President Obama sent Congress a proposal this week to rewrite the main federal education law. The current version of the law, signed by George W. Bush eight years ago, is known as the No Child Left Behind Act. That name would go away.
奥巴马总统这周向国会提交了一份关于重新改写联邦教育法的提案。这部法律的当前版本是George W. Bush八年前签署的,以“不让一个孩子掉队”的法案而被人知晓。
The current policy calls for every student to be able to pass state tests in reading and math by two thousand fourteen. All schools must show yearly progress toward this goal. But states decide how much students need to know to show "proficiency."
现行的政策要求每个学生到2014年都能通过国家阅读和数学的考试。学校必须每年离这个目标更进一步。美国决定要让许多学生知道怎样展示自己的才能。
President Obama's goal is that every student should graduate from high school -- in his words -- "ready for college and a career." The target date for schools is twenty twenty. The president described the plan in his weekly radio and Internet address on Saturday.
奥巴马总统的目标是让每个学生都要高中毕业,用他的话是“这是为大学和职业生涯做准备。”总统在每周广播和星期六的在线演讲中描述了他这个这个计划。
BARACK OBAMA:" What this plan recognizes is that while the federal government can play a leading role in encouraging the reforms and high standards we need, the impetus for that change will come from states and from local schools and school districts."
奥巴马说:“这个计划所能认可的是,在改革和高标准的鼓励下,联邦政府能够起一个领导作用。而这个改变的动力来自于美国和当地的学校、学区。”
Under the new proposal, states and school systems would compete for federal grants. The idea is similar to the administration's four billion dollar Race to the Top competition to reform schools.
在这个新提议下,国家和学校将角逐联邦基金。这个想法类似于在改革学校制度的竞争中获胜者可以获得政府提供的4亿美元。
Struggling schools could receive money for teacher improvement and for developing plans for success. The lowest performing schools would face changes such as replacing teachers and the principal or being closed.
竞争的学校可以为改进师资队伍和发展计划得到资金。实施这个计划最晚的学校将会面临许多变化,比如:换老师,换校长或关闭学校。
The administration sent its general ideas to Congress in what it called "A Blueprint for Reform" to develop the next education law. Ann Bryant is executive director of the National School Boards Association. Her group worked with the Department of Education on the plan. She says it is a good start but still needs work. For example:
政府把他的这个想法以“改革的发展蓝图”的名义交给国会。Ann Bryant是全国学校董事会的执行主任。她所带领的团队和教育部研究了这个计划。她说那是一个良好的开端,但还需要加强。例如:
ANNE BRYANT: "There is no research that says that if you fire the principal you're going to get better results. There's no research that says if you fire half the faculty you're going to get good results. There is very little research that [says] that chartering or bringing in an outside management company may get you better results. And there is zero research that says closing the school necessarily helps those children."
ANNE BRYANT:“没有研究表明如果你离开学校,你就会得到更好的结果;没有研究表明如果你开除一半的教员,你会有一个好的结果;没有研究表明租赁或引进外部管理公司,你就可以得到更好的结果;没有研究表明关闭学校后,就能帮助孩子们。”
The plan would reward effective schools and teachers with money and other recognition. But leaders of the nation's largest teachers unions criticized the administration's "blueprint."
那些顺利地实施这个计划的学校和老师会得到应有的奖励。但是全国最大的教师工会却批评政府的这个“蓝图”。
Dennis Van Roekel of the National Education Association said it "still relies on standardized tests to identify winners and losers." He also expressed disappointment that states would have to compete for money.
国家教育协会会长Dennis Van Roeke说“仍然依靠标准化测试来确定赢家和输家。”他还对国家为钱竞争感到失望。
Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers said the plan appears to place all the responsibility on teachers, but gives them "zero percent authority."
美国联邦的老师Randi Weingarten说这个计划似乎把所有的责任加给教师了,却不给他们权力。.