Your School Cheats

[Hobbit]

When the Soviets tossed an 80 pound sattelite into orbit and our exploded just a few feet off the ground, the world laughed. Following that, the overhaul of our education system saw test scores rise up until 1964. They have been falling ever since. Despite a 60% increase in spending in real dollars (adjusted for inflation) since the Reagan administration mandate about our schools, they have only gotten worse. With inner city schools being the worst, the minorities government schools claim to serve the most are the ones who suffer the most from inadequacy. Out of every 20 Hispanics entering government schools, only 1 will graduate with a score of 'adequate' in math. Only one in 33 black students will get the same. The Bush-Kennedy "No Child Left Behind" act doubled federal spending on education, but still the decline. However, it gets worse.

Rather than attacking the problem at its source (wasted resources on incompetant, unionized teachers and administrative waste, not to mention removing all incentive to excel by assigning schools based on addresses), more money keeps getting thrown at the problem; more money and more regulation. Well, without competition making them behave, but still having to meet federal requirements, they cheat. They skew numbers, dumb down tests, and do everything else they can to avoid consequences. As an example, Mississippi once bragged about an 89% reading proficiency rate in high school graduates. The feds called BS on that and retested them using their own tests and proctors. The number came out closer to 18%. Not only are teachers' unions fighting tooth and nail to prepetuate this abyssmal system, the government is actually cheating our young out of a decent education, all while making sure that all of YOU pay for it. It's lower than baseball players shooting up steroids. If a private business did this, their entire administrative staff would be spending 5-10 in a very different kind of government facility.

http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/PatrickJBuchanan/2007/03/06/dumbing-down_of_america

[5stringJeff]

Private school is the answer. Actually, school vouchers would be the best answer, but the teachers unions are deadset against it, because it would drain the good students out of their crappy public schools.

[Mr. P]

We did the private school thing from 7th grade on with my daughter. The benefits FAR outweighed the cost, believe me. If you just can't afford private consider home school or work to kill the union and Fed involvement.

[KitchenKitten99]

We did the private school thing from 7th grade on with my daughter. The benefits FAR outweighed the cost, believe me. If you just can't afford private consider home school or work to kill the union and Fed involvement.

I have thought about home school, however I am just not disciplined enough to be structured like that. I suppose I could incorporate lessons into every day things. I would have to quit daycare first before I could do anything with home-schooling. If I do well with the bridal shop that I plan to open when Ben is in school in 5 years, we may be able to afford private school.

But... since Nathan will be in Kindergarten in less than 2 years (OMG where did the time go??!!) I plan on interviewing the elementary school that is 2 blocks away to see if they fit my standards. Considering I live in Liberal-sota, I live in a fairly conservative district that is well known for their academic achievements and high graduate rate.

[Nienna]

I went to Catholic schools, grades 2-12. We were a full year ahead of the advanced placement classes in the local public school. I always wanted to send my kids to private school, but with 4 of them, we cannot afford it. :(

[Mr. P]

I went to Catholic schools, grades 2-12. We were a full year ahead of the advanced placement classes in the local public school. I always wanted to send my kids to private school, but with 4 of them, we cannot afford it. :(

Knowing what I know now, if I had to face it again, I'd live in a mobile home to pay for it. I have heard of folks doing that very thing.

You no doubt, could home school, mom. And I'm 100% sure with you they would get much more than they get now.

[Nienna]

Knowing what I know now, if I had to face it again, I'd live in a mobile home to pay for it. I have heard of folks doing that very thing.

You no doubt, could home school, mom. And I'm 100% sure with you they would get much more than they get now.

I already "supplement." Meaning, I teach them phonics before they enter K-garten and are warped by whole language. I also remediate them in math, because hard facts are so passe. They have writing assignments in the summer, because, often the notes sent home by the teachers are rife with grammar errors, so I know they can't learn it from the teachers. I teach religion and science in the summer, too (I think we are visiting some caves this year!)

I have been thinking this over. My baby starts kindergarten next year, so I will be able to work outside the home. We have already decided that I should try substitute teaching--- $100/day, and the same hours as the kids. If someone is home sick, I can just turn down the request for the day, and stay home with my kid. But, the downside is that income isn't regular. I'll have to see what my husband says about private school. I wanted to home school when our first child started k-garten, but hubby nixed that. There is a strong prejudice against home-schooled kids in this area & in his family. :( Meanwhile, I'll just keep doing what I have to.

[Abbey Marie]

Throwing money at this will not make it go away. I agree that teachers' unions and tenure are a problem, but there is a problem so much bigger, and so fundamental, that it dwarfs all others: Schools can only do so much with what walks through those doors in the morning.

Teachers are not miracle workers. If education is not valued at home, if home life is unstable, if the parent is a poor role model, and if the child's "culture" is one that emphasizes anger, drugs and sexuality, and looks down on education and career, then chances are very high that that child will not give a damn about school. There may be exceptions, but in most cases, no amount of money or "caring" can change that sad fact.

[KitchenKitten99]

what blows my mind is the state wants more and more money, yet I know that not long ago, the state didn't have this large a budget for schools and kids still were able to learn and succeed.
I think we need to not only do a wipe out of all current budgets and fund allocations and start fresh, with PARENTS of those in school (k-12) voting on how much gets spent where, and what will be expected of teachers and staff, but maybe do the same thing with our governement officials and the offices. Start over, rework everything and make everyone work within the budget. Need more money? Unless you can justly prove the funds are needed, and give evidence as to where this money will be spent. If anything, allocate money on a reimbursement basis where the school officials show receipts for purchases made and are reimbursed depending on whether or not those qualify.

