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Just reading a few points about the Finnish system... they have the same teachers for 5 years and the struggling kids get dedicated additional teachers to help. That goes a LONG way. Sounds like more nurturing than just passing the buck every year. Would that even be possible here? Teachers staying with kids as they move on? Certainly the population difference would make it difficult.
That's one of the components that I love. I don't see how a teacher couldn't move with each class? But, in order to do that, it'd come down to ridding ourselves of the town SDs in order to create an economically equivalent pay scale and rid ourselves of the excess administrators.
Although interesting to see where this conversation has turned, I am most interested in people's personal experiences in their own school district. So many of us move to the island for the schools, I just want to get a sense of whether people have tangible examples of a positive experience. Those that moved to Jericho or syosset, are there things that you really feel you would not get anywhere else.
I didn't miss any point. Certainly haven't missed your cheery sarcasm.
Finland blows Jericho away. Plus now you're getting into diversity amongst individual school districts versus the idea of national schools. We need to, at the very least, have county schools.
Got it. If Jericho would follow the Finnish model they would really start achieving. Sounds like you are convinced Finland is the answer for every district! Remarkably like those who swore New Zealand was the answer 15 years ago - they were certain. South Korean advocates are on the rise (apparently they just ranked 2nd in the polls) And those Singapore folks. And those 'whole language' folks (now apparently extinct). And now some Common Core Folks. This is wonderful. The answer is now at hand!
(One common criticism of the foreign edu-fads over the years is that many foreign educational practices are not transferable because they are culturally based (i.e. socialist model, homogenous population, etc) and a second common criticism of the edu-fads is that many individual US systems already exceed the achievements of the foreign edu-fads).
I think you missed the point... but if you want a model that really works why not travel all the way to Jericho, NY and copy them. Should Jericho copy Finland? Or are things workin out well enough in Jericho, Syosset, Garden City, etc?
If we had a flat tax and no corporate loopholes, then YES, the Jericho model is great. Built on the backs of a disappearing middle class, it's just a Ponzi scheme that won't sustain much longer. And of course, dollar for dollar in per student spending, many could say Jericho and other LI districts are not delivering nearly as well as they should.
I think you know where you can shove your comment.
Teachers and administrators will all say that they've had to scale back on extras in order to prep for these state tests.
I think you need to peruse the Psych threads for therapeutic reference. If you can bring Obama into this, you're gonzo.
Clearly I hit a nerve after exposing the foolishness of your comment. The first comment after the OP talking about subpar field trips and art classes is yours saying "The Core Curriculum took away a lot of the trips and fun classes". I thought is was just being facetious as I read the first few words .. alas no.
The "Obama" comment was sarcasm - regarding people who bring "common core" into every single discussion about schools as the cause of a perceived problem. Whether its the toilet facilities or the field trips. Like people who bring Obama into every single argument. You think I was "bringing Obama" into the argument seriously instead of using using it to mock such blinkered monomania? I guess close reading wasn't taught in your school district.
Read it again - and then look how preposterous your comments are laying the OP's concerns regarding unsatisfactory art classes and field trips at the feet of "common core." The binary thinking is just childish. Apparently you're not embarrassed by your own comments though, and cannot even parse an argument let alone nuances. Go ahead, its the bogeyman of common core.
We moved to Long Island for the school district. And so far I've been underwhelmed.
I'm in Roslyn school district. Son is in k, teacher isn't great. Thankfully he is doing fine and seems to enjoy school.
The trips they've taken are few and far between. Art turned into computer class where they printed things out.
The version of field day was terrible.
They had no holiday concert and I'm not even sure there will be a kindergarten graduation.
I'm hoping we've just had a bad class experience and the rest of our experience will be more positive. But looking to hear from others. Maybe my expectations were too high. I guess I'm just wondering what other people's experiences have been in regards to extra/ enrichment activities and what district you are in.
Aww, I'm sorry to hear you've been underwhelmed so far. Do you get the sense it's your particular teacher, or is it the whole school? You should definitely make your concerns known to the principal. There are always stronger/weaker teachers, and it can only help to advocate for your child next year. I would frame it as you wanting a teacher who is better suited to your child's personality. Some kids work better with a stricter, more academic teacher, some work better with a more flexible, nurturing type teacher. Also, it's sad but true--the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and if you make yourself known to the principal, there will be a less chance of your kid getting a weaker teacher. And trust me, in Roslyn, other parents are doing this already.
We're in a neighboring district and was generally pleased with kindergarten last year. There were 4 field trips, and a year-end showcase where the kids sang a few songs in the auditorium followed by an interactive writing exhibit with the parents. Field day was fine, nothing amazing, but the kids had fun. There's no kindergarten graduation in our school, but parents were invited into the classroom and there was a really fun kindergarten picnic for kids and parents to celebrate the end of the year.
Art and computer class are definitely separate in our school. They follow a 6 day rotation/schedule of "specials" with PE, music, library, art, computers, and enrichment (science) classes that are taught by a specialist. PE is 3 times a week (sometimes done at recess) and sometimes doubles up with another special. Computer class was pretty cool, with kids starting to type, work on basic coding, some computer games, etc. Art was pretty impressive with multi-week projects and pretty elaborate stuff. Library is exactly the same as I remember it from elementary school, haha.
