The Pride

I would like to address two Presidents in my article this week.  The first is the new President of the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals, better known as Mrs. Julie Germann.  Willard R-II is blessed to have top of the line employees.  I do not publicly praise administrators enough, but this is clearly a time to say congratulations to Mrs. Germann.  Julie is a long time elementary principal in our district.  Her work ethic and dedication to education is clearly respected by the people in our community and around Missouri.  Julie will not only be an advocate for all Missouri educators in this position but will spread the good things occurring at Willard to the entire state.  Please join me in dropping Julie a line and a pat on the back for a job well done!

The second President I would like to address is the President of the United States. 

Dear President Bush, I voted for you, but you are leaving me behind.  I have supported the “No Child Left Behind” program and have worked hard to help students achieve the predetermined levels of success.  However it will not be more than a couple years until our school will fail, just like every other school around.  One of the most important elements of a successful educator is to help all kids succeed.  If you don’t quit claiming that NCLB is perfect then you have doomed all schools to failure.  I admit that NCLB has pushed schools to get better.  I do not think your original intent was to push all kids to failure instead of success.  This program should not be trashed but you must open it for review and improvement or we will all fail.   
Kent 

I have included an article from the Washington Post below.

Have a great Spring Break!!!

Congratulations again to our local President Germann.

Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin

Dozens in GOP Turn Against Bush’s Prized ‘No Child’ Act
The Washington Post, March 15
WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 50 GOP members of the House and Senate — including the House’s second-ranking Republican — will introduce legislation today that could severely undercut President Bush’s signature domestic achievement, the No Child Left Behind Act, by allowing states to opt out of its testing mandates.  For a White House fighting off attacks on its war policy and dealing with a burgeoning scandal at the Justice Department, the GOP dissidents’ move is a fresh blow on a new front. Among the co-sponsors of the legislation are House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a key supporter of the measure in 2001, and John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Bush’s most reliable defender in the Senate. Rep. Eric Cantor (Va.), the House GOP’s chief deputy whip and a supporter in 2001, has also signed on. … [A] spokesman for Blunt said that after several meetings with school administrators and teachers in southwest Missouri, the House Republican leader turned against the measure he helped pass.