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Everyone in this country is mystified by our education system--or lack there of. How dod we get to this point?
The politicians want us to belive it is the evil nasty greedy teachers being supported by an even nastier, greedier UNION.
Teachersw say it is all the government regulations and unreal expectations like NCLB 100% success rate by 2014.
PArents are thinking it has to be someone and why would the governement lie?
As education is being deconstructed, all the tail wagging has distracted us from the real motive--PRIVITIZATION of education as we know it.
IMagine an educational system created by and run strictly for profit by folks who have no clue about learning and couldn't care less about our children becoming informed creative THINKERS--but becoming CLONES and STEPFORD students.
That is excatly what the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is going to do if we allow it.
AM I CRAZY? Just ask yourself--"What do I want for my CHILD? What does my child need to know so he / she can make a difference in this world--and will that be what is taught?
WIll we start seeing a grading system similar to this ---
Imagine getting a report card from your teacher and finding out that you were graded not on how well you understood the course material or scored on the tests and assignments, but rather on to what extent you agreed with your teacher's strange public policy positions. That is the best way to understand the American Legislative Exchange Council's 17th Report Card on American Education released last week.
Why not just give the parents of the child an dollar amount for their child that they are free to spend where they like? This is done on Holland, and as a result, over 70 percent of students go to independent schools, and their results are better than the USA.
Quote:
The Netherlands affords parents the right to choose a school for their child on a nation-wide basis.
Dutch independent schools can be organized in a comparatively liberal manner, leading to a high
degree of competition between schools and greater diversity. The government monopoly on the
provision of education has been removed, providing parents with real choice in the educational
institutions their children attend. Parents can exercise financial power by withdrawing support if a local
school is performing badly and sending their children to an alternative choice.
The freedom of choice in the Dutch School System has not resulted in a litany of failing, undersubscribed schools. Educational institutions facing a loss of students have to improve to win them back
to retain their funding. The incentive is to provide a quality education while responding to parental
needs.
The myth that parental choice and a heavy involvement in education by independent schools might
lead to an unfair selection process and unequal access to high-quality schools does not have any
validity in the Netherlands. Because of widespread choice, the large independent sector cannot afford
to be highly selective in its admission policies. The social composition of pupils in independent and
public schools does not differ significantly in the Netherlands. Children of lower socio-economic status
have the same access to independent schools as do their more affluent counterparts.
In the years after the 1917 amendment to the constitution, the religious affiliations of most independent
schools might have explained much of their success and attraction for Dutch parents. But with the role
of religion and tradition fading in post-modern society, parents are increasingly behaving as critical
consumers in a marketplace, and consciously evaluate schools to secure the best education possible
for their children. Independent schools in the Netherlands consistently outperform public schools in test
scores, drop-out rates and academic achievement.
Independent schools have more administrative flexibility, closer contact with parents and the power to
structure a teaching process without government interference. Student evaluation of students is less
bureaucratic and better safeguarded from political prying than in the public schools.
Today Dutch students score among the best in Europe in literacy and numeric skills exemplifying an
education system promoting the principles of consumerism and demanding responsive schools without
imposing prohibitive costs on parents
But here in America we expect the public school system to be the parent of the children as well. We expect them to provide transportation for our children, feed our children, discipline our children, and babysit them.
I think we're headed for privitization simply because there's a lot of money to be made in privitizing schools and a lot of money to be saved by the government by eliminating schools alltogether. Michigan already has for profit charter schools complete with, severely, under paid teachers and a teacher turn over rate to match. The charter school I worked for replaced 1/3 of their teachers every year with new teachers. They didn't care though. They could hire them for $12K less than a district would pay them. That was $12K/head more in the owners pocket plus the extra from over crowding classrooms (I started the year with 36 in each class - NSTA safety recommendations are no more than 24 students in a lab based classroom.).
I think that the ball is already rolling here and nothing will stop it. I just have to scratch my head though at the fact that people get up in arms over "over paid teachers" yet don't even blink when the owners of these schools pocket every cent they can.
My prediction is that the classroom of the fairly near future will be 50 kids sitting in front of computers, with one unskilled baby sitter (for lack of a better description for someone whose sole job is to keep kids on the right computer page). Computer programs are cheap. So are unskilled baby sitters. At $7K/head and only about $2K-3K in cost per student to sit them in front of a computer like that, the owners of the school are looking at $4K-$5K per head in profit after they pay for the upkeep on the building. The funny part is this will lead to the demise of the charter school as if all you're going to do is sit students in front of computers, you don't even need a school. We're just a short hop from here to no schools at all. Just log on from home. This will save the government an incredible amount of money. While schools will close, day care centers will fluorish as working parents will need them until their kids are old enough to leave home alone. All the while the elite will pay to send their kids to traditional schools. That's my prediction. I expect these changes to be well under way in 20 years.
Why not just give the parents of the child an dollar amount for their child that they are free to spend where they like? This is done on Holland, and as a result, over 70 percent of students go to independent schools, and their results are better than the USA.
But here in America we expect the public school system to be the parent of the children as well. We expect them to provide transportation for our children, feed our children, discipline our children, and babysit them.
