News, Pennsylvania father abandons 16-year-old daughter over bad math grade.

[lkb0714]

Originally Posted by Ivorytickler

Then why do they have higher percentages of people capable of handling engineering??? Logically, if their system weeds out people who peak later they should have fewer people capable of going into engineering. They don't. We do.

More lies about engineering. Be honest, were you ever an engineer?

"A recent study by Duke University says that for every one million citizens, the US is producing roughly 750 technology specialists, compared with 500 by China and 200 by India."

Number of engineers in India inflated, says study - Times Of India

SHOCKING! Over 82% Indian IT engineers unemployable - Rediff Getahead

And really, you are just not going to admit you were completely and utterly wrong are you?

[psr13]

Originally Posted by Ivorytickler

Then why do they have higher percentages of people capable of handling engineering??? Logically, if their system weeds out people who peak later they should have fewer people capable of going into engineering. They don't. We do.

And I'm not so sure I would have been weeded out. Much of my problem in school was how I was handled. I was different and different was bad. My 3rd grade teacher pleaded with my parents to get me out of the public school system. She said I was an intellectual sponge and that the public schools had nothing to offer me. For all you know I might have gone even farther in a tracked system.

Yes, I came to understand math and science later than my peers BUT that may be because I'm a why person who was stuck in a what world until college. I cannot learn by rote. I need to dig deep and understand before I can move on. That's not how we teach. That's how asian schools teach...and colleges here used to teach.

I will admit the problem with a tracked system is getting kids on the right track. Had I been misidentified on a tracked system as I was in the school system I attended (The teacher I had in 4th/5th grades thought smart meant I should have no questions and I should have all the answers. I had all the questions and no answers so she and I were at odds from day one.), you're right that I never would have had a second chance and we have second chances here BUT we don't have to give up second chances to have a tracked system. You could still have someone from a lower track (my reality when you think about it) go on to a community college and discover that when learning is no longer rote, they're rather good at it.

One positive of a tracked system is it's up to the student so demonstrate what track they belong on so students have a vested interest in their own educations (here they're entitled to one whether they put in effort or not). That's one thing missing from our system. Teachers and schools are judged by the state test scores of students but the students themselves are not. The student has no vested interest in trying their best because there are no consequences for them if they don't and no rewards if they do.

Wait a minute. Did you just say that we teach by rote and Asian schools don't? I don't even know how to respond to that one.

[JustJulia]

There have only been a couple posts responding to the topic, and the rest is a combination of an Education debate and personal attacks. Thread is closed.