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Look, here is a link for 2013 reading scores for 4th grade. It's not the overall scores that are disturbing to me, as much as the fact that they compare them to scores in the same categories in 1998 and find NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, specifically in Score Gaps for Student Groups. These are the groups, by the way, that the most money and effort has supposedly been paid. So after all the grousing and so on, there are important indices that have made NO IMPROVEMENT in 15 years.
How can that be? What the heck has been going on in this state for 15 years?!
Look, here is a link for 2013 reading scores for 4th grade. It's not the overall scores that are disturbing to me, as much as the fact that they compare them to scores in the same categories in 1998 and find NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES. So after all the grousing and so on, there are important indices that have made NO IMPROVEMENT in 15 years.
How can that be? What the heck has been going on in this state for 15 years?!
Why would it have changed? They have improved the high school drop out rate but I think that was because they had an absurd number caused by system problems. Otherwise up to this year they spend the same money and get about the same answer.
Note that we remain in a close tie with AZ and ahead of CA an NM. And I think that has been the same for 15 years. It is in the money spent.
And note the good school in LV have been good all this time. And the bad schools are bad and remain there.
OK, let's assume all of these studies, from all of these groups, that all arrive at the conclusion that Las Vegas schools suck aren't just flawed, but Bizarro-world flawed. So what? Public perception still hamstrings us when it comes to attracting business other than porn production companies and casinos.
(Porn is our biggest growth industry right now.)
I use my own methodology -- living in Las Vegas. This is not a smart city chock full of smart people. Education simply isn't valued like it is elsewhere. Even if we had the best schools, the best curriculum and the best teachers -- which we don't -- Las Vegas is still one of the least-educated cities in America. Only the desert crap-holes of inland California routinely beat us on the mouth-breathing index. People move here because there are better opportunities for people who never went to college. So a university degree isn't as valued here. (Just so long as our doctors actually graduated from medical school.)
So when Parenting magazine ranks us the worst city in America for schools, the problem isn't that we just appeared on a list that makes us look bad. I could pull articles like that all day long. It's the lowest of low-hanging fruit. Finding these "Las Vegas sucks" articles is about as difficult as finding a prostitute on Boulder Highway. The problem is that companies decide that Las Vegas is less attractive based on our schools and our uneducated population. CEOs flying over Las Vegas read these articles in Forbes and Barron's (and yes, even Parenting).
And they open new factories and offices elsewhere. Don't think for a minute public perception about Las Vegas affects the fortunes of this city.
But frankly, I really don't care. Things aren't ever going to change. The "don't tax me/college is only for liberal indoctrination/if a degree doesn't come with a high-dollar career, it ain't worth pursuing" crowd is FIRMLY entrenched.
Culture, while better, is still woefully lacking compared to other cities this size. The fact that it took us until 2012 to open the Smith Center is all we really need to know about culture in Las Vegas. (Don't get me wrong. I'm glad we have it. It's a real asset. But why did it take almost 100 years to get a decent concert hall?)
Point blank: This city is populated by people who think that working as a doorman means having it made; people whose idea of culture is smoking American Spirits instead of generic cigarettes, and playing blackjack on the strip instead of video poker at the local's bar; people who haven't bought or even read a book since they graduated from high school. Of COURSE our schools suck. This city is clown shoes.
I find it comical that there are people who get indignant about this every time it comes up.
I cannot disagree with you that perception is an issue. Furthermore, while we have found Nevada to be a favorable place to home educate our children, I do have to admit that we have found it somewhat challenging to meet other parents with whom we can carry on a meaningful conversation on just about anything including topics such as recent legislation which could have impacted our children's education in this state. One would think home educators would value intellectual discourse, but I have found that many have neither the interest nor the attention span for it. Regardless of whether kids are home educated or not, parents and their attitudes are critical with regard to education. Unfortunately, the number of parents in this town who truly see the value of education and understand the level of commitment they need to give to the education of their children seems to be dwarfed by the number of parents who do not.
