Senate Bill: Atlasian Education Modernization Act (Rejected)

[Napoleon]

Okay, I have some amendments to propose but I only find it fair to let the sponsor speak first, so go ahead Senator!

[Napoleon]

Amendment to replace section five:

SECTION 5. TEACHERS

1.   All teachers will be allowed to submit additional age-appropriate textbooks relevant to their respective curriculums.

2.   Regions applying for benefits must specify the minimum education level expected of their teachers.

2a.  Existing teachers whose level of education is below the region's requirement may retain their jobs, but will be required to attend a nightly college until the standard is met.  Tuition will be covered exclusively by the region.

3.  There shall be no specific curriculum assigned to any teacher from the Federal government but general curriculum guidelines shall remain intact.

4.   All school principals will be required to, assess their teachers for competence and expertise in their field of study and send their reports to their respective regions.  The appropriate regulatory department will be authorized to set its own guidelines on how each individual teacher will be paid and terminate the jobs of those deemed incompetent.

[Napoleon]

Unfriendly unless the amendment is modified to guarantee the right of teachers to unionize.

The constitution already does that so what's the point

[Napoleon]

If the sponsor wishes to withdraw,  I would like to sponsor.

[Napoleon]

I will go ahead and object to TNF's amendment to Section 5 then.

If the sponsor wishes to withdraw,  I would like to sponsor.

I am considering withdrawing this bill and starting from scratch.

You don't hold a monopoly on education reform. If you don't want to push this bill, I do. But I think you do, so its moot.

[Napoleon]

Then why not operate them like normal public schools?

[Napoleon]

I prefer to keep privately fundex private schools but I can't support publicly funded private schools. Makes no sense at all.

[Napoleon]

Yeah, i don't understand how something so stupid is so crucial to this bill. That wasn't explained in the Northeast when I asked about it, and it isn't being explained now.

I think 90% of this Senate will agree that the State should not fund private schools. Personally I don't see a problem with private schools charging tuition, obviously most of them offer tuition breaks and such to lower income students and that's well within their right. I think private schools should have to meet certain basic academic standards and other requirements but what this bill is asking for benefits neither private schools nor students.

[Napoleon]

In Finland

I hate to point out the obvious, but we aren't Finland. We're Atlasia, and the way we do things here is not easily compared to the way things are done in a socially homogenous nation smaller than the state of Wisconsin.

I understand Finland has had success with their system. Still, you'd think if it was the sole blueprint for success, we wouldn't be the only nation trying to replicate such a system. I've always said that a regionalized education system is better than a top-down federal approach that TNF has hinted at because what works in certain cultures can be vastly different from the next. And I think this is a case of that. What works in Finland was designed with the Finnish population in mind- not Atlasia's. We have to do what works for Atlasia.

[Napoleon]

I'm objecting to the amendment.

I'd like to remind the Senator that health care wasn't passed by people throwing out crucial aspects of the bill because "people might not agree with it".

[Napoleon]

Nay

[Napoleon]

I will go ahead and object to TNF's new amendment in that case

[Napoleon]

I have considerable issues with the original clause two. Particularly as it relates to the health care mandate it contains, which would naturally come into conflict with the requirements of Fritzcare, which theoretically would ensure they already are covered.

As for the lunch mandate, don't we already have that in place as it is? I am sort of confused about its purpose and most certainly what would be accomplished with the requirement. I am not aware of a school that doesn't provide lunch.

Many elementary schools don't.

Cite?

[Napoleon]

I have considerable issues with the original clause two. Particularly as it relates to the health care mandate it contains, which would naturally come into conflict with the requirements of Fritzcare, which theoretically would ensure they already are covered.

As for the lunch mandate, don't we already have that in place as it is? I am sort of confused about its purpose and most certainly what would be accomplished with the requirement. I am not aware of a school that doesn't provide lunch.

Many elementary schools don't.

Cite?

I went to two.

In the US, there's a federal school lunch program so we offer lunch. IIRC, you're from a rural area so it's understandable but none of our schools should have that problem urban or rural.

