Education and the Stimulus Package

Did you know that in the recently passed economic stimulus package there is 100 billion dollars for education? I didn't realize it until this morning when I read an op-ed piece by Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times. He writes that he has changed his mind about Healthcare being the number one priority. He has now come to believe that education is the number one priority. I refer you to his editorial in the link below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/opinion/15kristof.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
I happen to agree with Kristoff. We are a country that professes to love our children but when it comes to budgeting education usually takes the biggest hits other than assiatnce to the poor and needy. If we are going to improve the lot of the poor and needy education needs to be a priority. Over the years I have seen watered down curriculum and a lack of focus on the academic side of education. There seems to be more of a focus on athletics. Now I believe that there needs to be a balance and that athletics have a place but we need to realize that not all of our kids will become college athletes or professional athletes. But all kids need an academic education to become productive citizens.
How will we solve the economic, social and scientific problems that the country and the world face? It will be by giving all children an education and making math, science, reading and writing more interesting and challenging and more important.
This takes good teachers who truly love their jobs and are willing to make needed changes to be sure their students are involved in the learning process. It will take higher pay for the people who spend so much time with our children and have an enormous ability to influence them.
It will also take supportive parents who want their children to be successful learners and who will accept that all children do not always get all A's. Parents need to make sure that their children do the work needed to be successful learners. Parents need to be supportive of the classroom teachers and respect their knowledge and integrity. This too often is not the case.
Teachers also need to get to know their students as people and learners and be willing to adapt to some individual needs.
This is not an easy problem to solve but one that needs our attention and support.