http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...el_pr/bush_gop

I find this to be the most troublesome thing he said. He believes, for some obscure reason, that he is in some way assisting people.
Perhaps he should go teach some children in inner city locations, without the Secret Service hanging out to scare everyone into submission?

Anyone who knows anything about the current status of children and teens within schools knows that the schools themselves are degenerating in some areas, degenerating into cesspools of violence and hatred.
Little children not even capable of understanding the ABC's attack each other with pencils, and teachers are forced to deal with teaching sexual education(Birds and the bees), morales and how to act correctly.
Parents, on the other hand, are often known to scream at teachers when the children do poorly in school, even though often it is the child's fault for not caring to even do the homework.

Also, what's with this "No Child Left Behind" thing he wants to reinforce?
Well, let's go take a gander at it!
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/index.html?src=ov
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Schools that do not make progress must provide supplemental services, such as free tutoring or after-school assistance; take corrective actions; and, if still not making adequate yearly progress after five years, make dramatic changes to the way the school is run.
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Well, I can easily point out what's wrong here.
They're putting the entire choice in the hands of the students. Do they not realize that students who do not wish to learn will not learn? The teachers are unable to enforce learning, due primarily to the fact that they can not do physical harm to the child.

Also, schools(Especially inner-city) have financial problems, and as such things like "Free Tutoring" would be nigh-impossible for them due to cost related issues.

Another part deals, however, with this problem.
The schools can basically alter around where they want the money to go.
Want the technical wording?

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It is possible for most school districts to transfer up to 50 percent of the federal formula grant funds they receive under the Improving Teacher Quality State Grants, Educational Technology, Innovative Programs, and Safe and Drug-Free Schools programs to any one of these programs, or to their Title I program, without separate approval. This allows districts to use funds for their particular needs, such as hiring new teachers, increasing teacher pay, and improving teacher training and professional development. Similarly, the law's consolidation of bilingual education programs gives states and districts more control in planning programs to benefit all limited English proficient students.
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Of course, I can see yet another problem.
Schools often look past such things as "art programs" and instead concentrate most of their money on the sports related programs, primarily due to the fact that more people go to the sports games(And as such pay money to watch the kids run about). Basically a school is being run like a business, and this will help reinforce that.

However it's a useful thing, nonetheless..although I'm uncertain as to just how useful it is.

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No Child Left Behind puts special emphasis on determining what educational programs and practices have been proven effective through rigorous scientific research. Federal funding is targeted to support these programs and teaching methods that work to improve student learning and achievement.
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Three problems.
1. A child will not learn what they do not want to learn(Which could therein alter the result of any study).
2. Each person thinks differently(Proven fact), and as such things like IQ tests and ways of teaching do not always work well for each person.
3. Each person lives in a different area, with different time relating to how long they're in a class, and overall different scheduling for the School itself. This means that while in one place it might work, in another it might fail horribly.

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Parents with children in schools that do not meet state standards for at least two consecutive years may transfer their children to a better-performing public school, including a public charter school, within their district. If they do so, the district must provide transportation, using Title I funds if necessary. Students from low-income families in schools that fail to meet state standards for at least three years are eligible to receive supplemental educational services, including tutoring, after-school services, and summer school.
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Amazingly intelligently well done, and yet sooooo freaking stupid.
First off, how many schools do you currently have in your district?
I have 1 within my district...and that's just barely. Rural areas will suffer greatly from this because the public charter schools must be within your same district. On top of that, money is then funneled to the people to try and specifically help a single person, even though that means schools will therein be penalized and unable to recover.


All in all the NCLB is a nice idea, but bad execution. Currently the school system has to be reworked, because it just doesn't work out well. There isn't a widespread similarity in how school schedules are setup, and of course there are major financial problems for certain areas.
Other things, like inner city schools, have to deal with overpopulation/overcrowding and as such often have far too many students within a single class.


But that was a nice thought anyways. Let's applaud Bush for actually thinking about the little people, even if the thought was flawed up the whazoo.

Now, moving on:
How, exactly, would using technology help people get better health insurance and all that? And how would they lower costs?
Bush doesn't say..so I guess we can all just stare at him when he speaks and wonder if he even knows what the hell he has planned.

I agree with the school thing whol heartedly (your view of it not the programs). I do however add the exception of more career oriented teachings in schools with a higher emphases on arts and less emphases placed on generalized education. There is no way to make a kid learn what he doesent want to learn this is a proven fact. What we can do though is focus the education in ways that makes them want to learn rather then leaveing the failing ciriculums as is and pointing blame solely at teachers. Granted teachers hold a portion of the blame themselves but not all of it. The teachers blame lies in that alot of them no longer care but who can blame them with parents shoveing all education on them includeing common decency lessons. The teachers that would care still dont get as much credit as they deserve and generaly earn fairly low wages working multiple jobs to pay the bills leaveing little time and energy for them to do the best possible job at educating our children.


On to the healthcare thing. Placeing all of those decisions into the hands of patients and doctors will drive up the cost of healthcare dramaticly. I mean look at it. Doctors allways wish to make more money and I cant totaly blame them on that and patients ofcourse as the customers they are and would be more so treated as want lower costs. This creates yet ANOTHER war really. The only way technology can concievably help lower healthcare costs would be government stepping in and makeing said technology cheaper for the doctors and pharmacuetical companies. That most likely wont happen any time soon due to government kick backs from high trade tarifs with the countries that make the products. Lets face it the only viable way I can see to lower healthcare costs effectively is get rid of the tax cuts and tax payers shut thier mouths and foot the bill. Leaveing ofcourse room for independant insurance companies to offer more extensive insurance plans to those that can afford it and wish for a less basic service.

Bush and his education program is all for show. He has to be seen as doing SOMETHING. It's not particular to him. Every president has done something similar. As you correctly point out, the real problem is in the home, and the schools won't be fixed until the home is fixed. However, if all he did was give an eloquent speech about that, he would be thrown out of office, so he's doing what every other president has done, try to look good while burying the problem under a pile of money.