Based on experience:What do recent transplants think of NEPA schools? (Scranton: sales, credit)

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by Magritte25

Because people like football. None of those other sports are nearly as popular in any area of life so why would they be in our schools?

I don't know *anyone* who is more upset over a game than academic quality.

As with everything, because football is the most visible sport in high school, it is the most heavily derided - unfairly.

Still, I think people in the area should be happier over a kid with a high SAT score, a straight A average, etc, than a future Al Bundy who scores 4 touchdowns in one game. Not that both aren't possible, but people in this area care a lot more about football scores than they do grades. You don't see countless news stories on academics like we do about football. I like football too, but I realize its just a game.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by Summering

.

I'm also of the thinking that a person who has paid school taxes for 50 years ( older, retired, disabled)
needs to be set free of that burden. Fifty years is a long time~ They have done their fair share.
Its not in the least that they do not want to see well educated kids. Its other economic reasons......
And, personally.......Thats just long enough for anyone to have helped our beloved children succeed.

Using that reasoning, we younger people should be set free from propping up Social Security and Medicare also? Especially since school taxes will skyrocket with less people paying in, I'll have enough of my own bills.

[Summering]

Originally Posted by go phillies

Using that reasoning, we younger people should be set free from propping up Social Security and Medicare also? Especially since school taxes will skyrocket with less people paying in, I'll have enough of my own bills.

No, I don't think of it in that kind of terms. In fact all of my girls feel that the "older" generation has done enough and should not pay a school tax.

Actually, I think about Delaware and South Carolina.......and I am sure there are other states. These states don't have the school tax. In fact when you go to buy a home there, your face lights up over the few hundred dollars they do collect in taxes.

So if those states can do it ( amongst others) so could NJ and NY and our very own PA.

( adding in Medicare and Social Security is a whole other ball game....and we don't want to start that series here......It would probably go in debates...)

[MovingOutOfNJ]

Originally Posted by Magritte25

Because people like football. None of those other sports are nearly as popular in any area of life so why would they be in our schools?

I don't know *anyone* who is more upset over a game than academic quality.

As with everything, because football is the most visible sport in high school, it is the most heavily derided - unfairly.

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world... In NY/NJ Basketball is bigger then Football...and football is still pretty big there...

and its not like everyone is more upset over sports.. but its usually the athlete's parents, who get a little overzealous about hs sports.

[gimaginera]

We moved to Scranton from Dutchess County NY when my kids were in 6th and 8th grades and my experience has been more negative than positive. In NY, they had a lot of homework every night, and challenging projects and papers. When we moved here, it was totally the opposite - and it wasn't because they'd covered the material already. Homework was minimal and not challenging at all, and was done during study periods during the school day.

My oldest graduated already, and went to beauty school, but my youngest is a Senior in HS now, and on her way to college. She is a very smart kid, but did mediocre on the SAT. I am really afraid for her when she gets to college. She has no study skills, and although she's in AP classes in HS, has limited experience with research reports and term papers. Even my kids kind of resent the poor education here, although they're the first to say they enjoyed all the free time after school!

[bloominscranton]

Originally Posted by gimaginera

We moved to Scranton from Dutchess County NY when my kids were in 6th and 8th grades and my experience has been more negative than positive. In NY, they had a lot of homework every night, and challenging projects and papers. When we moved here, it was totally the opposite - and it wasn't because they'd covered the material already. Homework was minimal and not challenging at all, and was done during study periods during the school day.

My oldest graduated already, and went to beauty school, but my youngest is a Senior in HS now, and on her way to college. She is a very smart kid, but did mediocre on the SAT. I am really afraid for her when she gets to college. She has no study skills, and although she's in AP classes in HS, has limited experience with research reports and term papers. Even my kids kind of resent the poor education here, although they're the first to say they enjoyed all the free time after school!

IMHO...if you knew your children were not being challenged in school then I would think it would be up to you to make options for them to be challenged. Public education is geared towards the majority...we as parents must look at our own childrens needs and do all we can to have them met. I expect a basic solid fund. education at my sons current level; he is getting that plus a great deal more. I have my concerns regarding the course at the mid and high school level and will address them when the time comes. If that means sending him to some sort of private school, that is a fmonetary challenge I am prepared to met, some way some how. IMHO...the trade off of our quality of life and his current elementary education is MUCH more skewed towards the positive then that which I left on L.I.

[KarenRice]

Have to agree w/ LoveinBloom. What have you taught your kids by way of study skills?

My friend always had her kids do educational stuff during summer vacation. Every morning before they got to "play" or goof off, they had chores to do and in addition to the household chores, they had to spend about an hour working on math skills and spelling. Plus they had to "buy" tv and computer time with reading or doing some kind of worthwhile project. Turns out the kids hardly watch TV at all anyway; they're perfectly content doing "stuff." They are very smart kids and are going to do very well.

[KarenRice]

What does "spell check" have to do with anything?

[Jo Bloe]

Originally Posted by Magritte25

Who do you think will run the country when you are old? Take care of you? Educate the next generation? If kids aren't properly educated where do you think they'll end up? On welfare - where you'll be paying for them anyway.........

You directly benefit even if you do not have kids in the public school system.

Have to disagree, I think these are all indirect benefits............

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Magritte25

Because people like football. None of those other sports are nearly as popular in any area of life so why would they be in our schools?

I don't know *anyone* who is more upset over a game than academic quality.

As with everything, because football is the most visible sport in high school, it is the most heavily derided - unfairly.

(Playing world's smallest violin). Normally I'm a sympathizer with you, Magritte, but if you were like me and didn't have time for sports because he worked full-time through high school to shift a financial burden away from his parents you also resented the fact that so many in your community would ignore the fact that you were FBLA president, picking up litter with Key Club, competing in a state Science Olympiad tournament, supportive of theater and the jazz band, etc. in favor of mindlessly watching every football game. Why doesn't the community (at least my native Pittston Area) support international food fairs, the jazz band, theatrical productions, engineering competitions, etc. to the same extent that they congest local streets trying to find parking for football games when they don't even have children in the district? It was maddening that the Pittston Area vs. Wyoming Area football games would have more people in attendance than the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

So before you go saying "Our dear high school football is so heavily derided" bear in mind that many of us toiled away effortlessly to try to boost the community's exposure to the arts, technology, diversity, etc. and never received one "atta boy" for it while every other teacher and community member practically drops down to their knees to worship the football jocks as they pass by. Perhaps local career opportunities would be better than just driving a forklift or packaging tortilla chips for $9/hr. if more people embraced academics instead of exalting athletics to such insane levels? Perhaps we wouldn't have three mayoral candidates in our region's largest city who were clueless about the "Brain Drain?" There's a lot to be said about a community that shuns 95% of their student body to worship the 5% who play a game.