Project Citizen Policy Reccomendation HelP?
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Author Topic: Project Citizen Policy Reccomendation HelP?  (Read 1909 times)
War on Want
Evilmexicandictator
Junior Chimp
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Posts: 7,643
Uzbekistan


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E: -6.19, S: -8.00

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« on: March 24, 2008, 10:57:22 PM »

Our Public Policy Recommendation
   Our public policy recommendation plan is something fairly untested around the country, but it takes bits and pieces of many Centrist groups, and other policies supported by Special Interest Groups, and centrist, fairly non-partisan Congressmen. Our solutions are a fairly major overhaul of the current Education system because we feel that the current system does not work and most Conservative and Liberal congressmen on both sides of the aisle are pandering to groups to get votes. Our public policy plan deals with 5 main steps for reform, the first minor reforms and the later ones much more major:
•   For the first two years increasingly offer incentives in either the form of a 300 dollar tax cut or 200 dollar pay for all students who graduate. This plan would be phased in to less successful schools and later to all.
•   Toughen up around schools for financing immediately so that there is no “luxury” spending for swimming pools, and other sports equipment rather than books and teacher pay.
•   Immediately introduce merit pay raise for teachers so that those who succeed will get paid more than those who are average, there will be a highly regulated system for this. We will also work with Unions so that this benefits all teachers. We will also immediately offer a 2,000$ pay raise for all teachers, and a 2,000$ extra for those who work in troubled inner-city schools. This should increase teacher quality.
•   In the next 4 years introduce more “on the job” classes and other more “real life” classes so that students get a more interactive school career which keeps them organized and also competitive in the workforce with other countries.
•   Our most major plan of policy will take 10 years to do and will be slowly phased out across the country. This school will be called a Trade Academy and will actually be a real job for reduced pay, where students would actually get in job training. Almost all job classes offered would be Physical Labor. Unions and Businesses would cooperate to train future workers. This should make students more interested in staying in school and will actually lead to having more Skilled Labor across the country leading to more competition around the world.
Our plan is not limited by the state or national constitution and does not breach any existing laws. Our plan is actually supported by the Constitution, because it will lead to the General Welfare of people begin raised.
   Our agency in the government should be the Education Branch of the government that will oversight it around the country and make small changes if some elements of the plan do not work. The branch of the government that would pass the Bill would be the Legislative Branch and the Education and Labor Committees on the House might make changes to the Bill. After this the Department of Education should run the Bill’s contents.
   Our public policy should be mainly run involve Civil Society, but also includes the Private Sphere because they will assist the Trade Schools existence. Our main reason for this is that often the Private Sphere does not get the job done without stiff regulation or that it is not fairly equal as our society is based off of Trade and Profits. We also believe that Education, should be a thing of total equality.


Any ideas for help? This is homework
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Four49
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United States


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« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2008, 05:47:53 PM »

Overall, you have some good ideas, and I believe you're on the right path.  I'll give you my thoughts point by point.

I'm not in favor of paying students to graduate.  Or even to get good grades.  I think student apathy is a cultural problem, in that their only motivation for 'success' is future 'success' (good grades = good college = good job = more stuff/better life etc.)  We have to find a way to get kids to understand that knowledge and wisdom are their own rewards. 

I have some experience with this.  I was a mystery to my teachers because I aced every test, but never did much of my homework, leading to straight D's.  Until my dad bet me fifty bucks I couldn't get all A's for one semester.  I ended up with a 4.0 GPA.  Next semester - straight D's.  This may initially support the argument of paying for performance, but my point is, I didn't care about proving myself to teachers or competing with other students, so I floated my way through school.  Now, I have a thirst for knowledge because I eventually recognized it as its own reward.  If we could instill that in children without forcing on them the need for approval from people of authority or the need to 'seperate themselves from the pack', they'd actually learn because they want to, not because they feel the need to.

I couldn't agree more with your second point.

I agree with merit pay, but would need more details on what would be considered a 'good teacher'.  Is it based only on test scores?  This seems to already be in effect - No Child Left Behind.

I definitely think we need more trade schools, and I believe this is in effect in some places, like NYC.  But would it be a choice of the student, the faculty, the parents, or all of the above?  Not everybody knows what they want to do with their life when they're young.  I literally only 'voluntarily' read one book, a collection of Poe short stories, until I was 19.  I simply had no interest.  Now, I'm a writer and read everything I can get my hands on.

And I have a problem with the idea "Almost all job classes offered would be Physical Labor."  Why?  Not sure if it was your intention, but this reeks of classism.  To me anyway.  Why not a Music Academy, an Art Academy, a Business Academy, even a Sports Academy, a Medical Academy, or a Civics Academy.  This list goes on and on.  I don't see any reason to limit it to Physical Labor.

Overall, your recommendation has the right spirit - it stresses the need for better education in the form of more interest and therefore more involvement from the students, as well as more commitment from teachers.  But if it was put up for a vote, I'd ultimately vote no.  I don't think it would lead to your goal, i.e. "because it will lead to the General Welfare of the people being raised."  If by welfare, you mean comfortabilty and job security, maybe, but there's no proof those two things lead to anything else. 

It seems to me that most individuals judge their own well-being on wether or not they are satisfied with the direction or outcome of their life.  Simply giving the government more control over education isn't going to change that, I'd argue the opposite.  If students are forced to decide the path of their lives before they're ready to do so, or even worse, that decision is made for them, you'll have a more 'qualified' workforce, but that doesn't mean it will be a better one.

Good luck on the assignment!
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Four49
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Posts: 197
United States


Political Matrix
E: -3.42, S: -8.09

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« Reply #2 on: November 24, 2008, 05:49:14 PM »

I just noticed how old this post is!  I'd be interestd to know how this went over with your teacher and classmates.
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