Texas education - from a Yankee's perspective (Houston, Austin: private school tuition, college)

[traceyr13]

Originally Posted by brattpowered

LOL, not surprising when you think about which state gave George W. Bush his start in politics!

By the way, which books are banned?

Here is a link to an article that talks about common banned books in Texas: Banned and Challenged Books in Public Schools in Texas I was told by my department head that American Lit teachers are instructed not to teach Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Catcher in the Rye or Color Purple due to the "problems" it creates. Those were standard books in the curriculum back East.

As another example of the low standards, I am getting ready to teach Lord of the Flies. To seniors. It was done in 8th grade for Honors kids and 9th grade for "regular" classes in Rhode Island and MA. Here, it's the standard senior novel.

[Jennibc]

Wow. This is very discouraging. My son has only been at the public school here (rated exemplary) for a week and a half and we already sense it is not going to work out for us. His teacher seems somewhat inflexible and he has come home in tears twice because he is so bored. As soon as I find a job, I have a feeling we will be going the private route. So much for moving here for a lower cost of living. Oh well, at least we still have the sun

[carolinajack]

they banned the huck fin books back east too, because of PC ism

[carolinajack]

Lord of the Flies was done in Jr high back in Arlington texas back when i was in school.

[twange]

Originally Posted by traceyr13

Here is a link to an article that talks about common banned books in Texas: Banned and Challenged Books in Public Schools in Texas I was told by my department head that American Lit teachers are instructed not to teach Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Catcher in the Rye or Color Purple due to the "problems" it creates. Those were standard books in the curriculum back East.

As another example of the low standards, I am getting ready to teach Lord of the Flies. To seniors. It was done in 8th grade for Honors kids and 9th grade for "regular" classes in Rhode Island and MA. Here, it's the standard senior novel.

Thanks for that awesome post. Wow, To Kill A Mockingbird and Of Mice And Men? That borders on tragic. Lord of the flies for seniors? I had to read that between 7th and 8th grade.

As for the critical thinking problem, it seems like it might be a national education flaw. I was a GRE rater for 5 years(I read the essay portions of the Graduate Record Examinations and assigned a score) and the lack of critical analysis and general control of language was often depressing. And these were folks that were applying to graduate school

I'm glad that I teach college. I don't think I would last for long in a public education setting with those kind of guidelines to follow.

Good luck with the PHD!

[carolinajack]

they didnt mention the bible, but it is too

[Exiled Texan]

As a former Texas Teacher, the OP is spot on. Citizens of Texas, parents of kids need to be enraged and take a stand. This will not change without a revolution of sorts.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by carolinajack

no way, i did a second masters in education, taught in an international school in Central America for two years though, couldnt take the US government regs and union crap in New York.

Plano was one of the best school districts in the nation in the 80s, that and Dallas Highland Park--dont know what its like now

I attended Highland Park in Dallas in the 1960's. It was at that point rated one of the top ten schools in the nation. That rating was VERY important to them - so important to them that you were not, under any circumstances, to actually THINK about what they taught you, merely memorize it and regurgitate it on the tests so that they could keep their rating. Coming from a background of small East Texas town schools where most of the teachers had been teaching for 20-30 years and had all gotten their Masters in the last two years (the laws changed to require it for teaching - when did they change back, anyone know?), and who believed in educating students to THINK - it was quite a shock, and almost put me off education forever.

Teaching to the test is nothing new. It's just widespread now, more's the shame.

[carolinajack]

that still happens all over the USA, Texaslady--from NY to Oregon, from SC to southern cal--not teaching to think but teaching to become another taxpayer in the workforce--as another poster put it

[love roses]

I agree with everything said, now that I know better and have friends that are and were teachers. I DID get to read those books when I was in school, and Lord of the Flies was something we read in 7-8th grade. We also got to read Huck Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird. I think it sucks as well that Bush made us have this TAKS test. I wish I knew what I could do to change it. I live in Hutto and I know an elementary teacher at a different school than my daughters that gets angry about the special ed. programs. But what she doesn't like is that in her regular 4th grade classroom she has a variety students that need extra attention or are a handful (I'm being polite here) that cause either a distraction or that she has to stop teaching the kids who are at grade level or above to spend extra time with the kids who ought to be in a different class where they can get more attention and it causes problems for all of them. Class sizes are another issue.

Seriously, when I was in school, we had a major test at the end of each 6 weeks period. I think that some attention was paid to get us ready for the tests but we also got to have fun learning and I did have teachers that tried to get us thinking instead of just spitting out whatever. I wish we could just go back to that. I don't really think George Bush was the cause of educations problems before the tests cam about, but he sure didn't help anything with No child left behind. I don't want my daughter chewing her nails off and having asthma attacks from the stress of trying to pass that test.