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Old 03-11-2008, 10:52 AM
 
Location: Winter Springs, FL
1,792 posts, read 4,646,160 times
Reputation: 945

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Quote:
Originally Posted by flu189 View Post
In the aftermath of all the increased budget increase approvals I read an interesting commentary that had the adminstrators been less cautious in their planned requests, say from a paltry 8% to 12%, they might have gotten away with getting 14% to 18% increases. Of course, there is always next year. If the writing on the wall comes true, meaning fuel for transportation/heating reaching $4.00, electric up another 10 to 15%, along with the associated consumer cost increases, and if there is no indication that the state, towns, school districts will adjust and balance themselves to their revenue supply, then we will most likely plan to downsize and prepare to leave. This would put us in a position two to three years ahead of what we assumed last year.
On WCAX this morning they released the state proficiency exam results. This was a test that the teachers in the state made to see how proficient students are at the material that is being taught to them. Poor marks throughout the state. Reading came in the highest with I think 67%. Everything else was in the 30% range. Maybe we need to pour more money into the education system to make things better. It's a known fact that more money means a better education. Do you think better teachers or better teaching methods would make better grades? The sad fact is no one will be held accoutable. I bet we would all love to have our budgets increase 8 or more percent and be only thirty to sixty % proficient at our jobs. I wouldn't have a job if I turned out those kinds of numbers.
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Old 03-11-2008, 04:19 PM
 
Location: hinesburg, vt
1,574 posts, read 4,842,482 times
Reputation: 406
Fifteen minutes ago I finished reading the results of the test and then also read the majority of the 50+ reader comments to the BFP on that topic. This comes as no surprise I'm sad to say. I'm not going to take the simple way out and merely bash the teachers, though we all know like in any field there are less than adequate performers. Based on my own education experience and that of my two sons when they were in school I feel a great part of the gross deficiency lies within the cirriculum and the function of the educrat administrators as well as the self serving union. Accountability, efficiency, responsibility are all buried and skewed within the education machine. The really sad thing that will come out of these poor test results will be a plethora of study and focus groups accompanied by the usual finger pointing , and of course a chunk of the blame will go toward the sinister NCLB standards. The whole mess is truly a dilemma as truly good teachers are frustrated, the money grab despite declining enrollments will continue as the lemmings continue to open their wallets, and a good amount of our best and brightest kids will continue to pursue dreams and opportunity elsewhere. It's fair to say that the wife and I will activate our short timers calander. We realize we will have to downsize, but we want it to be on our terms without being forced to subsidize poorly thought out and executed programs, ideas, dreams, and fantasies.
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Old 03-11-2008, 06:50 PM
 
Location: Inis Fada
16,966 posts, read 34,580,947 times
Reputation: 7722
Quote:
Originally Posted by flu189 View Post
Fifteen minutes ago I finished reading the results of the test and then also read the majority of the 50+ reader comments to the BFP on that topic. This comes as no surprise I'm sad to say. I'm not going to take the simple way out and merely bash the teachers, though we all know like in any field there are less than adequate performers. Based on my own education experience and that of my two sons when they were in school I feel a great part of the gross deficiency lies within the cirriculum and the function of the educrat administrators as well as the self serving union. Accountability, efficiency, responsibility are all buried and skewed within the education machine. The really sad thing that will come out of these poor test results will be a plethora of study and focus groups accompanied by the usual finger pointing , and of course a chunk of the blame will go toward the sinister NCLB standards. The whole mess is truly a dilemma as truly good teachers are frustrated, the money grab despite declining enrollments will continue as the lemmings continue to open their wallets, and a good amount of our best and brightest kids will continue to pursue dreams and opportunity elsewhere. It's fair to say that the wife and I will activate our short timers calander. We realize we will have to downsize, but we want it to be on our terms without being forced to subsidize poorly thought out and executed programs, ideas, dreams, and fantasies.
Is there a website to review the test scores?

Thanks!
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Old 03-11-2008, 07:02 PM
 
79 posts, read 313,310 times
Reputation: 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhBeeHave View Post
Is there a website to review the test scores?

Thanks!
Programs & Services : Assessment : State & National Data.
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Old 03-12-2008, 08:24 AM
 
6,764 posts, read 22,017,842 times
Reputation: 4772
Pumping money into the schools is not the answer.
It's quality of education, not how much you spend. First off, you have to figure out what is the purpose of schools? Maybe the purpose from 50 years ago is not the way we need to go today.

Look at the big picture. Schools should educate the child to function in the real world, teach them to be self sufficient, how to gain skills to be a thinker, and yes, how to get a job in a new economy.

There are many schools around the country that pay high wages, but that doesn't mean they do a better job educating the children. Statistics and tests are not the right tools to determine if kids are learning--they rely on children being accurate test takers. Some kids do not function well on tests, yet are very bright.

I don't know what the answer is but 'bloating' the administration is the wrong way to go...I saw that Plainfield in NH has rejected an assistant principal post...I suppose people see it as 'stupid' and tax waste.

Where I came from in NY you had a lot of money skimmed off and too many 'administrators' stealing from the system. I hope we don't see this coming in the name of progress in education in VT.
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Old 03-12-2008, 09:37 AM
 
Location: hinesburg, vt
1,574 posts, read 4,842,482 times
Reputation: 406
Yup, we need to teach math and science as we can see that is where the greatest deficiency lies. I have read numerous articles where America's high tech employers from manufacturing to IT lament over the lack of qualified and interested youth. Funny though, back in the 1950s and 1960s technology and the need for math and science was also great. Those who remember Long Island in NY and the 128 Tech belt in Mass can attest to the jobs available then. Even by the 70s when I completed secondary education the material and instruction in math and science was more rigorous. I also will never forget some of the teachers I had. Competent, no nonsense take charge individuals who somehow were able to take a class of 35 or more kids and be able to impart the knowledge and proficiency to the vast majority of us. Yesterday, after the public release of the poor to fair numbers here another story surfaced from Burlington. Apparently the teachers are complaining the air in the school is making them sick despite the fact that numerous tests have shown no apparent cause as in there are no measureable substances in the air. Here is a trick I learned from my first period Algebra teacher in NYC over 33 years ago. Open the windows. Our air here is much cleaner than the incinerator and back then leaded fuel emissions which waifed into our classrooms, but a cool blast of even bad NYC air somehow woke us up and got the synapsis firing.
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