Actually, Minnesota and Wisconsin do this already. I believe that it is called open enrollment: School Choice in Minnesota
I think we're headed for privitization simply because there's a lot of money to be made in privitizing schools and a lot of money to be saved by the government by eliminating schools alltogether. Michigan already has for profit charter schools complete with, severely, under paid teachers and a teacher turn over rate to match. The charter school I worked for replaced 1/3 of their teachers every year with new teachers. They didn't care though. They could hire them for $12K less than a district would pay them. That was $12K/head more in the owners pocket plus the extra from over crowding classrooms (I started the year with 36 in each class - NSTA safety recommendations are no more than 24 students in a lab based classroom.).
I think that the ball is already rolling here and nothing will stop it. I just have to scratch my head though at the fact that people get up in arms over "over paid teachers" yet don't even blink when the owners of these schools pocket every cent they can.
My prediction is that the classroom of the fairly near future will be 50 kids sitting in front of computers, with one unskilled baby sitter (for lack of a better description for someone whose sole job is to keep kids on the right computer page). Computer programs are cheap. So are unskilled baby sitters. At $7K/head and only about $2K-3K in cost per student to sit them in front of a computer like that, the owners of the school are looking at $4K-$5K per head in profit after they pay for the upkeep on the building. The funny part is this will lead to the demise of the charter school as if all you're going to do is sit students in front of computers, you don't even need a school. We're just a short hop from here to no schools at all. Just log on from home. This will save the government an incredible amount of money. While schools will close, day care centers will fluorish as working parents will need them until their kids are old enough to leave home alone. All the while the elite will pay to send their kids to traditional schools. That's my prediction. I expect these changes to be well under way in 20 years.
Only the elite send their kids to private schools?
Give me a break.
Most small elementary private schools around me are 5k per student, thats not like a 40k boarding school bill. The problem is that too many people in this country have set themselves up for living off 2 incomes. Be it for social status, feminism, or what have you.
1)As far as sitting kids in front of computers...you don't think this goes on already in public schools.
2)I agree with Morris...not only the elite send their kids to private schools
3)We have the PBIS program for behavioral expectations in our public school district. I live in a super liberal area. PBIS seems to have a stepfordish element to it
4)My oldest started school before NCLB started taking effect....there were parts of education that were a hot mess then.
Only the elite send their kids to private schools?
Give me a break.
Most small elementary private schools around me are 5k per student, thats not like a 40k boarding school bill. The problem is that too many people in this country have set themselves up for living off 2 incomes. Be it for social status, feminism, or what have you.
Possibly for SURVIVAL?
SO there are private middle and HIGH schools that cost $5k? WHERE??? what type of "private" school is less than $10K a year? Pre school?
PLease provide a list of these schools and tuition charged...are these discount private schools accredited? certified staff? or are they all taught by nuns?
Only the elite send their kids to private schools?
Give me a break.
Most small elementary private schools around me are 5k per student, thats not like a 40k boarding school bill. The problem is that too many people in this country have set themselves up for living off 2 incomes. Be it for social status, feminism, or what have you.
Elite as in those who can afford it. Many don't have the choice because they cannot afford tuition.
What does living on one or two incomes have to do with this? So what if people have themselves set up to live on two incomes. Why does that matter to you? Jealous?
SO there are private middle and HIGH schools that cost $5k? WHERE??? what type of "private" school is less than $10K a year? Pre school?
PLease provide a list of these schools and tuition charged...are these discount private schools accredited? certified staff? or are they all taught by nuns?
There are cheap private schools here as well but they're not high quality. They're, usually, associated with a religion and the church provides the building. Staff is not required to be certified in private schools here. The pay rate for many of the cheap private schools is about half the going rate for teachers.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 02-04-2012 at 09:18 AM..
1)As far as sitting kids in front of computers...you don't think this goes on already in public schools.
2)I agree with Morris...not only the elite send their kids to private schools
3)We have the PBIS program for behavioral expectations in our public school district. I live in a super liberal area. PBIS seems to have a stepfordish element to it
4)My oldest started school before NCLB started taking effect....there were parts of education that were a hot mess then.
Oh, I know it does. We just haven't hit the extreme yet. Using computers for 100% of education. This will do so much for society. It will spell the demise of school alltogether, except for elite private schools. It will also keep classism alive and well because the children of the elite are more likely to actually learn something parked in front of a computer while the children of the less educated will be more likely to not knuckle down and learn. The only good thing I see coming out of this is that society will have to accept once and for all that it is the student who must do the learning. Unfortunately, by the time we accept this, there will be no teachers left for the ones not intrinsically motivated to learn.
As I said, elite as in those who can afford it. Many of the private schools around here are no better than the public. What they really are is a way to segregate by religion. The better private schools cost upwards of $15K per child per year and the parents supply the books, lap top computers and supplies for the classrooms. The school a friend teaches in charges $18K/year/student. They limit class sizes to 15 and hire only the best teachers. They can offer what they do for this bargain price (and it is a bargain) because they get endowments from former graduates.
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