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LafayetteLady -> RE: Education in the US (7/2/2012 8:01:45 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: jlf1961
quote:
Out of 34 countries, the U.S. ranked 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in math.
That was in 2009, I cant find any newer rankings, but that is pathetic.
Now if it is up to the conservatives and republicans, we would disband the US department of Education and let the states handle the cost of educating our children. These are the same people who are proposing closing schools and laying off teachers to save money.
Here in Texas, the Republican controlled Government has had history books re written history to be more politically correct.
What do you people think we need to do to raise the education level in the US.
Let's see. Considering the teachers I hear complain in my area being grossly underpaid (with a median salary of 78K by the way), so many refusing to devote any extra time to helping students who need extra help, failing to communicate with parents, basing who keeps their job on tenure rather than merit, not actually teaching basics, but teaching how to pass proficiency tests, in an effort not to "stifle" creativity, making spelling and grammar secondary, worrying about offending someone with the pledge of allegience, a child wearing any religious symbol, etc. and that covers a lot of the problem in the school system.
On the parental side, teachers expect parents to pick up the slack at home, and many parents just don't have the ability to do that. Not because they don't care, not because they are a "young single parent" without a clue, but because the parents may not literally have enough knowledge to be able to help, nor the funds for a private tutor. It doesn't help that parents think their children are little angels who can do no wrong, but it also doesn't help when teachers send home printed material written by the teacher with spelling and grammar errors as well.
Schools now are run more like jails than a place to learn in many places. Sure, some inner city schools need to be somewhat of a police state, but when jaded teachers don't care if their students learn or not, and are unwilling to invest the time or work with the parents to help the child, problems will ensue.
My son has a learning disability. I am NOT a teacher, but the superindendent of our school system once offered me a job teaching the special ed class because I was able to tell him what worked for teaching 90% of the kids in my son's class. Because I spoke with them, knew what their problems were and worked on figuring out ways to help them learn. It is difficult as hell to teach my son, but I have found ways to do it, and even then it is frustrating as hell because I'm NOT a teacher. I busted my ass with his school to find ways that work with him when it comes to learning, but he had friends who took no interest. So much so, that when open house and parent/teacher conferences came, many of his teachers asked for my help in getting through to his friends.
I have met maybe two teachers in my son's entrie academic career that belonged in a classroom. And one was in Florida where even with a Master's Degree, he wouldn't max out salary wise at 50K a year. That man gave up his lunch everyday to help any student who wanted help. He willingly stayed after school to do the same. My son learned more that year than any other year in school and even won an award for his improvements, given to only one student in the entire district.
Teachers complaining about how they hard they work means nothing to me. They knew what they were getting into when they chose the career.
So how does it improve? Take a step back to when so many of us went to school. We learned. Not simply academics, but respect for authority because our parents would kick our ass if we mouthed off to a teacher.
Don't throw money at the problem and spend all that time working on those "achievement" tests. Teach the kids what they need to know, with some time spent on HOW to take a test. Seems to me, we all learned that way and it worked out.
Oh yea, and stop making votech an option that requires top grades and harder to get into than college. Votech was designed for the kids who weren't destined for college and needed a trade. Now those kids can't get in. And they leave high school without even enough skills to work at McDonald's.
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