Obama's best quote was, "That responsibility begins not in our classrooms, but in our homes and communities. It’s family that first instills the love of learning in a child. Only parents can make sure the TV is turned off and homework gets done. We need to teach our kids that it’s not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair; that success is not a function of fame or PR, but of hard work and discipline."
I'd propose instead of 100,000 new teachers and the 100,000 pensions and health insurance policies that come with it we need to deal first with the parents.
How about a $100 fine per failing grade. Then distribute the fines among schools showing the most improvement as a reward. Of course those parents unable to pay could work it off at whatever school their child attends. Let's give that a try first since the cost to the taxpayer is zero and the benefits in either fines, work credits and ultimately passing grades are huge! Not to mention the side benefit of, in many cases, getting the parent(s) back involved in the child's life.
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