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Now I'm not talking about all Republicans. But ever since I got my teaching degree, I noticed that conservatives, in general have a much more hostile attitude toward public ed. than liberals. My Democrat friends have always encouraged me in my career choice, while some conservative friends act like "well...whatever floats your boat man...". One friend even tried to get me to switch careers because public schools were so "anti-God". I got the impression that you can't be a true conservative and agree with universal public education. I really believe that what I'm doing is very beneficial to society.
Now I know public schools have problems, and there needs to be reform, but why are so many conservatives wanting to throw the baby out with the bathwater?
Both my daughter and son-in-law are teachers and conservative. Both would prefer to teach in a private situation but because of pay and benefits don't. The public school system is so broken and burdened by useless overpaid administration that it is no wonder our system has failed so many children.
The best thing that could happen to the public school system is vouchers. If the public system can't deliver a good product then they have no right to the taxpayer's money. I think they would reform if they had to compete for our dollars. If not we will eventually be rid of them.
Obama knows private is better and that is why his children are in private school.
Ms Hackworth-Rodriguez-McGuire-Stepney-Johnson, 5th grade teacher: "Johnny, we want you to take this medication every day so that you can sit still and be quiet and passive like all the little girls in the class. And Sally, of course your mommy loves you. She didn't abort you like she did your little brother, did she? Now there."
Not all teachers are telling boys to take medication because he can't sit still and be quiet. Most kids are able to do that with adequate parenting. Trouble is, we don't have much adequate parenting in our society.
There are some children who truly have ADHD and need medicine. In this case, there is a protocol that must be followed to diagnose it.
Both my daughter and son-in-law are teachers and conservative. Both would prefer to teach in a private situation but because of pay and benefits don't. The public school system is so broken and burdened by useless overpaid administration that it is no wonder our system has failed so many children.
The best thing that could happen to the public school system is vouchers. If the public system can't deliver a good product then they have no right to the taxpayer's money. I think they would reform if they had to compete for our dollars. If not we will eventually be rid of them.
Obama knows private is better and that is why his children are in private school.
Private schools usually are better and kids who graduate from them have a higher success rate. The reason for this is that private schools have the option of expelling students who are severely disruptive. If a public school expells a child, then they still are forced to find a way to provide him or her with instruction so it is much harder to expel a severely disruptive child from a public school.
We, as a whole, don't value kids' education the way we value material goods and possessions.
No we don't. That is why some states are choosing to cut education and raise class sizes to 40 students per teacher. That is happening in Arizona right now. Education is barely scraping by while residents of the state are quick to vote no on even a 5.00 tax increase. While yet many in Arizona bought houses they couldn't afford so these houses went into foreclosure which caused part of the mess the country is in now.
Do you honestly think parents and concerned community members haven't tried to do exactly that... for DECADES... with little to no improvement? Remember those websites I posted? How far do you think those organized parent/community groups were able to get in the process of 'creating more options under the public system umbrella,' as you put it. I'll give you a hint: not very far at all, and nowhere in most cases. Time to move on and up.
And is if the dumbed down curriculum weren't enough, perhaps you could take a shot at answering the question I posted here in response to bluebelt1234:
I would have thought.. the running start program would be sufficient enough for those students don't you? I mean how much further can the public system go.. if it's allowing high school students to graduate with an AA degree from a public community college or university??? The programs are there... but many do not use them.... because of the social dynamics of high school... Many students who participate in running start lose out on not being involved in high school day to day life because they are off at the college taking their classes...
Don't sit here and make it out to be that there are not avenues for students who wish to succeed... because there are... and they exist in the public system... but like everything.. there is a cost...
Unfortunately.. in the public schools.. we cannot leave certain students behind, because others are able to succeed... atleast not in it's current form.. but we can provide these avenues for successful students...
Before we start attacking the public system... know what you're talking about first...
Both my daughter and son-in-law are teachers and conservative. Both would prefer to teach in a private situation but because of pay and benefits don't. The public school system is so broken and burdened by useless overpaid administration that it is no wonder our system has failed so many children.
The best thing that could happen to the public school system is vouchers. If the public system can't deliver a good product then they have no right to the taxpayer's money. I think they would reform if they had to compete for our dollars. If not we will eventually be rid of them.
Obama knows private is better and that is why his children are in private school.
I think I addressed that issue in a previous post...by comparing my own state to a neighboring state..
You're exactly right...administrative costs are huge...
but there are places that are doing the right thing when it comes to public education.. and it is succeeding...
I'm all about addressing the issues here.. but I'm not going to sit here and let people bag on the public system.. when they don't know what they're talking about.. and just on a bandwagon...
I'd be the first to admit that there is huge amounts of waste in the public system.. and there are a lot of opportunities... but I can guarantee all of you.. that the private schools your kids will be able to get into with vouchers will not be the same private schools the affluent's children are going to.. It may at first.. but eventually we'll be back at square one..where it isn't a government beaurocracy anymore... and more of a cartel...
