How about qualifed teacher that care. It is time to clean house and by out those just getting a contract until they retire. Those that just need a second income and enjoy the time off and those that are unprofessional get rid of the clock watchers. Taht would be a start. How about devolp programs with meaning and not just go through the motions of follow the textbook chapter by chapter or lecture till the students fall asleep or drop out. Lets us work from the foundation up.
I love your rational approach to things - just like it was when I was growing up in Australia before they started to decentralise the education system.
We started class at 9am, not because a bus scehdule dictated but because it was deemed appropriate. We finished the day around 3:30pm because that was also deemed a long enough school day. Most schools used these timetables. Evening classes were available outside these times at local Adult Education centers (over 16 years of age.)
Only those students who planned an academic career completed year 12 at a regular high school. Most other students attended apprentice schools or vocation schools to learn for a specific job. Early on we realised that not everyone had the desire to be acocuntants, engineers etc.
Once the politics of 'equal and free opportunities' entered into the education system it artificially dropped the unemployment rate for a couple of years. We now see a highly educated unemployed population and the unemployment rate begins to increase.
Where do we start? Good question! I am a parent volunteer at my children's elementary school. I have gifted children 'bored' with the 2 hour weekly 'gifted' class. Yet I have students in the same grade level that are well below par - and not enough funding/resources to adequately cover either end of the acedemic spectrum. So we collect aluminum cans, clip box tops and pray that things will get better. I do know that 'better' pre-school is not the answer. It has never been expected that children come to school knowing how to read yet we somehow think that is an answer... We need to work 'smarter not harder!' Children usually give us what we demand of them - even i can see that the quality of the teacher produces results. Well intention dont work in the business world why should they be enough for the classroom. Lets elevate the status of teachers to where it once was and perhaps the career and its product will get the attention it deserves.
What's worse than a dropout rate of 35%?
A nation and its educators so consumed by guilt derived from decades-long, failure of American K-12 education to provide opportunity to learn and grow to their optimal potential to a vast percentage of the nation’s youth population - thereby dramatically stunting their life chances at an early age - that it/we/they are perfectly prepared to blame the client/customer of a government sponsored enterprise for its failure. In fact there is a doorway to the unfolding of every child's optimal potential. Its called "a foundational focus on development of emotional intelligence, intellectual creativity and psychological health" within each child as a 'first things first' agenda that will entirely eliminate dropouts and failure, and jump start America's return to leadership among the world’s democracies. It is a "classroom management system" designed to transform every child into a lover of learning, and a self actualizing / self transcendent adult who does not believe our present failure to provide a level educational playing field to be anything less than a national travesty, offering the startling conclusion that our personal individual self interest – in not seeing the value of education that actually works for everyone - is so narrowly defined and immaturely thought out, it is quite remarkable we are not mired in chaos.
I believe education reform has to start with total reformation of the NCLB act. We are not serving our youth by attempting to homogenize them and categorize them through inequitable standards. I believe the a learner should be measured by individualized means and that teaching should facilitate individual student growth. I do think we need to hold our schools, teachers, parents and students accountable in order to accomplish advancement in education. However, the stipulations of NCLB are absolutely ridiculous! Teaching to unrealistic, standardized tests is taking valuable class time away of doing a great disservice to our future generations' abilities to think meta-cognitively; to be active thinkers and problem solvers.
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Education
How about qualifed teacher that care. It is time to clean house and by out those just getting a contract until they retire. Those that just need a second income and enjoy the time off and those that are unprofessional get rid of the clock watchers. Taht would be a start. How about devolp programs with meaning and not just go through the motions of follow the textbook chapter by chapter or lecture till the students fall asleep or drop out. Lets us work from the foundation up.
Bad idea
And that would improve education, Comrade?
No, the last thing we need is more bureaucracy and a more centralized bureaucracy.
And an education system that lets people understand immediately why suggestions like the above are daft...
Education priorities
Bring spanking back in schools for 3rd-6th grade.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Yes! Yes! Yes!
I love your rational
I love your rational approach to things - just like it was when I was growing up in Australia before they started to decentralise the education system.
We started class at 9am, not because a bus scehdule dictated but because it was deemed appropriate. We finished the day around 3:30pm because that was also deemed a long enough school day. Most schools used these timetables. Evening classes were available outside these times at local Adult Education centers (over 16 years of age.)
Only those students who planned an academic career completed year 12 at a regular high school. Most other students attended apprentice schools or vocation schools to learn for a specific job. Early on we realised that not everyone had the desire to be acocuntants, engineers etc.
Once the politics of 'equal and free opportunities' entered into the education system it artificially dropped the unemployment rate for a couple of years. We now see a highly educated unemployed population and the unemployment rate begins to increase.
Where do we start? Good
Where do we start? Good question! I am a parent volunteer at my children's elementary school. I have gifted children 'bored' with the 2 hour weekly 'gifted' class. Yet I have students in the same grade level that are well below par - and not enough funding/resources to adequately cover either end of the acedemic spectrum. So we collect aluminum cans, clip box tops and pray that things will get better. I do know that 'better' pre-school is not the answer. It has never been expected that children come to school knowing how to read yet we somehow think that is an answer... We need to work 'smarter not harder!' Children usually give us what we demand of them - even i can see that the quality of the teacher produces results. Well intention dont work in the business world why should they be enough for the classroom. Lets elevate the status of teachers to where it once was and perhaps the career and its product will get the attention it deserves.
we are. In a mire of chaos
we are. In a mire of chaos I mean.
Dropout rate
What's worse than a dropout rate of 35%?
A nation and its educators so consumed by guilt derived from decades-long, failure of American K-12 education to provide opportunity to learn and grow to their optimal potential to a vast percentage of the nation’s youth population - thereby dramatically stunting their life chances at an early age - that it/we/they are perfectly prepared to blame the client/customer of a government sponsored enterprise for its failure. In fact there is a doorway to the unfolding of every child's optimal potential. Its called "a foundational focus on development of emotional intelligence, intellectual creativity and psychological health" within each child as a 'first things first' agenda that will entirely eliminate dropouts and failure, and jump start America's return to leadership among the world’s democracies. It is a "classroom management system" designed to transform every child into a lover of learning, and a self actualizing / self transcendent adult who does not believe our present failure to provide a level educational playing field to be anything less than a national travesty, offering the startling conclusion that our personal individual self interest – in not seeing the value of education that actually works for everyone - is so narrowly defined and immaturely thought out, it is quite remarkable we are not mired in chaos.
Makiah's Bill
Makiah.com as seen on theartofbasketball.com....gotta get to the pando roots of this educational 'problem'....now!
NCLB
I believe education reform has to start with total reformation of the NCLB act. We are not serving our youth by attempting to homogenize them and categorize them through inequitable standards. I believe the a learner should be measured by individualized means and that teaching should facilitate individual student growth. I do think we need to hold our schools, teachers, parents and students accountable in order to accomplish advancement in education. However, the stipulations of NCLB are absolutely ridiculous! Teaching to unrealistic, standardized tests is taking valuable class time away of doing a great disservice to our future generations' abilities to think meta-cognitively; to be active thinkers and problem solvers.