The US Educational National Team’s Quest for Number 1

As jobs, home ownership, and the value of a college education, is looking more and more as a scam. The US educational system needs a new focus. That focus has to become the world leaders again in education globally

The stakes are high. You lose and billions will suffer. You win; you have to defend, again, again, again, and again. The commitment it takes to become number one is an exhausting and gut wrenching experience.  

That’s what the United States Educational National Team is ready to go through. Because, the stakes are that high! If the national team fails to deliver history will show this was a pivotal moment, which the nation missed. And the turmoil that followed that could have been prevented.  

As jobs, home ownership, and the value of a college education, is looking more and more as a scam. The US educational system needs a new focus. That focus has to become the world leaders again in education globally.

Since, the US lost its leadership position as the world’s smartest people in the 1990s. Other countries have notched ahead in commerce in several major areas – Technology (China), Work Force Development (India), and Intellectually (Russia).

The US Educational National Team’s mission is to make America the smartest country in the world. Point Blank! No need to conceal our motive, we’re out to recapture the top spot.

How?    

The America First or Last Movement’s organizer, New Jersey Minority Educational Development, will work with 7 national organizations that provide educational and social services to children, and their families to serve as the national team members. The national team’s first task will be to establish 2 local organizing committees in all 50 states, which will implement 3 objectives:

• Advance technology innovations in US classrooms
• Promote higher education towards preparing a higher skilled workforce
• Cultivate a passion for learning for students in science, math and reading

The national team plans to work with the local organizing committees to build community partnerships with colleges, business, social service agencies, and parent groups in creating 10-year action-plans with their school districts.

Starting in September, the national team will launch two projects – the National High School Signing Day and 12 Million Drive for 2025 – to promote their initiative.

Are You the Solution?

If you or your community group would like to participate as a local organizing committee, visit the America First or Last Movement website www.usent.org  and learn how you can get involved.

America, A Nation At Risk In the 21st Century

America First or Last Movement – “The A Nation At Risk report made recommendations 29 years ago, that would have helped prevent the current education climate.”

It’s time for Action! No more free rides. America needs everyone to stand up and be counted. The America First or Last Movement has sounded the alarm, again. The first call to action was ignored in 1983, from President Ronald Reagan’s National Commission on Excellence in Education of experts from the fields of education and economics. This time the field of experts includes you.

President Reagan’s commission created a report called A Nation At Risk, that warned “the US once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world.” They also gave 5 key points on how to prevent it from happening.

Nevertheless, they’re recommendations for better educational content; setting higher standards and expectations for students; extending student learning; improve teaching techniques; and become more fiscal responsible both national and local. Went unanswered, but, over the last 16 years, New Jersey Minority Educational Development has stuck with those recommendations, and created the America First or Last Movement to carry out those objectives nationally.

Why Now?

Are you better off then you where last year? If not you need to join this movement, and if you are better off, you need to join the movement, because you’re next to feel the crunch. Here’s why.

The US current state of affairs is at a dangerous point. At no other time has the possibility of the US having a higher unemployment rate then employment rate exists … for its non-college educated workforce.

Globally, this workforce offers little appeal, because of higher wages and benefits. However, if you look at statistics, this is America’s fastest growing work force. And the results show:

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•       Today a quarter of US student’s drop-out or leave high school, only 46 % of students who graduate high school enrolled in college, and less than 45% of those students complete a two-year community college or four-year university.
•       The next decade of high school students, are today’s US 4^th grade to 8^th grade students that are being outperformed by 26 other nations.

Getting The Hard Answers

The America First or Last Movement has created an annual education poll to draw the contrast on why US students have been falling so far behind other nations, and the consequences we face as a nation if we continue to ignore it.  

This poll will also represent a sounding board to ask our national leaders how come this is happening, and keep the US people knowledgeable of were its happening. By coming back to address the A Nation At Risk recommendations made 29 years ago, that would have helped prevent the current education climate.

