Overheard On The News Tonight......

[Rwy]

Great post sholva. Very interesting. I know I'll probably get flak for it but I blame the seniority system with our schools, if a teachers been there for 10 years they aren't getting fired. That comes straight from a teacher, one of my high school teacher told me that.

This def plays a part but I think its mostly the parents. A buddy of mine switched his kids to catholic school bc his kids were getting too much work in public school and it was like a secnod job once he was done with work.

[m_donnelly]

This def plays a part but I think its mostly the parents. A buddy of mine switched his kids to catholic school bc his kids were getting too much work in public school and it was like a secnod job once he was done with work.

I've taught in both private Catholic schools and public schools and here are the major differences:

1. The parents at the private school want their kids to be there. So, they're generally supportive of the school and teachers.

2. If a kid isn't cutting it academically at a private school then they're gone. There's generally no special accommodations or hoops to jump through; do the work, learn, or get out. The teachers are still intent on making sure the kids learn but lazy asses with bad attitudes go away. The parents know this so they make sure Lil Johnny had his shit together. This cannot happen in a public school.

3. Behaviorally issues are handled very simply; screw up enough and you leave. It takes a lot of screwing up to boot a kid from a public school. I've got a girl right now who's been in three fights on school grounds, had been busted smokinh behind the school along with a myriad of other issues and the school board won't boot her. Her bullshit alone has set her class period back by three weeks; she's the disruptive

[MickeyKnox]

Same here but unfortunately with our system people fall through the cracks. Hell look at how many have now been saved by DNA results. Thank goodness for DNA testing or else them poor guys would still be rotting in prison for something they didn't do. So yeah if there is 100 percent certainty, then fry um! But I think before we put them down if they are 100 percent guilty that we should harvest any good organs and allow others to live, kind of a giving back to society as a last act before death. I know some might think that's not right but hey if they are going to be put down and some innocent people need kidneys or liver or eyes, why not help them as a last act of return kindness before being put down.

Hey, i like that idea. You must be an pro active recycler around the house?

I'm a math and science teacher so I'll chime in on this one.

The United States struggled in education for the following reasons:

1. We don't use a tracked system the way other first world counties do. A tracked system can cover a wide spectrum of systems. Some countries test the kids in 8th-9th grade and then ship those that aren't up to par into a trade apprenticeship while those that pass go on to a university/college track. Others, like Canada, simply split their classes up according to ability level. For example, there are three sections of Algebra 1 offered: one for advanced learners, another for average students and then a remedial course. The kids are moved up as they improve. We don't do that in the US and its a BITCH to deal with... For example, last year, I had a student score in the 97th percentile on his ACTs and is going to Cornell. He was in the same class as a kid who was in the 4th percentile on the state standardized tests. It's extremely hard to teach effectively when the kids vary so greatly in ability. We're told that we need to come up with lessons that put the average-above average students on autopilot while we focus our attention on the lower level learners.

2. Our current education system takes any accountability off of the kids' shoulders. There are schools where you literally have to go through a five step process before a kid can fail your class and most of these steps involve legal accommodations that are bullshit. Right now, I have a student that can leave my classroom and go to the counselor's office at any time; he gets pissed off at me and can just leave. When he does this, I have to provide him with an assignment that's "appropriate" for him to do away from class. In other words, he can leave my class during a test and I have to provide him with a take home test. He goes home, has his mom do the test for him and brings it back to me. He's failing right now but that's because I have pushed the system; I've met with his parents, the principal and the counselor on four different occasions, followed his "accommodations" and made sure he's being taught at "his level". He still hasn't done shit and he's gotten to the point where his mom can't help him with his "accommodated" tests because she doesn't know the material.

3. No Child Left Behind legislation drops funding from schools that don't pass tests. Schools lose incredible amounts of money if kids aren't up to par. So, your shit poor ghetto schools with kids who come from terrible home lives with no value on education become even more shit-poor because they've bombed tests.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMqJvhmD5Yg