President Obama has just created a new "bailout program" for education. An article in Epoch Times states that he has promised "a share of $900 million in new federal aid to schools that improve their graduation rates and post major gains in academic achievement."

This article reports that President Obama proposes 4 options to improve public schools:

1. Turnaround model - " require low-performing schools to replace their principal and half their staffs"

2. Restart approach - "replace the school altogether with a charter system"

3. Closure strategy - "shutter the struggling school and require district administrators to enroll its former students in better-performing institutions"

4. Transformation plan - "prescribe a series of changes to school curricula, governance and structure"

As an advocate of excellent education, the daughter of two professional educators, a college graduate with a degree in education, the wife of a former public school teacher, and a mother of 7 children, I want to see our public education system prepare its students successfully to enter the work force as contributors, not just consumers.

Yet this proposed plan appears to be just another government bailout that will not solve the problems faced by the education world. Instead, it will cost tax-payers almost another billion dollars that could be better spent by the educators and administrators themselves.

And from an administration that has been telling us it seeks to create jobs, it looks like teachers and administrators alike are already in jeopardy of being down-sized. (That means "fired.")

The article explains: "12 percent of schools across the nation account for approximately 50 percent of student dropouts. The $900 million will go to the 5,000 lowest performing schools in each state. Schools will only receive money if they comply with government improvement strategies."

I thought socialism, which is the "change we can all believe in" is, provided equally for everyone. This distribution of the nation's taxpayer's doesn't seem quite fair to me. What incentive is there for good schools who are juggling budget and social issues and handling everything well? Not only are they not being rewarded, they are in fact being punished.

The article also reported, "Speaking at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the president said, 'For America to compete and win in the 21st century, we know we will need a highly educated workforce.'"

What?

We're not training our children to compete in the 21st century, we should be educating each of them to do exactly what they are called to do. There is always work to be done and those who are willing to do it can create jobs if none are available. That has always been the strength of this country, home-grown entrepreneurialism.

We shouldn't put the pressure of "competing for jobs" on our students. Instead, we should prepare them for the direction they want to go in. Education should encourage them and prepare them to be the best at what they do to glorify God, serve others well, enjoy what they do, create income to support their families and contribute well to their society with whatever gifts and talents they have.

We should encourage our children to start companies that employ others rather than "compete for jobs" with the rest of the entire world (which we can no longer do in some tech fields.)

Although I am neither a politician nor a public education official, here are 7 suggestions for improving public education in America without spending a dime:

1. Re-instate God. The first step in solving this ongoing dilemma, which is only getting worse no matter how many dollars we throw at it, is to re-instate God and acknowledge Him as the head of true education. This country was founded on Christian principles whether we acknowledge it or not. When we voted God out of our schools, He removed His blessing and test scores began to plummet.

Whether individuals believe in God or not, we can not deny our heritage. America is the greatest country that has ever existed because it was founded on Christian principles by men of vision seeking religious freedom for all.

2. Empower Administrators. Give local administrators more power with fewer regulations to make decisions that affect their schools.

3. Qualify and Empower Teachers. Educate and qualify teachers better, then give them the power to govern classes they once had. Eliminate tenure so they continue to remain accountable for the quality of their instruction.

4. Encourage Parental Support. When a parent delegates authority to a teacher for the education of a student, the parent should support the instructor's decisions and actions, not sue the teacher. Parents should also be diligent to make sure the student respects the teacher by completing home work correctly and on time. Administrators should also support their instructors.

5. Encourage Student Responsibility. Students should realize that when they don't commit themselves to getting a good education, which is provided free to them as a citizen of the U.S., they will more than likely not be able to provide for themselves and those who become dependent on them. When they are 40, they will look back and realize they have not contributed to society in the special way that only they were capable of. If they become dependent on government assistance, they will find themselves stuck in a rat race that keeps them living too close to the poverty level with little chance of escape.

6. Require an Investment. Require students to invest in their education at some point. Every student I have ever met (including me) has never appreciated the education he or she received as much as the student who had to pay for at least part of it. American citizens have become so accustomed to free education that most of us now believe it is a right. It is not. Free education is a privilege America offers to its students. Instead of being grateful for it, we take it for granted and some have even come to mock it.

7. Eliminate the Federal Department of Education. Take the administration of public education out of the hands of the federal government and give it back to the states, counties and local school districts where it belongs.

If the government could institute these 7 principles, America's schools would not need an education bailout. Although it would strengthen the grass-roots educational system in America, this plan has little chance of coming to into existence since it would "cut jobs", namely in the Federal Department of Education.

Ultimately, this plan would return the power it has stolen from the states back to local administrators and instructors who deserve and require it to operate their school districts successfully.

If the current administration truly wanted education reform, it should give the education community the freedom it needs to self-govern and focus instead on performing the duties of the federal government as outlined in the U.S. Constitution.

Oh wait, we didn't study that in school.

Curriculum is another subject.

So many books, so little time...

Rhea!
who believes proper education with vision and understanding is the key to all success

P.S. To find out what this mom has taught her children about succeeding personally with the free-enterprise system, get a copy of my e-book on the top right column of this page called, 10 Things This Mama Taught Her Kids about Home Business. It's free.