Money and the free market should never be allowed to dictate the role of education, and access to it in a society...
because eventually.. when the mighty dollar rules the day... something basic and universal becomes exclusive...
If you're really worried about how america compares to the rest of the world in terms of educated citizens... I'm afraid we'll see things worse...
We'll start seeing kids who never have been to school.. or only completed the 6th or 9th grade.. which would be a drastic step backward...
I totally understand concerns as a parent.. because when you look at this issue.. you only see your kids.. or kids of your friends etc...
I am a teacher..so it takes looking at the best interest of ALL the students and kids in the community, the state, and the nation...Its just not as easy as some of you want to make it out to be...
Of course the easiet fix is to just open your pocketbooks and pay for private education like the rich people do...
what makes you think you're entitled to a lump some of money from the pool of tax dollars.. to go and spend how you like just because you happen to have kids that need educated? what about the people who pay taxes and don't have kids? Atleast with the public system.. they are supporting a standard system that benefits society because it is all inclusive...
why do you get to send your kids off to a school of your choosing and tastes on everyone's dime? What makes you think that money is entitled to you because you have kids? Especially if they are religious schools? how can you justify every other tax payer to cover the expense of sending your kids to a mormon, christian, or muslim school?
It's just not realistic.. and will only bring about more problems
I would have thought.. the running start program would be sufficient enough for those students don't you? I mean how much further can the public system go.. if it's allowing high school students to graduate with an AA degree from a public community college or university??? The programs are there... but many do not use them.... because of the social dynamics of high school... Many students who participate in running start lose out on not being involved in high school day to day life because they are off at the college taking their classes...
Don't sit here and make it out to be that there are not avenues for students who wish to succeed... because there are... and they exist in the public system... but like everything.. there is a cost...
Unfortunately.. in the public schools.. we cannot leave certain students behind, because others are able to succeed... atleast not in it's current form.. but we can provide these avenues for successful students...
Before we start attacking the public system... know what you're talking about first...
Please explain why, then, with all the resources you claim are available... why do our country's top students lag the rest of the industrialized world in advanced math and physics? And I mean really lag - they're 2nd to last and last, respectively, on international rankings. Why do we have the largest percentage of low achievers and the smallest percentage of high achievers when compared to other OECD member countries, despite spending more on education than just about any other country? How do you explain the attitude Joann DiGennaro describes here:
"At an educators' meeting in Washington last fall, conversation turned to whether the federal government should support programming for this nation's most gifted and talented high school students. Educators overwhelmingly said that top students in secondary schools need no assistance, much to my dismay. Priority must be given to those not meeting the minimal standards in science and math, they reasoned. The ugly secret is that our most talented students are falling through the cracks. ...An international assessment of math problem-solving skills of 15-year-olds in 2004, along with more recent studies, found that the United States had the fewest top performers and the largest percentage of low performers compared with other participating countries. By the time students reach 12th grade in math and science, they are near the bottom or dead last compared with international competition, according to the Education Department." Joann DiGennaro - Gifted Minds We Need to Nurture - washingtonpost.com
Please explain why, then, with all the resources you claim are available... why do our country's top students lag the rest of the industrialized world in advanced math and physics? And I mean really lag - they're 2nd to last and last, respectively, on international rankings. Why do we have the largest percentage of low achievers and the smallest percentage of high achievers when compared to other OECD member countries, despite spending more on education than just about any other country? How do you explain the attitude Joann DiGennaro describes here:
"At an educators' meeting in Washington last fall, conversation turned to whether the federal government should support programming for this nation's most gifted and talented high school students. Educators overwhelmingly said that top students in secondary schools need no assistance, much to my dismay. Priority must be given to those not meeting the minimal standards in science and math, they reasoned. The ugly secret is that our most talented students are falling through the cracks. ...An international assessment of math problem-solving skills of 15-year-olds in 2004, along with more recent studies, found that the United States had the fewest top performers and the largest percentage of low performers compared with other participating countries. By the time students reach 12th grade in math and science, they are near the bottom or dead last compared with international competition, according to the Education Department." Joann DiGennaro - Gifted Minds We Need to Nurture - washingtonpost.com
because many countries do not mandate EVERYONE to be in school.. and they actually kick students out for underperforming..or being a misfit...
We have students at the high school level that compete in international acedemic events.. and they are always consistently in the top performers..
the issue is standardized testing..
If we have 30 percent of test takers.. that don't care.. or treat it like its a joke.. it drives our overall score down..
But in many other countries.. these students are kicked out or placed in "special" or secondary programs.. and they aren't included in the overall testing...
If Russia is able to compare their top 60 percent to our overall 100 percent... surely you can see the discrepencies...
Also, It's important to note that many other nations where their 100 percent totals are weighted and they outperform the US in the studies.. like sweden and norway, have socialized systems like the united states, and by default would do better because they are relatively small countries smaller than most states... that in itself is a huge advantage on a statistical level
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