Name: Amanda, Nicole, John, Cara, Natalie_____________________ Date: _______12/7/17_____________

Ms. Dennis/Mr. Patten Pirate’s Presidential Debates

Introduction: The Presidential debates are exercises designed to allow your campaign team the opportunity to
strengthen your skills in the areas of leadership, team building, group problem solving, and presentation. The
debates give your campaign team the opportunity to present your ideas to your voters and opposition. The
debates will consist of the Secretary, President and Vice President. Each member should be well informed and
able to answer each of the questions presented.

__________Amanda Rubinstein________ – Education Debate

__________Natalie Pekoff___________ - Foreign Policy Debate
__________Nicole Del Ponte_____________ - Economy Debate
Education:
1. Our media consistently claims there is an education crisis in the United States. What information can you
provide to refute this statement? - Include information about the strengths of American education. Examples:
programs, classes, teachers, college preparedness, academic achievements, etc.

Where there is an actual crisis, then the majority of Americans would be unemployed morons. Generations of
citizens have had access to the academic resources that they needed in order to be successful and in this country we’ve
been given the freedom to choose what we wish to excel at. With our system of education, citizens have been able to
achieve mastery in the field of their choice. For certain schools, there is a “crisis” because a large percentage of
students within the school are not succeeding academically, but there are a myriad of reasons why some individuals
have not been successful, and each person in this country has their own story. Ideally we’d want everyone to be
successful, but in order to truthfully determine why all of them are not, we’d have to compile a biography for each
person.
If we were to lay out in detail every aspect and experience of an individual’s life, it would become evident that, for
the unsuccessful, there’s something other than the schools to blame. Any student can become a stellar individual even
if they all they encounter is mediocrity in those who are educating or guiding them. Although all teachers should be
knowledgeable, caring, enthusiastic and hard-working, students and parents also have to do their part.
Despite what the media says, a crisis does not exist for our entire system of education. Schools offer a variety
of courses at all different levels to ensure that students are appropriately challenged. There are a plethora of activities,
events, sports, clubs, and services to meet the needs of all the students. All schools have a team of professionals to
help the students on a regular basis.
Over 5 million students are enrolled in colleges in our country. Immigration numbers make it evident that people
all over the world value our system of education because they are willing to leave their own country and enroll their
children in our schools. The United States has a larger immigrant population than any other country, with 47 million
immigrants as of 2015. Although they may not be coming here strictly for our schools, there are 4.6 million ELL
students, and the number of foreign college students recently hit a new high.
Ironically, the newspapers that report the “education crisis” also publish extensive reports about the many
students who have been recognized for their exceptional projects, work ethics, and performances in school. There may
be problems in certain schools, but that doesn’t mean the whole country has an “education crisis”.

2. How does your administration plan to increase the nation’s high school completion rate? Explain. - Include
programs, support services, etc.

In order to increase the nation’s high school completion rate, the students who are at risk for not
performing well academically have to be identified and helped. The more problems an individual student has,
the bigger the team of people they need to help from. The professionals that are part of this team include
teachers, coaches, counselors, and psychologists. Supportive parent involvement is also critical. Troubled
students need additional supervised time to do their school work, and extra help to get it done correctly.

3. What is your stance on standardized testing? Do you believe standardized testing serves a purpose? Explain.

Standardized testing is valuable if questions are appropriately challenging, and well worded. The
scores for the standardized test should be a percent that is true reflection of how well a student did on the
exam. If for example, a student’s score was a 90, then it should be the case that the student got 90% of the
questions correct. Standardized tests that are well written allow for better comparisons. For instance, you
can say someone in the country is fast, but your description of fast is more valid if you can say what time
they ran in the mile. Because a “standard” mile is the same distance all over the country, once you have a
time, you know exactly how fast the person is.

4. What are the positive and negative effects of standardized testing for both students and teachers?
Positives:
● Evaluation of where students are succeeding and struggling
● Practices time management skills
● Additional programs and classes to help with struggling skills
Negatives:
● Causes high anxiety for teachers and students
● Teachers get evaluated based to students scores and if student(s) get a failing or low grade,
it results in bad ratings among teachers even if they did all they could to prepare student
● State tests among 3rd-8th grade say they determine students knowledge and potential, but
failing or low scores show “struggling” so students are put into additional classes they might
not even need
● Teachers put lot of stress on students to do well
● 4-5 to finish each state test
● Lack attention span after long periods of testing
● Not healthy for mental and emotional health

5. What other methods can be used to assess our students and teachers? Provide specific examples to support.

To assess our students we have to trust our teachers to evaluate their own students through a variety
of means which can include quizzes, tests, verbal assessments, hands on experiences, and whatever else is
appropriate for the course they are teaching. Administrators can observe teachers, and their students. In
addition to looking at how they interact, they could look at test scores and discuss with the teacher how to
help any troubled or struggling students.

