of you, this is your litmus test.
In the many days ahead you will be presented with legislation that seeks to dismantle many of programs that are beneficial to our society. Please don’t burden our children with debt and then take away their only hope of not being able to pay for this deficit.
The future of these kids is in your hands. It is incumbent on you to do the right thing.
Below is a petition to save these programs.
http://www.petitiononline.com/ubts1234/petition.html