1.  Improve our educational content by attracting more investment in technology in high school classrooms.
2. Develop better understanding of college to career choices for elementary and middle school    students, and how these careers associate to science, math and reading.
3. Extend school to community, by expanding the learning process during the school year.
4. Increase teacher’s salaries that reflect their contribution, and importance to our nation’s growth.
5. Establish individual community 10-year action-plan to set objectives with time-lines and fiscal overview. Without good and motivated local parent’s involvement, the US will never catch the competition.

The second warning alarm has been issued now its time to address it.  And take America out of risk. Fine out more visit www.usent.org , and join the movement.   

Weapon of Mass Deception: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

"America’s economic future faces turmoil from a non-prepared workforce, for the challenges of the 21^st century job market."

America was attacked in 1954, and twice in 2001. Two very grievous and cowardly acts; that we as American’s needed and got prompt restoration! A few may agree or disagree with the process; yet, we stood unified as a nation. The nonpareil attack we didn’t ask military action for went under the radar, as compliance under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law to educate our children. We never saw that coming!

A decade later, boom! Millions of lives have been destroyed. Countless others still awaiting the after shock! While America’s economic future faces turmoil, from a non-prepared workforce, for the challenges of the 21^st century job market. Not to cite, the millions of dollars spend locally for all the unfunded federal education mandates required annually to meet NCLB's additional accountability requirements and achievement goals

We were blindly led to belief a one-size fits all educational system would work in the new global knowledge base 21^st century. As the distinguished psychologist and provost of Oklahoma State, Robert J. Sternberg recently wrote about the NCLB law in an open letter to the President of the United States:

“Although the law was well-intentioned, its metrics for progress and implementation were not well-thought through, and have resulted in (a) straitjacketing of public schools in terms of what curriculum they feel they can teach, (b) relegation of important school subjects -- such as history, civics, languages, music and art -- to the back of the back burner, (c) high-stakes tests that were not ready for prime time, (d) gaming the system, with some states actually lowering standards when they discovered that they otherwise could not meet the ever-more-stringent goals the law placed, and (e) demoralization and discouragement among educators regarding the role of the federal government in education.”

He joins an increasing list of educators; ready to speak out about the destruction NCLB has caused. That’s why, New Jersey Minority Educational Development with endorsement from grassroots organizations across the country, has formed the America First or Last Movement.

The movement’s mission is to help restore, reconstruct and improve the United States educational system. 

Starting, with 3 areas to help states better prepare their students for the 21^st century job market. If you compare US students now heading to high school then college with students across the globe; all signs heads to the conclusion our secondary and post secondary students aren't as productive as they can be.

Beginning this fall, the America First or Last Movement will bring on local colleges, businesses, and community family support services to assist school districts to improve proficiency levels in reading, math and science for student’s K thru 12; develop advance technology programs in public education classrooms; and work towards increasing High School and College Graduation Rates.

Through doing work with the communities in setting-up academic goals to address; the areas of “their needs” from early-childhood to post secondary education for low performing schools and students. These offer our communities the most beneficial system for accountability and need accountability for their school districts.

Eleven states already have received waivers from NCLB, and 28 other states, along with Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico having also applied for waivers. These states must take up “college- and career-ready” standards, tie state tests to those standards, propose interventions for the lowest-performing 15 percent of schools, and include student growth in teacher and principal evaluation systems. States receiving NCLB waivers are not being released from accountability. Instead states will be given “more flexibility to meet high standards.

The movement’s organizers state that’s how they fit in, because, they can achieve those goals, working with these states. Now, they need for us to participate in the movement. You can visit their website at www.usent.org and support your school and students, by becoming a local volunteer.

NJ MED’s Executive Director, Albert Mitchell II, said, “We can’t continue to commit our confidence in an unsuccessful system that is decimating our children.  If we do we have no one to fault for this tragedy just ourselves.”