The world has been given another chance and with that education must make its committment anew. NEA has always been in the lead dog position and I bhope we will be there again. Dennis we have known each other a long time, now its your turn to lead. I will be there to help in any way I can now lets get on with the work.
Damon P. Moore
teacher, retired INDIANA

After just attending an education workshop that addressed the issue of student motivation and getting them to see the value of hard work, discipline and striving for excellence in their academic lives, I see this election as a huge step backward.

Obama has vowed to punish the achievers and those who are successful in our society by increasing their taxes to give to those who don't pay a dime to the government.

What kind of message is it when we tell our kids that the more successful they are, the more the government is going to take from them? What will motivate them to desire to be successful, to create and grow their own business?

Seriously, if I'm a student in our public schools and I know the government is going to take care of me and supply all my needs, then what's the point of taking responsibility for myself?

Socialism is NOT the answer. High standards, competition, accountability and NO rewards for those who choose to not help themselves is the only thing that will really help our students become self sufficient and productive citizens of this country.

Hey Don - Congratulations on attending a seminar on motivation. Now I recommend you start reading newspapers or news websites. Once you do, you will find that President-elect Obama plans nothing more than to restore the tax rates for those earning over $250,000 that were in effect during the Clinton years, when the economy created 20 million new jobs and the deficit was wiped out. After eight disastrous years - including the Bush administration nationalizing of banking - an Obama administration will give the middle class what it hasn't had, a break, a raise, some hope that our savings and retirement can be restored. As to a lesson for kids, progressive taxes are a great lesson, straight from the Bible and on through our own Founders and into the foundation of this country.

Ron, I disagree beyond words with your completely incorrect view. Also I can tell you didn't look at the facts, because PRESIDENT ELECT OBAMA is not planning to move toward socialism. I don't have the time to expand on this, because it will surely go over your close minded head. But talking about the educated or students haveing no reason to pursue an education is so dumb. When I was young and had landed my first job as a computer analyst and a new single parent, when I filed my taxes for the first time I cried, literally because even way back then 15 years ago, I didn't get any tax break because of what I made, no one cared about the cost and struggles of a educated single parent. So being persecuted because you make more is nothing new!!!! Furthermore I'm still in the middle class, so things will get better for me. Read the facts, don't just look at your candidates commercials and believe everything you hear.

It saddens me to see both parties call each other ignorant because they disagree with their ideology. But being a grandmother of two beautiful children that will be attending a public school because I don't have enough money to put them in private schools. How can you be proud of a failing public school system. I don't know how they fail or who is to blame for this, but I hope it can be fix. However, the bureaucrats believe that more money will fix the problem, I worry about this notion. Since money alone does not fix anything. It fact sometimes, it creates more problems. Just ask the new lotto winners who become rich overnight without any effort to obtain it. If the school administrators feel they have a friend on President elect Barak Obama because he's going to support the public schools with loads of money, I just hope that you are right. But let's say schools continue to fail after they receive unlimitted funding, how are they going to explain the fenomena. This, I am afraid will also excuse it away and then say they only need more money.

Don, you are completely right! I heard Obama, from his own mouth, say that families that made $96,000 weren't middle class and would have to pay more. He moved it down gradually, from $250,000 to $200,000 to $150,000 and now to $96,000. That was all before the election. Most people don't really know what he even stands for because they only pay attention to the main-stream media and they won't even report on anything negative about Obama. I did read the facts and researched extensively about both candidates.
I think many people will be surprised at what he ends up doing to this country, since he thinks the Constitution is flawed and wants it rewritten.
I am in education, but not currently in the classroom. I'm very seriously considering going back to the classroom to get a pay cut, so they won't be able to take as much from me.

Explain to me how you can lower the tax rate on 95% of Americans when 40% don't even pay any income tax? Isn't that sort of impossible?

For the record, during his career as a senator, Obama never once voted or proposed to cut taxes. He voted plenty of times to raise them though. By the way, this idea of a tax on only those who earn $250,000 or more has magically lowered from $250,000 to $150,000 (Joe Biden quote), to $120,000 (Bill Richardson quote).