I think field trips may depend on how willing to do them. Also, last year, there were also TONS on events/activities where parents were invited to volunteer in the class for a special occasion like the Thanksgiving feast, apple day celebration, etc. Those types of things really depend on the teacher, I think. This year, my child's teacher isn't so into those things, although I also think it tends to wane after kindergarten.
Overall, I've been really pleased with the school. It offers a good number of extra activities like science club, chess club (extra fee) or a kids service club. I like how parents are very engaged in the school (almost too much sometimes) and how the administration and teachers are generally very responsive, with the expectation of a response within 24 hours.
The one area I've been a little disappointed is with the class size. I think that has to do more with the number of families moving into the school district though. Last year, each kindergarten class had 19-20 students with one teacher and one teacher's aide. This year, most of the 1st grade classes have 21-23 kids, with no full time aide. I know the class size is much smaller than lots of NYC public schools, but that's still a bit bigger than I'd ideally like.
I hope things get better next year. If you're feeling disappointed, don't hesitate to voice your concerns.
So don't attempt their model due to our population? Just pull a new method out of our arses instead?
No, their model works because of their population. Why is it non-specialized public NYC schools can't achieve the same level as their suburban counterparts? I failed to include poverty rates, my error.
Plenty of suburban and rural tax money has gone to the state in order to be sent to city schools for improvement. Money hasn't solved the issue.
Finland expects parental involvement with school. How many inner city students in poorly performing schools have parental involvement? We've had decades to address this. Why hasn't it changed? What can we do to fix generations of educational dysfunction in the inner city? Bringing in the Finnish model won't change things if the people attending the schools and their parent(s) won't cooperate.
The Finnish model would work in areas which already have successful schools -- why change things? (If it ain't broke...)
This common core, education reform nonsense being shoved down our throats via RTTP funds is a win for corporations to harvest revenue from our public schools. Nothing more.
No, their model works because of their population. Why is it non-specialized public NYC schools can't achieve the same level as their suburban counterparts? I failed to include poverty rates, my error.
Plenty of suburban and rural tax money has gone to the state in order to be sent to city schools for improvement. Money hasn't solved the issue.
Finland expects parental involvement with school. How many inner city students in poorly performing schools have parental involvement?
This common core, education reform nonsense being shoved down our throats via RTTP funds is a win for corporations to harvest revenue from our public schools. Nothing more.
I cannot disagree. It's just a poor, overall mentality we have as a nation. To model their education, we'd have to model their entire outlook.
I moved from the Bronx in sixth grade to Great Neck and found the school to be much worse. I was extremely bored in Great Neck in Sixth grade as we were doing the fifth grade work I did year before.
I was in Catholic School in the Bronx. And guess what very little or no parental involvement. Some of the kids Dad work double shifts and the Italian Moms etc barely spoke English and it was 42 kids in a class.
Move to Great Neck class was half the size, parents were expected to get involved to do the teachers work to and kids were a grade behind Catholic schools.
Lousy teachers blame class size and parental involvement. It is your job and your job alone to teach the kids.
No, their model works because of their population. Why is it non-specialized public NYC schools can't achieve the same level as their suburban counterparts? I failed to include poverty rates, my error.
Plenty of suburban and rural tax money has gone to the state in order to be sent to city schools for improvement. Money hasn't solved the issue.
Finland expects parental involvement with school. How many inner city students in poorly performing schools have parental involvement? We've had decades to address this. Why hasn't it changed? What can we do to fix generations of educational dysfunction in the inner city? Bringing in the Finnish model won't change things if the people attending the schools and their parent(s) won't cooperate.
The Finnish model would work in areas which already have successful schools -- why change things? (If it ain't broke...)
This common core, education reform nonsense being shoved down our throats via RTTP funds is a win for corporations to harvest revenue from our public schools. Nothing more.
Finland has a minimum national core curricula. As do most advanced European countries. Its common sense, as it should be in the US. In Finland, local bodies can decide how they teach and approach common core curricula. Its common sense. In NYS, each school district also can decide how they teach and approach that curricula. Its common sense.
The usual conspiracy theorists and fundamental attribution errors from those with the anti-common core agenda notwithstanding.
The days of ossified districts in less motivated parts of the US teaching pap, teaching nothing or being able to warehouse students by simply putting out completely subjective pass rates and scores and other nonsense are over. Of course, this has led to huge backlash from those with their own agendas and those too lazy to change anything. Sinister theories of money being involved (oh you mean like private schools in the US? or private universities??? how awful they are) or corporate interests (rather than Union interests - the same agglomeration of people with a particular interests, in this case union members rather than shareholders, interested in maximizing their advantage from what is in place, not students' interests. Just with a different tax status!) Talk about red herrings.
And what a blow it was to NYS parents when the first test results came out a couple of years back showing we'd been hoodwinking ourselves as to kid's academic progress for the last decade. And now a common minimum standard so we can objectively compare across the nation. The horror.
Last edited by bg7; 06-08-2015 at 12:16 PM..
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