DesideriScuri
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Joined: 1/18/2012
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Kaliko
quote:
Public schools aren't evil, or a problem, in and of themselves. It's how society has changed to almost require schools to do things that schools aren't really made to do. Schools haven't been developed to be a kid's parent(s). Too many schools have to be parents to the students because the student's parent(s) aren't doing it. The schools are doing it for the kids sake, but a school is not supposed to be the parent(s).
Very much this. Jamie Vollmer has developed a list of responsibilities that has been handed to schools over the years. (Link)
A sample:
In the 1950's, we added:
Expanded science and math education
Safety education
Driver’s education
Expanded music and art education
Stronger foreign language requirements
Sex education (Topics continue to escalate.)
In the 1970's, we added:
Drug and alcohol abuse education
Parenting education (techniques and tools for healthy parenting)
Behavior adjustment classes (including classroom and communication skills)
Character education
Special education (mandated by federal government)
Title IX programs (greatly expanded athletic programs for girls)
Environmental education
Women’s studies
African-American heritage education
School breakfast programs (Now some schools feed America’s children two-thirds of their daily meals throughout the school year and all summer. Sadly, these are the only decent meals some children receive.)
In the 1980's, we added:
Keyboarding and computer education
Global education
Multicultural/Ethnic education
Nonsexist education
English-as-a-second-language and bilingual education
Teen pregnancy awareness
Hispanic heritage education
Early childhood education
Jump Start, Early Start, Even Start, and Prime Start
Full-day kindergarten (In my area, public schools charge parents extra for full or every day kindergarten, but not if it's only half or every other day.)
Preschool programs for children at risk
After-school programs for children of working parents
Alternative education in all its forms
Stranger/danger education
Antismoking education
Sexual abuse prevention education
Expanded health and psychological services
Child abuse monitoring (a legal requirement for all teachers)
In the 1990's, we added:
Conflict resolution and peer mediation
HIV/AIDS education
CPR training
Death education
America 2000 initiatives (Republican)
Inclusion
Expanded computer and internet education
Distance learning
Tech Prep and School to Work programs
Technical Adequacy
Assessment
Post-secondary enrollment options
Concurrent enrollment options
Goals 2000 initiatives (Democratic)
Expanded Talented and Gifted opportunities
At risk and dropout prevention
Homeless education (including causes and effects on children)
Gang education (urban centers)
Service learning
Bus safety, bicycle safety, gun safety, and water safety education
I won't copy and paste all of it, but the link has more. And as he says, it's not that these topics don't have merit. (And some of them clearly are academically necessary. The list is comprehensive.) The issue is that these responsibilities have been added to the school's plate without adding any time to the calendar in the past 60 years to allow for all of this. So not only are school staff trying to teach, but they are trying to teach while having to make room in their day for so many other life lessons that parents now expect them to take care of.
That's a helluva list, and points out many things that have been added.
Some of the things on the list don't necessarily increase the amount of time teachers should be teaching. For instance, smoking education, drug alcohol abuse education, and teen pregnancy education should be lessons within a "Health" class, as should other things listed. Other things on here are well within reasonable things that a school should teach, because of the changing times. In 7th grade, I remember my first "computer" class. It was the coolest thing walking into that room with the sweet "trash-80's" and Texas Instruments computers (TI-994A's; the main reason I remember the actual model is because we had one at home). Advanced math and science courses (there are AP courses for damn near everything now) weren't "over and above" for teachers. In the case of my school, each of those "advanced" classes were full classes, so we'd have had to be taught anyway. The only difference was the subject matter (or the speed/depth at which we went through that subject matter). The addition of "college" courses offered by schools is a great thing, too, but it doesn't take away from a teacher's time (it actually reduces it slightly because those students aren't being taught in the HS). I know a lady whose son is graduating HS this year, and has already completed his first year "general education" college curriculum.
The "early start" line, as with the pre- and post- school programs add time along with the added responsibility (as part of a "both parents work" couple that paid over $17k one year for daycare for 3 kids, I understand the need for these programs).
What's worse, and isn't necessarily mentioned in what you quoted, is the amount of parenting teachers and school staff are being required to do. Kids come in that haven't had solid parenting, and cause disruptions in the classroom. Not only does that force a teacher to have to parent that child, it take away from the educations of the rest of the class.
Teachers in Toledo Public Schools start off at $30k ($35K with a Masters) and have a solid salary increase step program. For all they're asked to do, they don't get paid enough. If they only had to teach, and not also parent, they'd be getting paid pretty damn well, imo.
_____________________________
What I support:
- A Conservative interpretation of the US Constitution
- Personal Responsibility
- Help for the truly needy
- Limited Government
- Consumption Tax (non-profit charities and food exempt)
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