Items in brackets [ ] are possible alternative readings or items that may need to be considered. A. Attendance Congress shall eliminate all federal appropriations to any state and any municipality that does not require a person, having attained the age of six years, to attend school until either attaining the age of eighteen years, or receiving a high school diploma, or receiving a vocational training certificate, or completing a special education program. B. National Educational Standards (NEST) 1. The National Academy of Arts and Sciences (a) Establishment [Congress shall create the National Academy of Arts and Sciences which shall consist of members appointed by the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, the President of the United States and the executive authorities of the several states.] âor- [Congress shall create the National Academy of Arts and Sciences which shall consist of one person appointed by each United States Representatives and each United States Senator and five hundred and thirty-five members appointed by the President of the United States and a number appointed by the executive authority of each state equaling the total number of representatives and senators which their state has in Congress.] (b) Powers The National Academy of Arts and Sciences shall have the power to: -establish, [with the advice and consent of two-thirds of the members of both Houses of Congress] âor- [with the concurrence of two-thirds of its members], a national curriculum for all grades from Kindergarten to grade twelve and such curriculum shall include physical education, vocational training and instruction in the proper use of the flag of the United States, but may not include instruction in using the metric system except when necessary to facilitate the natural sciences component of the curriculum, nor may the curriculum present any theory or philosophy pertaining to the origins of the universe and the life therein to the exclusion of any other theory or philosophy; -devise a national exam or national evaluation requirements for all grades and all subjects of the national curriculum; -evaluate textbooks, multi-media materials and other educational materials and, [with the advice and consent of two-thirds of the members of both Houses of Congress] [with the concurrence of two-thirds of its members], recommend them for use in NEST schools; -establish, [with the advice and consent of two-thirds of the members of both Houses of Congress] âor- [with the concurrence of two-thirds of its members], national education and training standards for all persons employed as instructors and administrators in NEST schools. 2. NEST Schools (a) Establishment Congress shall enact legislation whereby the association of the parents or legal guardians of [number of] students may establish a NEST school or the association of the parents or legal guardians of two-thirds of the students enrolled in any existing public school, for which Congress has previously appropriated money, may assume management of the public school for the purpose of establishing a NEST school. (b) Obligations In order to receive an appropriation by Congress a NEST school shall -have within each calendar year five nine-week grading terms, each consisting of no less than forty days of instruction; -have eighty percent of its students score at least eighty percent on each of the national exams or comply with eighty per cent of the evaluation requirements established by the National Academy of Arts and Sciences for every subject and every grade for which the school provides instruction; -make all of the school's facilities available to the general public during non-school hours providing that such access does not disrupt the operation of the school [prohibit extended day programs]; -prominently display the flag of the United States in all classrooms, offices and assembly rooms within their respective facilities; -require all students, instructional staff, administrative staff and employees to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States on each day of every academic term prior to beginning classes; -acknowledge the Star-Spangled Banner no less than one time in each week of every academic term; -observe a one-minute moment of silence on each day of every academic term prior to beginning classes- and -issue a report to the parents or legal guardians of each student enrolled at the end of each academic term, and such report shall note the student's grade for all subjects according to the percentage of the learning objectives and requirements, which the student has attained. (c) Prohibitions No NEST school may -provide or otherwise distribute any birth control devise or substance to any student or any other person; -advertise any product or service that is offered for sale for profit to any NEST student or to the general public; -prohibit any enrolled student from practicing religion or displaying any religious symbol providing that such practice and display does not disrupt the operation of the school [as determined by the concurrence of two-thirds of the school's board of directors] -sell or otherwise distribute any food product that does not comply with the nutritional requirements established by the United States Department of Agriculture- or -deny admission to any student who complies with the NEST student progression requirements for all grades and subjects which would be required of any student who had been previously enrolled in the NEST school. (d) Student Progression Each NEST school student who fails to achieve a score of seventy-five per cent on the exams and evaluation requirements established by the National Academy of Arts and Sciences for any courses within any academic term must repeat those courses and obtain a score of seventy-five percent before being allowed to take any additional courses. (e) Board of Directors Each NEST school will be administered by a board of directors consisting of the parents and legal guardians of all students enrolled in the school. The board of directors shall have the power to: -conduct lotteries under the regulation of Congress and when lotteries are operated by the government of the state wherein the school is located, to raise revenue to provide for the maintenance of their school facility, provide for the procurement of materials which are recommended by the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, provide compensation for instructors and administrators who comply with the requirements of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences and to otherwise provide for the day to day operation of their school; -employ instructional and administrative staffs who comply with the regulations established by the National Academy of Arts and Sciences; -direct [with the concurrence of two-thirds of its members] the school to establish any religious display in a common area or observe any religious ceremony; -implement disciplinary standards and procedures with the concurrence of two-thirds of its members- and -appropriate revenue provided by the federal government to provide for the maintenance of their school facility, provide for the procurement of materials which are recommended by the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, provide compensation for instructors and administrators who comply with the requirements of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences and to otherwise provide for the day to day operation of their school. (f) Parental Rights The parents and guardians of any person enrolled in a NEST school shall have the power -to request an alternative activity or assignment for their child should they choose to exempt their child from any requirement of the NEST curriculum or from any NEST school activity for religious reasons-and -the power to enroll their child in any NEST school located within their county of residence providing that students shall be enrolled on the basis of a selection lottery in the event that a NEST school lacks sufficient capacity to enroll all applicants. (g) [Limit the number of classes/students in NEST schools] (h) Accreditation The federal government will accredit all schools that maintain NEST standards. All NEST exams shall be made available to any student enrolled in a home education program or a private school and the federal government may accredit home education programs and private schools in a manner consistent with the accreditation granted to NEST schools. 3. Federal Aid (a) Matching Funds (1) Parental Congress shall appropriate to each NEST school an amount of money equal to the amount appropriated by the parents or legal guardians of the students enrolled in the school. (2) Governmental Congress shall appropriate for each student enrolled in a NEST school, an amount of money equal to the combined per student appropriations made for students enrolled in public school by the state and local authorities of the state wherein the NEST school is located. (b) Teacher Salary Congress shall guarantee a minimum annual salary of fifty thousand dollars for any teacher who complies with the requirements established by the National Academy of Arts and Sciences and who has been employed at the same NEST school for a period of five years.
Sigh. This is why education reform will never happen in this country. There are a lot of good ideas in this proposal. But why do you mix in your own political agendas? If you really want education reform, why not remove anything that's political so you can gain a wider support? If using your own logic, I have to reach the conclusion that your real purpose is not education reform. You just want to destroy education.
What part of this plan is political to your disatisfaction? Obviously you do not understand the nature of public affaris in the United States. Education is predominanlty a public function in America and no public funciton in America is without politics. There are certain aspects of this plan I do not personally approve of, but which I am willing to accept in the spirit of compromise that is needed to gain majority support.
These: I'm not sure if you're describing a school, a church, or a communist party indoctrination camp. Has it occured to you that these institutions are actually different?
Again you donât understand the necessity of compromise in a democratic society. Neither the Left, nor the Right will find this plan totally acceptable. The only plan that can garner enough public support to be enacted will require both the Left and Right to accept things they do not really want. If you think everything has to be your way or nothing, then you are the one wanting a church or communist party indoctrination camp because you want to play the dictator. BTW: Can you propose a better plan?