SOTU: Bush Has Cut Science Education Funding
SOTU: Bush Has Cut Science Education Funding
Bush said: “We need to encourage children to take more math and science, and make sure those courses are rigorous enough to compete with other nations. We have made a good start in the early grades with the No Child Left Behind Act, which is raising standards and lifting test scores across our country. … If we ensure that America’s children succeed in life, they will ensure that America succeeds in the world.”
FACT — BUSH PROPOSED FIRST CUT IN EDUCATION SPENDING IN A DECADE: Bush’s budget for FY 2006 proposed the “first cut in overall federal education spending in a decade.” The administration requested a reduction of a half billion dollars, or 0.9 percent, from the current spending plan. [Washington Post, 2/7/05]
FACT — SCIENCE EDUCATION HAS SUFFERED UNDER BUSH’S TERM: No Child Left Behind has actually hurt science education, by testing exclusively on math and reading. Some “teachers are being told to stop teaching science and get back to reading and math,” complains Gerald Wheeler, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association. [Business Week, 3/16/04]
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28 Responses to “SOTU: Bush Has Cut Science Education Funding”
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I went over last years address and no progress has really been made, do we think that will change with this years address? Lets hope so.
January 31st, 2006 at 9:49 pmRaymond B
http://www.voteswagon.com
Why anyone listens to this liar amazes me.
January 31st, 2006 at 9:51 pmhahahahahahaha, Bush wants Intelligent Design to be taught alongside evolution! Creationism taught in a science class! HaaaHaaaa this SOTU is too much!
January 31st, 2006 at 9:59 pmHe hasn’t even forked up the money for no child left behind so how’s gonna come up with money for this new educational effort? Think not, trust not. How is his Republican party going to fund this initiative? One more win for the Democrats when the Republicans fail to deliver, again.
January 31st, 2006 at 10:12 pm“There is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for success and defeatism that refuses to see anything but failure. Hindsight is not wisdom and second-guessing is not a strategy.”
January 31st, 2006 at 10:14 pmAs a Science teacher in high school, I knew that by Heir Busch mentioning high school science the program is in trouble… No Child Left Behind is an abomination. As a result, schools care more about test scores, attendance, obedience, conformity and athletics than they do preparing these bright, hopeful and curious kids for their (and our) futures. WE are boring them to death, and as a result, drug use is not only NOT down - it is staggeringly up - especially among the really hardcore drugs like oxycontin and meth. And the dropout rate is nationally around 40%.
We can do better than this. And if we don’t, someone else will be happy to take our place.
January 31st, 2006 at 10:15 pmApparently, science is developed by the Discovery Institute (ID “research”), and his math says the earth is ohly about 6,000 years old. Yup. Real strong math & science.
January 31st, 2006 at 10:15 pmYes I agree, drug use in teens is up, I work in community counseling, its up, Bush lies. Dropout rates are up too, what a liar.
January 31st, 2006 at 10:38 pmunbelievable, aren’t attendance, obedience and conformity the values of fascists? For America’s children to succeed in life they must first succeed in free-thinking, a virtue which is a conflict-of-interest with the current leadership. Bushies real goal is to ‘buy’ brains from abroad, not grow them at home.
January 31st, 2006 at 10:43 pmI feel for good teachers like you who clearly encourage free-thinking (from earlier posts). You are fighting an uphill struggle from many angles when people like you should be solidly supported. I genuinely fear America will become a Theocracy - so much for science, Bush’s aim is to keep ‘em like sheep and count the votes coming in.
Oh, yea. You can learn science when you can’t read and do basic math. New one on me.
January 31st, 2006 at 11:01 pmHoly Un-funded mandates Batman.
I swear that’s the only thing I heard when Bush said all this. Luckily someone else here broke this down for a look at what really happened in education under Bush.
http://www.dmiblog.net/ archives/ 2006/ 01/ dmi_on_the_sotu_leave_behind_t.html
January 31st, 2006 at 11:08 pmstuff like the fact that
“38 of 48 states do not have sufficient state-level staff needed to successfully implement NCLB”
Why is the fed involved in education at all? This is a state/local issue.
January 31st, 2006 at 11:10 pmThe blogging of the president - SOTU edition…
Well, this is no longer the guy who eschewed nation building … Oh, and you’re gonna have to face it, we’re addicted to oil. ……
January 31st, 2006 at 11:16 pmFYI:
January 31st, 2006 at 11:23 pmThe NIH budget was cut for the first time in about 30 years for the 2006 budget. Funding of NIH research proposals was ~26% of all proposals submitted in 2001 and is now ~15%. We are losing the edge in science very rapidly.
Of course teachers are being told to stop teaching science.
Where would Bush & Co draw supporters from, if people knew hos stupid they sound when they say things like “Global Warming is just a theory”?
How could they govern if people understood it’s acceptable to ask questions, and to demand evidence to back up what’s being said?
Minions and followers are made, not born.
January 31st, 2006 at 11:39 pmBush is so stupid he thinks the earth is flat. His peanut brain can’t comprehend that the earth is round which explains why he is trying to destroy science.
He also believes that the second coming is right around the corner which explains why he believes that the environment doesn’t need to be saved for future generations.
Dumbest preznut ever!
February 1st, 2006 at 1:05 amWeird he would decide that we need to make American students better at math and science just after Republicans make it harder for those students to then get student loans.
February 1st, 2006 at 1:56 amHehe, it seems only right Bush thinks it’s sensible to cut spending on education…. he never had any education and look where it got him! We all get what we deserve: we get the parents that we deserve, we get the partner we deserve, we get the children we deserve, we get the job we deserve and we get the presidents we deserve. Too bad the world deserves Bush. The cause is probably a lack of education for all of us.
