I want a government that encourages children to learn, to be intellectually curious and to have questioning minds. More government-funded TV and radio stations could do this at a minimal cost, and DVD's and such could be distributed to those who pay a minimal fee and show promise in learning beyond the curriculum
Plane,
It's statements like this one that make me want more.
Xavier knows what my world is all about....just in that statement, alone.
All right,...
... but every coin has a tail.
Should it be the government that takes that role in every child's life?
The government is self serving , it is prone to put its own needs into the roots of the education it provides.
The government needs citizens that it can depend on to perpetuate the government .
When this is not a good fit for the kid , the government is not prone to be accommodating to the non standard need.
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/pink+floyd/another+brick+in+the+wall+part+ii_20108776.html
I prefer vouchers, which would not necessaryily replacepublic schools , but would certainly produce competition and variety of choice.
Potentially , a competition for teaching talent too.
"A True Teaching Talent" actually takes years to develop, imo. I am not saying that a new teacher lacks talent, but there is an "art" to teaching that is not taught at the University level. Good teaching is often times a result of the number of years on the job.
Xavier is right on one point.....private schools do not put up with bad behaviors!
It's so much easier to teach a child if the parents are the stake holders. The parents are more than likely educated and willing to do anything to support the child. They end up paying for their child's education in more ways than one. ok,...Not to say that most public school parents are not involved in every aspect of their child's education. But the private sector affords a great luxuary from the get go. From the administration on down to the janitor.
The private schools here in our city pre-assess incoming candidates, and if the child's tests fall short of the academy's standards, that child is not even accepted into the school. Period.
Who gets the kid....?
The Public Schools.
The public school teacher does h/her damndest to teach on average 27 students in one classroom, students who are at vastly different academic levels, no assistant, no parent support, (a PTO with about 10 members strong), little money to help support the classroom to attain decent materials...etc etc etc.
Does this mean that the teacher should be judeged for lack of "talent"? I think not.
Competition among educators is a horrible idea. My goodness, we pay HUGE BUCKS to actors and athletes for THAT sort of thing....(competition).
I wish there were a beer company who could fund ads for schools.....leave no drunk behind, indeed.
Public school teachers because of the NCLB act, have had to bust their behinds to make sure ALL kids read at grade level by a particular date, and that includes special education students. So, talent be damned! If one child can't read at grade level, and *our* school, albeit our school is one of the last schools to be put on that list, then we are put on probation for three years. We didn't make AYP by ONE KID by the way....no joke!
We must show even MORE GROWTH than the previous year, in order to dig out from the punitive pit. That's crazy!
Ok, OTOH, sure.....
There are some positive elements to the changes in the "Reading First" schools under the umbrella of NCLB.
The schools have adopted more research based curriculum content across the board. ....Math and Reading in particular. Math is a subject closer to my heart. I love the constructivist approach, but it is hard to sell.
But to ask that every student read at the same level by a particular year is crazy....Is it a plan to slowly get rid of the public sector? Why else would the NCLB mandate such highly impossible expectations? Rep. want vouchers. Why? Not just for a chance to teach creationism. Education is being run like a business. Ok...then manage it like one.
Our district is looking at getting rid of bi-lingual education, social studies, and science just to make the AYP(ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS) grade!!!
More children have been left behind than ever. Qualified teachers who are also veteran teachers are leaving right and left. If they do away with such "talented" individuals, as Florida is apparently doing, then shame on them.
As for voucers and rewarding "talent"....
There are too many factors involved in teaching for the so called "healthy competition" idea to fly. It only sets up dissension among the troops....teachers would then be forced to do anything to save their position...and that slippery slope is not conducive to a healthy classroom setting. Teaching to the test!? Yeh, right!
Even Texan teachers have been called on the carpet for that one! IRonically...Bush's Texas.
Teachers assess and assess again, with no time to teach.....we do away with quality programs (art and music slipped away about 10 years ago) but good bye to Bi-Lingual, Social Studies, and now Science. We have had to hide these critical subject areas under the carpet for the sake of "ratings"......scores".....
where's the value?? Where's the quality? Most of us don't bitch about the pay, but hell.....then where's the pay!
It's a bloody shame.
The public has little knowledge of such details of the NCLB, but they're the first to say the school system is falling apart. We are to BLAME.... Frankly, if the next president doesn't do something about the NCLB act to change the many dysfunctional critical conditions therein, I will have to say be aware Q-public, be very aware..... as those children will someday raise OUR OLD AGE VILLAGE.
Extention of the school day is what we need now....we don't have the time to teach it all!
State Mandates:120 minutes of reading
90 minutes of math, 60 minutes of language arts/writing.
2 PE'S a week, a library hour a week, and like XO says....Cultural language fluff that pretends to be Spanish!
Adios to quality.
Criminal.