Look, here is a link for 2013 reading scores for 4th grade. It's not the overall scores that are disturbing to me, as much as the fact that they compare them to scores in the same categories in 1998 and find NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, specifically in Score Gaps for Student Groups. These are the groups, by the way, that the most money and effort has supposedly been paid. So after all the grousing and so on, there are important indices that have made NO IMPROVEMENT in 15 years.
How can that be? What the heck has been going on in this state for 15 years?!
While I understand you have general concerns about education in this state, what is you personal experience with CCSD? Are you satisfied with the education your children are receiving? If not, since you have a strong commitment to your children's education, have you considered home educating your children?
I cannot disagree with you that perception is an issue. Furthermore, while we have found Nevada to be a favorable place to home educate our children, I do have to admit that we have found it somewhat challenging to meet other parents with whom we can carry on a meaningful conversation on just about anything including topics such as recent legislation which could have impacted our children's education in this state. One would think home educators would value intellectual discourse, but I have found that many have neither the interest nor the attention span for it. Regardless of whether kids are home educated or not, parents and their attitudes are critical with regard to education. Unfortunately, the number of parents in this town who truly see the value of education and understand the level of commitment they need to give to the education of their children seems to be dwarfed by the number of parents who do not.
I have run into 5 or 6 home schoolers. Virtually all were driven by religious motives I believe. Not one by the opportunity to well educate their children.
Most educated guy I knew was a friend who was both. The dinner table at his house had a chalk board next to it and lecture of one sort or another went on at all times. He had a Phd in chemical engineering with perfect SAT. Both parents were Phd University professors and all the siblings ended up with advanced degrees. He did go to public school though and actually played football.
I cannot disagree with you that perception is an issue. Furthermore, while we have found Nevada to be a favorable place to home educate our children, I do have to admit that we have found it somewhat challenging to meet other parents with whom we can carry on a meaningful conversation on just about anything including topics such as recent legislation which could have impacted our children's education in this state. One would think home educators would value intellectual discourse, but I have found that many have neither the interest nor the attention span for it. Regardless of whether kids are home educated or not, parents and their attitudes are critical with regard to education. Unfortunately, the number of parents in this town who truly see the value of education and understand the level of commitment they need to give to the education of their children seems to be dwarfed by the number of parents who do not.
I couldn't agree with you more and it's a shame. I often bring up the subject of higher education to friends and acquaintances, and remind them that UNLV and UNR may not be where their children decide to go, based on their major, if nothing else. And the other options for higher ed, in this vast and empty state, are few and far between. Ya know what that means?? It means the majority of kids that go on to college and university are going to go out of state. Out of state=out of state tuition fees $$$$! Better start saving even more and applying for scholarships like a fiend. And there is a solid chance those young adults will never come back, once settled somewhere else. It's a Brain Drain and it's real.
I have run into 5 or 6 home schoolers. Virtually all were driven by religious motives I believe. Not one by the opportunity to well educate their children.
Most educated guy I knew was a friend who was both. The dinner table at his house had a chalk board next to it and lecture of one sort or another went on at all times. He had a Phd in chemical engineering with perfect SAT. Both parents were Phd University professors and all the siblings ended up with advanced degrees. He did go to public school though and actually played football.
That has been similar to what we have encountered as well. We tend to find people here home educate for one or more of the following reasons: religious beliefs, bad experience with CCSD, convenient and inexpensive.
While I understand you have general concerns about education in this state, what is you personal experience with CCSD? Are you satisfied with the education your children are receiving? If not, since you have a strong commitment to your children's education, have you considered home educating your children?
My 2 kids are in elementary school. I have them in 2 different schools at the moment, primarily based on their different personalities. 1 attends Walter Bracken STEAM Magnet. It's rated a 5 star school, and we have had a relatively good experience with the school and the teachers, except for one, and she only stayed for 1 term. She was shocked to see how demanding and involved the parents are at the school and didn't care for it. She came from a low performing middle school to a high achieving elementary school and didn't know what hit her. She couldn't keep up with all of the bright kids in the class or their parents! 1 year later she was gone and more than 50% of her class went on to qualify for GATE, including my daughter. So yes, bright kids CAN succeed, in spite of lackluster educators, but having involved parents recognize that they were going to have to fill in the holes left by the teacher, helped a lot.
