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We will likely move in the direction of more local control, less red tape and fewer federal regulations.
There has to be a reason teachers are the largest single contributor to federal political campaigns.
Schools have become so regulated, one district has little to differentiate itself from another. But that is not why the teachers are such big political donors.
Since when do we get to individually decide where our taxes go? Yes, let's open that gate and allow everyone to decide individually how taxes are spent! what could possibly go wrong?
Btw, for all you "leftist scum" talk, have you ever looked at which states have the best public schools? I'll give you a hint, they are typically pretty blue.
Btw which country has the best schools. I'll give you a hint. It's not us. We're not even close. But by all means let's keep doing what we're doing.
Btw which country has the best schools. I'll give you a hint. It's not us. We're not even close. But by all means let's keep doing what we're doing.
As an educator it frustrates me to no end that we refuse to take a lesson from countries that manage to educate better than we do. We're so worried about protecting feelings we are failing to prepare our kids for life.
Btw which country has the best schools. I'll give you a hint. It's not us. We're not even close. But by all means let's keep doing what we're doing.
We're actually doing fairly well for a country in which about 1/4 of our students are growing up in poverty. What we aren't doing well at is making sure we don't have 1/4 of our students growing up in poverty.
As an educator it frustrates me to no end that we refuse to take a lesson from countries that manage to educate better than we do. We're so worried about protecting feelings we are failing to prepare our kids for life.
25 years ago or so, Japan was considered "the best" here in the US anyway. This was still prior to widespread use of the internet for message boards like this anyway, so it was in articles in parenting magazines, news magazines, etc that touted the Japanese educational system because their students were scoring at the top of the international education tests. Then the Japanese system was looked at in greater depth, and it was found that big surprise, their system isn't perfect. Right now, it's Finland. Finland, Finland, Finland. So funny, to me, that a country the population size of Minnesota or Colorado is one we should emulate. Now from what we see and hear of Finland's system, it looks pretty good. I'm sure if we examined it closely, its flaws would also become apparent. But y'know what? These two systems could not be more different from each other. About the only thing they have remotely in common is that both serve a very homogeneous population, Japan more than Finland even. So, do we adopt the intense, rote memorization style of the Japanese, with kids going to "enrichment" classes outside of school and other extra-curricular activities? Or do we adopt the more laid-back approach of Finland?
25 years ago or so, Japan was considered "the best" here in the US anyway. This was still prior to widespread use of the internet for message boards like this anyway, so it was in articles in parenting magazines, news magazines, etc that touted the Japanese educational system because their students were scoring at the top of the international education tests. Then the Japanese system was looked at in greater depth, and it was found that big surprise, their system isn't perfect. Right now, it's Finland. Finland, Finland, Finland. So funny, to me, that a country the population size of Minnesota or Colorado is one we should emulate. Now from what we see and hear of Finland's system, it looks pretty good. I'm sure if we examined it closely, its flaws would also become apparent. But y'know what? These two systems could not be more different from each other. About the only thing they have remotely in common is that both serve a very homogeneous population, Japan more than Finland even. So, do we adopt the intense, rote memorization style of the Japanese, with kids going to "enrichment" classes outside of school and other extra-curricular activities? Or do we adopt the more laid-back approach of Finland?
Hmmm??? What do both of the countries you just talked about have in common?
Hmmm??? What do both of the countries you just talked about have in common?
A homegeneous population. What are you suggesting, some sort of mass deportation of all but Native Americans? Finland's population, I would argue, is also too small to really judge conclusions from. Its population is about the same as Minnesota's or Colorado's.
Last edited by Katarina Witt; 02-19-2017 at 09:20 AM..
You better believe I would have used my TAXPAYER DOLLARS to voucher him into a more LEGAL and accommodating school.
I'm sorry you had all of those experiences with public schools. But I will say this: It is highly unlikely that any school of choice (voucher or charter) is going to offer more services than your local public school for a student on an IEP with such challenges. Special needs students are generally much more costly to educate and score lower on standardized tests, which means when schools have a profit-motive and are competing with one another based on assessment-based measurement systems, most will turn away special needs students with serious challenges. And some school might even start turning away students with parents who make excessive demands.
Btw which country has the best schools. I'll give you a hint. It's not us. We're not even close. But by all means let's keep doing what we're doing.
Okay, so let's take your proposition that the country (or countries) with the best schools is/are not us. Okay. So let's look at what those countries have that you don't want us to have -- a national education policy. If I'm wrong, I will concede the point, but you have to show me the evidence that the countries with the "best" schools (whatever that means) don't have a national education policy. Of the 4 countries I've traveled in extensively, they all had national education policies. And to me it seems very logical that the United States should have a national education policy.
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