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The problem is that we as a society don't value public education, we value private education. If you don't feel that providing affordable public education to our society is imporant, then you will have a horrible educational system. Fault the government all you want, but in the end they perform up to the standard society holds them accountable to. Imagine if our military performed as poorly as our public schools, we the public would not tolerate it. Public schools suck because the majority of the public doesn't care
That's because of the changes. The ones who hold academic value in regard pulled their kids from public school.
Everyone cannot be a winner and until the Dept of Education realizes that you will see an increase of private schools and charter schools.
I applaud those parents for caring enough about their kids education to do what they can to insure their kids can read and write.
Teachers and parents alike hate NCLB and what it has done.
That is "what society wants" ? No, that is what some elected politicians want.
Obama is now coming out with a new program..Race to the Top.
Is that what Americans want for their kids ? No one asked them.
Now obviously you wont get this as a fresh out of HS kid at 18 but this is what we need to aim for. It also shows the huge skills gap we have as a nation if they have to have a $2500 sign on bonus.
HS education. $2500 sign on. clean factory. Min pay $20 an hour.
crazy benefits (I never had bennies like this)
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We need a much more hands on practical education for hour HS thru 22 year olds. THIS is what we need to be aiming our non college bound kids for. We need less of the one size fits all pump them out without true skills education. Other things like electrician, plumbing, millwright, etc. Truck driver and welder for those with lesser math skills. etc.
You're right. We need reform of our education system. But the change we need is more profound than the one you advocate. Our schools will not improve until two things happen. First, parents need to have skin in the game. Where public education is truly free, that is, the parents pay nothing towards the cost of educating their children either in direct tuition or property taxes, there is not the parental involvement and keen interest in seeing that the kids have a top-notch education. That kind of detachment is at the bottom of failing schools in inner cities. If the parents don't care why should the teachers?
A close corollary to the first issue is school choice. Unless and until there is real competition in education our schools will go the way of any monopoly: take it or leave it. Parents should have the ability to "leave it" (the government school monopoly) if the public schools are not delivering a satisfactory product. That means vouchers paid directly to the school of the parents' choice. And I would ensure that the vouchers do not cover the full cost of tuition. The parents should have to pay something toward the cost of educating their children. They should have skin in the game.
Jim. You mean make poor parents pay directly for their childrens education? Ill hafta disagree there. You will just guarantee a 99% failure rate rather than 75%. Yes I know it is inefficient but I actually care about that 24%.
Choice. In principle good but must be handled very carefully to not restrict the supply end.
I live in NJ. We have public school choice. My kids would stay in the current school tho. GREAT school. We spend 9K a student (yes i know the righties hate that) vs. 22K in Newark. Thank you Abbots. sigh. ack drifting sorry.
The point is. We need a much more formalized path to the trades and stop trying to teach Johnny IQ90what the capital of Belize is. If you start the process of teaching Johnny how to be a truck driver at least he will be on his way to a 35-40K job. Not spectacular, but not starving either. Jor Jimmy IQ 105.. an electrician will rarely starve. There is always someone willing to slip you $70 to just install that dimmer switch, outlet etc. Jimmy IQ120 with a few business courses the electrician will probably have his own truck and tools and made a VERY decent living.
That is what the system is today because that is what the government wants. There will always be a need for vocational education yet the government thinks everyone should go to college and get a high paying white collar job in a cushy office.
Who did they think would take over the jobs of the plumbers, electricians, car mechanics ?
Now you have everyone on an academic track whether they have the skills or not. If they don't they just drop out at 17 or slide by with that HS diploma and end up in retail/fast food because of lack of skills.
We are reaping what we sowed.
We used to have a good education system with both academic/vocational tracks in HS and it worked.
Plumbers, electricians, brick layers and car mechanics jobs don't go overseas, either.
The key word is skilled. Don't see many illegal plumbers or electricians or car mechanics (not oil changers but real mechanics).
I suspect that I see plenty. However, I do not demand proof of citizenship from those performing services as the local constabulary would send me to the gallows for hate speech or profiling. My state is very liberal and my county is a sanctuary county. How on Earth could there not be?
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