The New Year means different things to different people. Looking down at my waste-line no longer able to see my belt I like to take this time and ponder where my profession is heading. Now that the eight years of Bush policies are ending, education will be an area of change.

Many people still believe the "No child left behind" program was one of Bush's successes. As we all know he had few but if you are involved in education you clearly understand the NCLB program put massive stress on a profession that was already stressed out. I want to make it clear I am not against accountability or the possibility of helping all children. I am against unfunded mandates and the games many states are playing with standardized tests that are far from what the definition of standardized is. The only victor here is the test makers and their ever changing philosophies of changing the tests and thus making more of a profit.

So where are we heading now that a new administration is taking over our federal government. I don't believe the NCLB program will be eliminated. The very name of the program makes it difficult to abolish. As to what it will look like is a mystery to all. I believe the federal government will hand over the responsibility to the states. Our economic situation pretty well establishes that fact. I am not saying the states can afford any new programs but they can now say they are mandating their own expenses.

Some states, like New Hampshire and probably others have come up with the concept of having many of our secondary students graduate after their sophomore year. Of course these would only be our more talented and affluent students who with parental help have succeeded in their high school years. The less talented and less prosperous student will be left to finish out their two final years. In other words the juniors and seniors of the state's high school will be filled with students who were left behind. I teach juniors and seniors with advanced placement chemistry and college level chemistry. Having students go on to post-secondary education without these programs will only necessitate families to provide extra years in college. In other words the states have saved money by transferring this expense to the families of these students.

The studies of music, art, physical education, and foreign language curricula would have to be eliminated if the more advanced students decide to get themselves ready for their post-secondary years. I guess they would have to decide to not get ready for their post-secondary lives.

There are so many programs that will be introduced by people who never taught but wrote wonderful books on education. Throughout my career I have asked seminar facilitators how many years they have taught in the classroom. If the speaker tells me none to few I stop listening.

As a dinosaur of education I promised myself and my students that I will continue to work with all helping them decide what profession they will aspire toward. I will open up their minds to new technologies and philosophies they will confront in their future years. We laugh when I tell them I hate their music, books, entertainment and even social values. After I view the shocked look on their faces I tell them I really just hate their youth. When I am at Shady Acres nursing home attempting to find my ear lobe they will be experiencing things few have imagined.

Many like me will never teach to a test but will teach for our students. As to how many years we dinosaurs have is becoming questionable. But, those of us who have survived will hopefully take a few of the new mammals of education into the tar pit of past failed education policies.

Jim Fabiano, a teacher and writer who lives in York, is a past recipient of the Maine Press Association's award for Best Weekly Column, and writes an education blog called 'Dinosaur of Education". You can E-mail Jim at: jfabino@maine.rr.com, or comment on his blog at: http://fabiano.magic-city-news.com/

Editor's Note: This article was received by the Magic City Morning Star on December 31, intended as a New Years day article. Regrettably, I dropped the ball and overlooked it. I apologize to the author, Jim Fabiano, and to his loyal readers. -- Ken Anderson, editor