[glockmail]

The problems are class sizes shrinking, a UNION request, which causes more unqualified or crappy teachers.

Then there is lack of discipline in the families, which translates to the classroom. Even if a teacher does the right thing and disciplines the student, the crappy parents step in and complain.

I'm very lucky that we have a school system with advanced placement classes for the upper 10% and upper 1% students, and that both my kids qualified. Nearly EVERY student in these classes has two normal parents, and they want to learn and are largely self-disciplined. We have all the benefits of a private school (actually better in many respects) but not the cost.

The other advice I give parents is to get their kids involved in athletics at the middle school age and beyond, especialy track and field. Club sports like AAU are awesome and are an excellent alternative to the public school league. If they can't do that than get involved in music or the like. The quality of the kids that do these is very high, and can have a very positive influence on your kid.

[Mr. P]

The problems are class sizes shrinking, a UNION request, which causes more unqualified or crappy teachers.

Then there is lack of discipline in the families, which translates to the classroom. Even if a teacher does the right thing and disciplines the student, the crappy parents step in and complain.

I'm very lucky that we have a school system with advanced placement classes for the upper 10% and upper 1% students, and that both my kids qualified. Nearly EVERY student in these classes has two normal parents, and they want to learn and are largely self-disciplined. We have all the benefits of a private school (actually better in many respects) but not the cost.

The other advice I give parents is to get their kids involved in athletics at the middle school age and beyond, especialy track and field. Club sports like AAU are awesome and are an excellent alternative to the public school league. If they can't do that than get involved in music or the like. The quality of the kids that do these is very high, and can have a very positive influence on your kid.

That’s good, Glock. We had the same here through the 5th grade. Then the board of education decided to re-zone for social economic diversity. Totally against the community opinion and wishes they did it anyway, and the schools went down the tubes. We gave it a one year (6th grade) shot and then went private. Oh, we fired all but one of those board members in the next election, but it was too late by then.

[LiberalNation]

There are some problems at my school but all an all I think the education is okay. As for class sizes we already have 32 stuffed into one small classroom. I wish the class sizes would shrink. That many in a class like algebra means the teacher can't get around and answer everyone’s question. You have to really fight to get any help at all from the extremely busy teachers who have 15 kids all with their hands up or yellin the teacher’s name.

It also seems you waste a lot of time during the day not doing anything. The day is long at my school I think. 7:50 to 3:15 get home at 4:11 riding the bus. Most kids then go to jobs or sports after that. You could get just as much done in a smaller time if all the time that time wasn't wasted.

The discipline is a problem but so is the administration that makes up stupid petty rules every other week. I think they should be focused on real behavior problems like all the fights and students who constantly disrupt class then whether or not someone has sunglasses on the top of their head. You get suspended and sent to central for having an Advil in your purse same as people who get caught with weed or other drugs. That's crap too IMO.

Then you have the control freak teacher that just make everything worse by treating every student and kid like crap just because they can and you as a student have no recourse.

[glockmail]

That’s good, Glock. We had the same here through the 5th grade. Then the board of education decided to re-zone for social economic diversity. Totally against the community opinion and wishes they did it anyway, and the schools went down the tubes. We gave it a one year (6th grade) shot and then went private. Oh, we fired all but one of those board members in the next election, but it was too late by then.

We are holding fast with county-wide school choice. When I moved here before the kids were school age on of the attractions was the % private schools was twice the average, or about 14%, so we knew we had that option. What we didn't figger was the competition they gave to the public sector.

We also have a majority GOP on the school Board.

[glockmail]

There are some problems at my school but all an all I think the education is okay. As for class sizes we already have 32 stuffed into one small classroom. I wish the class sizes would shrink. That many in a class like algebra means the teacher can't get around and answer everyone’s question. You have to really fight to get any help at all from the extremely busy teachers who have 15 kids all with their hands up or yellin the teacher’s name.

It also seems you waste a lot of time during the day not doing anything. The day is long at my school I think. 7:50 to 3:15 get home at 4:11 riding the bus. Most kids then go to jobs or sports after that. You could get just as much done in a smaller time if all the time that’s wasted wasn’t.

The discipline is a problem but so is the administration that makes up stupid petty rules every other week. I think they should be focused on real behavior problems like all the fights and students who constantly disrupt class because they refuse to be quite than whether or not someone has sunglasses on the top of their head. You get suspended and sent to central for having an Advil in your purse same as people got with weed or other drugs and I think that’s crap too.

Then you have the control freak teacher that just make everything worse by treating every student and kid like crap just because they can and you as a student have no recourse.

The zero tolerance crap is dumb people not knowing how to handle real situations. "Thse that can, do, those that can't. teach" applies. Even more so when you reduce class sizes. When I was in school the average class size was about 35 and we didn't have the problems, so that's not the issue. The fact that the Teacher's Unions always bring that up and its a self serving agenda item should tell you something.

[LiberalNation]

Sure the teacher Unions are self serving. That what Unions are usually for. Also think teachers getting tenure is crap.

[manu1959]

Sure the teacher Unions are self serving. That what Unions are usually for. Also think teachers getting tenure is crap.

are you sure you are a liberal?:poke:

[LiberalNation]

I gave you a list of my views and you can read them all for yourself. I'm I a liberal some people think so others think I'm a conservative just depends on the political board.

[Abbey Marie]

I gave you a list of my views and you can read them all for yourself. I'm I a liberal some people think so others think I'm a conservative just depends on the political board.

I forget what your list said; maybe you're a social conservative. :dunno: Either way, it's refreshing to see anyone not completely following a party line.