My youngest daughter attends Silver Sands Montessori Charter School, also a 5 star rated school. It's been an excellent experience for our whole family. Getting an understanding of this method of education and child development, has helped me see what is missing in my oldest daughters studies. But no school is perfect, and there just aren't enough hours in the day. The magnet school doesn't have nearly enough child driven learning and the charter Montessori doesn't have nearly enough (by 100 year old design) technology integration in it's pedagogy. At home, I tend to take the best of both worlds and mix them when doing homework and doing practical studies. It's been successful thus far...
As for homeschooling, I am considering it for middle school. The oldest is going into 4th this year and the youngest, into 2nd. I think my perfect school would be an amalgam of Montessori/STEAM/Charlotte Mason/Socratic Method. Holy H#ll, that would be a lot to bite off!
Finally, I don't believe that learning happens only in a classroom setting. I truly believe that children AND educators need to get out into the wide open world and put what they learn in the classroom, to test in the real world. That's the only way real education can take place.
My 2 kids are in elementary school. I have them in 2 different schools at the moment, primarily based on their different personalities. 1 attends Walter Bracken STEAM Magnet. It's rated a 5 star school, and we have had a relatively good experience with the school and the teachers, except for one, and she only stayed for 1 term. She was shocked to see how demanding and involved the parents are at the school and didn't care for it. She came from a low performing middle school to a high achieving elementary school and didn't know what hit her. She couldn't keep up with all of the bright kids in the class or their parents! 1 year later she was gone and more than 50% of her class went on to qualify for GATE, including my daughter. So yes, bright kids CAN succeed, in spite of lackluster educators, but having involved parents recognize that they were going to have to fill in the holes left by the teacher, helped a lot.
My youngest daughter attends Silver Sands Montessori Charter School, also a 5 star rated school. It's been an excellent experience for our whole family. Getting an understanding of this method of education and child development, has helped me see what is missing in my oldest daughters studies. But no school is perfect, and there just aren't enough hours in the day. The magnet school doesn't have nearly enough child driven learning and the charter Montessori doesn't have nearly enough (by 100 year old design) technology integration in it's pedagogy. At home, I tend to take the best of both worlds and mix them when doing homework and doing practical studies. It's been successful thus far...
As for homeschooling, I am considering it for middle school. The oldest is going into 4th this year and the youngest, into 2nd. I think my perfect school would be an amalgam of Montessori/STEAM/Charlotte Mason/Socratic Method. Holy H#ll, that would be a lot to bite off!
Finally, I don't believe that learning happens only in a classroom setting. I truly believe that children AND educators need to get out into the wide open world and put what they learn in the classroom, to test in the real world. That's the only way real education can take place.
Our kids started in a private Montessori school here, but we found it to be less Montessori the higher the grade level. This combined with issues we saw in the classroom led us to home educate our kids, and we have not looked back. We generally have been following a secular, classical educational model (i.e., the trivium) which is divided into three stages: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. If you are not familiar with it, more information can be found at this Web site: Classical Education | Helping parents educate their children in the classical tradition since 1999. However, we also have found many aspects of unschooling (i.e., self-directed learning) compelling, and we have modified our approach such that our kids have many hours each day to pursue their own educational interests outside of reading, writing, and arithmetic.
I strongly agree with your last paragraph, and it is another reason why we home educate. We now have all kinds of time during the day to go and visit museums, explore national and state parks, and take field trips to places which interest our kids.
If you have not done so already, I would highly recommend reading Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life by Professor Peter Gray of Boston College and Free to Learn: Five Ideas for a Joyful Unschooling Life by Pam Laricchia. Based on your views concerning education, I think you will find both books interesting.
... Finding these "Las Vegas sucks" articles is about as difficult as finding a prostitute on Boulder Highway...
Wait. There are prostitutes on Boulder Highway??
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