6. How do you plan to ensure that students around the United States are college and career ready when they
graduate from High School? Explain with specific examples.
● Hands-on career ready classes from 11-12th grade:
-How to write a check
-How to buy a home
-How to take out a loan
-How to buy a car..etc.
● As like college prepares you with options and plans, high schools should have future
plan advisors to help make sure after high school will be a straight steady path ahead
-9th-10th graders: Parent and student plan to help start future plan process such as profile,
permits, start health insurance process...
-11th-12th graders: Parents and student plan continues and goes more in depth such as bank
accounts, savings accounts, all insurances depending on student profile…

7. Education has been called the great equalizer. Do you believe this statement rings true today in the United
States? Explain why or why not. * If you do not agree with this statement, how do you plan to change things?
Explain.
I do not believe that the statement “education is the great equalizer” is true today in the United States.
Students and teachers don’t see eye to eye, which causes a downfall on both sides. We need to start
compromising different ways students can succeed with teachers every strength to help and lead them on the
path to succeed. I plan to have teacher and student meetings once every two weeks to go over what a teacher
needs to work on based on a student’s needs and what he/she are struggling in. This will help stay in
communication on a teacher to student base and will significantly set a path to accomplish the goals in order
to pass that specific class.
8. What do you believe is the greatest problem in American education today? How does your administration plan
to combat this issue? Explain.
The greatest problem in American education today is teachers and students not motivated to conquer
the school day. If a student is having a bad day or bad week, it can have a drastic consequence such as
failing test grades which can ultimately put a high schooler at risk for not getting into their desired college.
Teachers are not realizing the reality that without their motivation to work hard and earn their grades,
students are unmotivated and gives an excuse not to get work done ultimately leading to failure in school and
start to go on a path to a troubling route such as drugs, drinking, and more.
Any troubled student needs a team of professionals within a school building to help them. Extra
attention, counseling, after school programs and activities and sports can help any student. Also, teachers
need to get an attitude adjustment and every single student thrive. Parental involvement is critical. Poor
parenting can negate the effects of perfect schooling. Trying to help a child who has abusive, neglectful
parents is like trying to defeat superheroes in a game of dodgeball.

9. Why should Americans trust you to improve American education? Explain with specific examples.
I am a hardworking student that will go through any obstacle in order to help YOU.
My mom is a fifth grade teacher at Wantagh Elementary that works hard every single day to make sure
her students are well prepared for middle school. She inspires me everyday to work hard, never give up, and
always do what is morally right.
As Secretary of Education, I will discuss important issues about the education system with “The
Mepham Truth” team to work out a civilized system/plan to make these problems nonworriable and provides
our future generation a guaranteed future of success and simplicity to the American families struggling with
education issues we are unfortunately dealing with today. In order to improve American education, we need
to form yet another task force.
But this one has to address the problems that adversely affect a student’s performance in class.
These problems include but are not limited to: learning disabilities; language barriers; mental illness; drug
and alcohol use; teenage pregnancy; gang violence; poverty; homelessness; addictions other than drugs and
alcohol; laziness or lack of motivation.
Any new ideas for educational reform that do not solve problems will be abandoned. Any recent
reform that created problems will be obliterated. Education is an essential part to America and countrywide
success for all and with your vote to “The Mepham Truth,” it is a 100% promise to make our education system
issues nonexistent
I trust you to make the right decision, America!

10. How or should we make college more affordable? Explain with specific examples.

In order to make college more accessible and affordable to all students, financial aid should be
provided to those who deserve it and who need it because of their low income status. Low interest student
loans should be accessible without having to complete an enormous amount of confusing paper work. Low
cost colleges should also be utilized.

Guidelines for the Debate

30 second opening statement from each President

Question posed by Mr. Patten or Ms. Dennis

1-2 minute response from each of the Secretaries

2 minute crossfire between the Secretaries

This format will continue until the end of the debate. The Secretary, President and Vice President may take turns
answering questions. At the conclusion of the debate, each Secretary will give a 30 second closing statement
explaining why the voters should elect their campaign team.