Also, this: https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/School_Lunch_Act

[Napoleon]

Amendment proposal


SECTION 7. STANDARDIZED TEST REFORM

All ties between federal funding and federally mandated standardized tests are hereby repealed. Federally mandated standardized tests shall remain in place for the sole purpose of tracking progress and success in education policy as administered by the Department of Education and Secretary of Internal Affairs. Standardized test results may be submitted to universities for the purpose of college admissions.

[Napoleon]

Amendment proposal

SECTION 6. SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

1.   All schools below college shall be required to be open to students for at least 190 days per year for at least 7.5 hours a day for no less than eleven years.  One hour each day must be reserved to study hall periods and recess, which shall be required in all schools.

2.   All students across all regions will be entitled to health care (including mental health) and daily lunch.  If a student is of an income level below $25,000, their lunches shall be at no cost.

3. The School Lunch Act (FL 31-20) is hereby repealed.

[Napoleon]

I agree than standardized tests shouldn't be linked to funding, but couldn't they be used for higher education admission, instead of all those tests made by private organisations?

Works for me, I included that in a modification

[Napoleon]

Amendment proposal

SECTION 8. MISCELLANEOUS

The School Standards Reform Act of 2009 is amended as follows:

Section 3: Middle School Reforms

    All public middle schools must offer at least one foreign language program. Enrollment in said program may be optional, as dictated by regional and district law.
    All students in grades 6 through 8 shall be required to study science, English, history, physical education, and mathematics for all of their three years in said grades. All public middle schools must offer said subjects for all three grades.

Section 4: High School Reforms

    All public high school students must complete, between 9th and 12th grade, at least four courses in mathematics, four courses in English, three courses in a single foreign language, three courses in the social sciences, one course in Atlasian history, two courses in physical education, three courses of science with at least three of said courses lab intensive, in addition to four elective courses.
    All public high schools must offer classes on mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, English, Atlasian history, world history, physical education, and at least (but not limited to) two different foreign languages sufficient in number to allow students to complete the above requirements.
    All public high schools with a student body greater than 400 that offer at least 8 advanced courses (Advanced Placement, Running Start and International Baccalaureate are acceptable) shall receive up to 60% the total cost of such programs split evenly between the governing region and federal government.

SECTION 9. FUNDING

TBD

SECTION 10. IMPLEMENTATION

This law shall go into effect at the start of the 2015 school year.

[Napoleon]

I think standardized testing does have some uses, especially as one of the ways to evaluate teachers. I do agree with separating it from funding, since poorer schools will have lower scores than richer ones, which means they get less funding thus the more they are starved of resources leading to a downward spiral. We should be measuring the improvement in scores over a year, as opposed to comparing the overall scores between schools.

That was my goal. I don't like the reactionary response to standardized tests because as you said that data is very useful for formulating new policies and finding where to make necssary adjustments. And I think they help kids learn how to test better over time which can help with college admissions and stuff.

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That is a bit confusing, should I change my amendment to amendment that part of the bill too? And I tend to agree with TJ about recess and study hall.

[Napoleon]

Regions can use their own standardized tests. The fed needs to keep a uniform standard so we can compare and analyze.

[Napoleon]

What is the point of repealing The School Lunch Act?

the clause just above defines new criteria for the threshold under which lunches are free. Having two limits on the same thing in different laws isn't possible.

True, but there is more to The School Lunch Act then providing subsidies.

There isn't...

[Napoleon]

Yeah we did the salad bars three years ago. I doubt they get used.

[Napoleon]

This is moderate heroism at its worst, though.  If Napoleon's standardized testing amendment passes, I probably won't even vote for the final bill, since that proposal completely obliterates one of our top priorities for reform.

Yeah how dare other Senators try to contribute to MY BILL. This is my Senate and we do things my way.

The debate was no different in the Northeast.

[Napoleon]

Alright, cool

[Napoleon]

So is there a vote going on right now, or?

I'd say what some know as a hissy-fit is going on right now.