All you have to do is look at the guy's voting record and see who he's buddies with to know what his intentions are.

FACT 1:
While running for the Illinois State Senate, Obama was a member of the Chicago "New Party," which was established by the Democratic Socialists of America. This is not in dispute but an undeniable fact.

FACT 2:
The "Frank" cited in his book "Dreams of My Father" while he was growing up in Hawaii has been identified as Frank Marshall Davis, a member of the old Moscow-controlled Communist Party USA. Obama characterizes Frank as his friend and advisor. As a red-blooded American, I would never in a million years want a Communist as a friend or advisor of mine.

FACT 3:
When Vermont Congressman,self-described socialist Bernie Sanders, decided he'd run for Senate:Obama came to Vermont to endorse him. Why would Obama endorse a Socialist if he disagreed with the Socialist platform?

And how is raising taxes on the businesses is going to help the economy? Where do you think businesses are going to cut costs if the government starts to steal more of the money they make? They'll start by eliminating jobs. My Gosh you liberals are so blind.

He's not planning on moving us toward socialism? What else does this guy have to say to convince you that he is? Below are the programs and changes he is proposing.

• "Universal," "guaranteed" health care.
• "Free" college tuition.
• "Universal national service"
• "Universal 401(k)s" (in which the government would match contributions made by "low- and moderate-income families").
• "Free" job training (even for criminals).
• "Wage insurance" (to supplement dislocated union workers' old income levels).
• "Free" child care and "universal" preschool.
• More subsidized public housing.
• A fatter earned income tax credit for "working poor."

Is this the role of government that our founders envisioned? To create a "Nanny-State" that takes care of everyone from cradle to grave? And who the heck pays for all this? Oh yeah, the evil rich people who have the nerve and audacity to want to actually keep what they earn.

You keep teaching our kids that government is going to take care of them and you'll see more and more young people turn to dependency on the government. What sets America apart from the rest of the world is our drive, work ethic, self reliance, and freedom. You start taking away those things and the country will be headed for the toilet. And in many ways, it already is.

I have kids who flat out tell me that there's no point to stay in school or work hard because the government or state will take care of them. Their parents were on welfare and they see no problem in following in their parents footsteps. And now we have a President-Elect who says he's going to "Spread the Wealth" by giving those who don't produce more of the money that I made on my own.

We're walking on a very slippery slope here. According to our Constitution, the primary role of our government is to protect the lives of it's citizens. NOT guarantee and afford them every social service imaginable.

If Obama's plan is not socialist, then please tell me what it is and then explain the differences between what he is proposing and what socialist countries have already implemented around the world.

For the record, I love freedom and personal liberty. I love the fact that I live in a free country that allows me to pursue my dreams and stand or fall based on the choices I make. I don't need or want the government's money. Let me clarify that. I don't want or need your (the tax payer's) money. If government is always there to lend a hand or catch me when I fall, then I will never learn to be self-reliant and stand on my own two feet. Our kids certainly won't either.

The founders of this nation were very clear on what they saw as the role of government, especially when it came to taxation and government intrusion in our lives. I suggest you readers brush up on your history.

How can you say he is a friend for public education when attended private school. No politician is for education, they say what they want in order to get elected just as Sen. Obama. As a teacher I here daily the comments by teachers saying that the Democrats are for teachers and education, when all these people are worried about are pay checks. I got into education to educate children, I knew what my pay would be, yet I sit around every day listening to how teachers don;t get enough pay and somehow it's the Republicans fault, Don't think so!

Don L. - I'm not a very educated person, and with that being said, even an idiot such as myself can see you're right! I don't know why it's so hard for these Obama supporter's to ADMIT IT!

Well that went well. Its a new day, turn the page and either find a way to be part of the solution for schools, society, the big problems or get out of the way. This old dog is ready to get back into the fight for whats right for all the people, especially my kids.