Statistics on American K-12 Public Education - The Broad Foundation - Education
Statistics About Education in America | StudentsFirst.org
Teacher Pay Around the World - NYTimes.com
Why Are Finland's Schools Successful? | People & Places | Smithsonian Magazine
Above our articles stating the decline of US education as well as a non bias article from Finland stating the real grit.
While there was an article written by the New Republic stating that "The children must play" Showing that Finland had a recess time of 75 minutes this does not validate the reason for "learning"
Point in fact the last article I posted reiterates this in plain english.
A child that was notably falling off the learning grid despite the same education that other finnish children were getting was NOT learning and they did what? They gathered all resources and figured out a way to get this kid learning!
I have been curious as to ratio, demographics, salary? And what I found validated my beliefs.
Compared to other countries, cost of living, basic salary, education, education budgets and so forth, THE USA does not RANK FIRST..surprise surprise..
There are educators in other countries getting paid 4 times the amount that our educators are yet our educators spend more time educating?
Other countries still believe that music and art are fundamental for our children and enhance mathematics as well as critical thinking ( working the right and left brain)
The decline began with the Bush regime that stated the false "No child left behind act" which did nothing because it was based on scores and tests that were based on true to test. So in order to be eligible for these funds educators needed to focus on the test rather than actual teaching.
As programs that were mandatory back in the 80's and 90's have declined ( Yes there are children in elementary schools that do not have MUSIC PROGRAMS OR ART PROGRAMS even Physical education has been tapped into, it is a miracle children still know the basic fundamentals.
Play? My son has attended private religious school since kinder..
Yes WE PAID HOWEVER during his 9 year stint?
He has had art, learned the recorder, the piano, the drums in their music program, he has had an optimum learning exp. not based on his grade but on what he actually knew and what he could know..meaning if the class he was was not challenging? They moved him up into another class.
He is a 9th grader in a public HS? To him? He hit gold. Every class he has is a review and he gets a long lunch ( Not just half an hr) he made a solid case for receiving a public HS education while my ex husband and I still control what classes he takes. And have made it crystal clear that he is 4 year bound!
Play should not be the focus in school. True while children learn through play and need time to regroup this is not mandatory. A break is but not 75 minutes.
I think the OP ran away with a article and did not delve deeper into the practices of other countries that have success while the USA slips further and further behind.