February 1st, 2006 at 7:09 am[…] The irony of the anti-science Bush Administration trumpeting science education is … well.. near sickening. […]
February 1st, 2006 at 11:06 amI guess when rush limbaugh says this ;
‘young skulls full of mush’
Students or people of school age. This phrase alludes to the ease of shaping the opinions of people at a young age.
he must be referring to ‘K-Street’ (kindergarten)
This could also apply to Milners Kindergarten. As the peoples fight against the empiricists is a long one. perhaps a refresher into the Old Societies, Such as that Produce Rhodes Scholars, Clinton being one.
February 1st, 2006 at 11:33 amLord Milner himself was part of the great British Imperialist Cecil Rhodes’ 1891. And they agreement “was to devote itself to the preservation and expansion of the British Empire.” Both Rhodes and Milner, “sought to unite the world, above all the English-speaking world, in a federal structure around Britain.”
This would be done thru political and economic influence aided by the “control of journalistic, educational, and propaganda agencies.” (think Media Spin, Faux News,) When Rhodes died, Milner took over and continued by recruiting bright young men whom could be swayed by power.
unbelievable, aren’t attendance, obedience and conformity the values of fascists?
Scary isn’t it - how much the conservative party follows the same footsteps as Mussolini and Hitler…
For America’s children to succeed in life they must first succeed in free-thinking, a virtue which is a conflict-of-interest with the current leadership.
I am amazed sometimes how stupid adults are after a day around these inquisitive, bright minds. I don’t know at what point they finally submit, but much like the ending of 1984, eventually they do give their minds over to Big Brother. Makes me wonder sometimes if I’m actually making any difference.
Bushies real goal is to ‘buy’ brains from abroad, not grow them at home.
Oh yeah, he gets them wholesale for less that way.
I feel for good teachers like you who clearly encourage free-thinking (from earlier posts). You are fighting an uphill struggle from many angles when people like you should be solidly supported.
Thank you. I can’t express often or deeply enough how much the encouragement and support of people like you and other progressives really matter. Because some days I wonder what if it does matter (this is actually my second career). I’d like to think so, but you just never really know. As you said it’s a battle to ave real conversations with tehse kids based on reality because so often their parents are in serious denial about what reality is. Especially when it comes to science in the South…
I genuinely fear America will become a Theocracy - so much for science, Bush’s aim is to keep ‘em like sheep and count the votes coming in.
Comment by Gary — January 31, 2006 @ 10:43 pm
Same here. Because, like you, I’m certain that that is their goal. To make this a Christian country. He’s even said as much in his usual odd way.
So, under no circumastances will I say the Pledge. Either for the composition or the need to declare my allegence to a concept. I stand up, but that’s more because I feel weird sitting down when others around me are at attention :).
I don’t know where we go now. But I am considering the movie Fahrenheit 451, and the consideration to start hiding Science textbooks now - before they become illegal…
February 1st, 2006 at 5:08 pmWhy is the fed involved in education at all? This is a state/local issue.
Comment by cyr — January 31, 2006 @ 11:10 pm
As a part of their campaign promise to reduce big federal government, clearly… Same as they’ll be doing in the Supreme Court meddling in Oregon’s Right to Die policy, I’m sure.
For Bush, Wednesdays must be ‘opposite days’… More Science and Math means will actually mean less. Great. And I wondered why there was, and is, such a gaping shortage of math and science teachers…
February 1st, 2006 at 5:16 pmmr ho,
Yale and Harvard should be embarrassed that their diplomas bear G.W.’s name…
February 1st, 2006 at 5:18 pm#21, unbelievable, of course you are making a difference. It is people like you who adults remember when they look back at their school days - show me someone who doesn’t have/remember a favourite teacher and I’ll show you a liar. Adults remember such teachers fondly and you never know, are possibly/probably subliminally influenced.
February 2nd, 2006 at 12:57 pmWhile ever there are good, free-thinking people like you your Country has a chance. What chance does America have if all your kind are gone?
Just an idea - teachers like you could form or join a political/philosophical forum with students and award prizes to those who show the greatest free-thinking (a bit like the Quakers I guess but without religious overtones). I think you can say the pledge as you pledge allegiance to your country and your flag - not your President.
Even more incredible is the details of bush’s “70,000 new science and math teachers” program. As mentioned on the NYtimes (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/02/politics/02education.html) The plan does not actually increase the number of teachers, it merely “retrains” teachers who are ALREADY science and math teachers! wtf! Its a flat out lie. What’s worse, studies show there is no student improvement under better-educated teachers! Specifially, there is no improvement from teachers with masters degree’s vs. teachers without. The only meaningful aspect of Bush’s plan is the borrowing of professors from local universities to teach additional courses at nearby high schools. That will be great for research.
February 2nd, 2006 at 9:54 pmThanks Gray, I do appreciate the support. The kids are the reason I’m here. The only reason :). But all of Bush’s ridiculous standardized tests (No Child Left Behind) are eroding away what we can do to teach them. It’s more about passing the stupid tests to keep funding - memorization of useless facts, really. Assinine - at best. :)
I think you can say the pledge as you pledge allegiance to your country and your flag - not your President.
Comment by Gary — February 2, 2006 @ 12:57 pm
I don’t believe in countries or flags either. I think land ownership is wrong. Invisible lines only divide and exclude.
February 3rd, 2006 at 9:51 amThe science edjumacation president?…
Daily Kos and Think Progress respond to the science aspects of the SOTU.
……
February 26th, 2006 at 3:05 amYou brain washed loooooosers sure do crack me up!!!!!
September 6th, 2006 at 7:09 pmYou idiots are such loooooooooooooooosers.
If you people came to power here in the US, we would have to rename the country to Retardoslovakia.