Are we taking the correct approach to Education in our schools?

[nitroz]

Is standardized testing, longer schooldays, and increased stress doing it for our children?
I don't think so. If you do then please explain why.

I think we should have 5 hour school days with the following courses:
-Math
-English
-Science
-PE (outside sports)
-Computer/Economics (semester long classes)

I think that we should have 5 hour school days because it would benefit our students and taxpayers. The goal is to save money and increase efficiency. But the 5 hour school days could also open up the opportunity for extracurricular activities to keep our kids out of trouble and successful. They would have more time to enjoy themselves and be successful.

I also support the option of dual enrollment.
I think giving our kids the opportunity to get college credits early without having to pay for it is an AWESOME idea. They could have their AA when they graduate High School.
(so they can pave their way in the future!)

what do you think?

 

[Foxfyre]

Certainly the amount of actual education going on in most schools these days could easily be condensed into two or three hours of intense concentration. Home schoolers know that very well and are on average outperforming public schools in a most dramatic fashion.

I would like to see music and the other arts reinstated in the schools as normal education curriculum for ALL students too, as I believe such develops focus and discipline as well as expands and increases appreciation for the beautiful things in life in general.

I don't see why college courses should be provided free to students though. In my day, students had after school jobs to earn morning for extra curricular things. Let's go that route instead of instilling a sense of entitlement into kids early on. Much better to teach that anything worth having is worth working for.

 

[Oddball]

I think we ought to separate school and state, let the parents decide and pay the freight for those choices.

 

[Foxfyre]

I think we ought to separate school and state, let the parents decide and pay the freight for those choices.

I don't have any problem with people forming a social contract to pool resources for public schools at the local level. All parents don't have the skills or temperament to homeschool their kids. But I sure want the federal government out of the process entirely other than doing data gathering so that each school can see how it is performing against all the others. And even that could be handled by a private organization.

But yes, when schools were in the local community and not seen as a state or federal function, we kids who took band were expected to buy or rent our instruments; our parents formed booster associations and held fund raisers to raise money for trips and uniforms and other perks that went with it. It was a far better process than what we have now.

And the kids got a far superior education to what is usually produced in the public schools now.

 

[Oddball]

We don't need any such "social contract" to feed, clothe and house ourselves.

You want to bring kids into the world, then take the responsibility for feeding, clothing, housing and educating them.

 

[nitroz]

I would like to see music and the other arts reinstated in the schools as normal education curriculum for ALL students too, as I believe such develops focus and discipline as well as expands and increases appreciation for the beautiful things in life in general.

I think it should be optional for that.
Because I'm sure students would want to have shorter school days instead of doing music.
So it could be an extracurricular activity, there would definitely be money for that.
Students could have more time to enjoy themselves or work if they want to.

 

[FuelRod]

NO we are not.

Home - Inside Bay Area

 

[uscitizen]

I think HS should be split towards those qualifying for college and those more towards a vocational education.
One size does not fit all and we cannot hold back the gifted for the less gifted.
And train the really less gifted for basic living skills many will do well to hold a job in a retail store or wash dishes in a restaruant. But they should be educated to do the best they can.

This divergance of educationl routes should begin in about 8th grade.

 

[nitroz]

NO we are not.

How do you think we could take the correct approach?
Any plan in mind?

 

[nitroz]

I think HS should be split towards those qualifying for college and those more towards a vocational education.
One size does not fit all and we cannot hold back the gifted for the less gifted.

I think it would be a waste.
I rather go with the one size fits all with the option of an IEP for the less gifted.

 

[Foxfyre]

I would like to see music and the other arts reinstated in the schools as normal education curriculum for ALL students too, as I believe such develops focus and discipline as well as expands and increases appreciation for the beautiful things in life in general.

I think it should be optional for that.
Because I'm sure students would want to have shorter school days instead of doing music.
So it could be an extracurricular activity, there would definitely be money for that.
Students could have more time to enjoy themselves or work if they want to.

A well rounded education includes much more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic though. How does a student ever know the possibilities and opportunities out there unless he or she is introduced to a little bit of everything? A student who is proficient in music, for instance, on average will do better in all subjects than the student not involved in subjects like that.

The purpose of school should be to give the students a solid grounding in what they have to know to get along competently in the world and that would include teaching them the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and history. But it also much include how to think critically, how to evaluate, how to learn, how much they still don't know, and the possibilities to explore.

 

[uscitizen]

I would like to see music and the other arts reinstated in the schools as normal education curriculum for ALL students too, as I believe such develops focus and discipline as well as expands and increases appreciation for the beautiful things in life in general.

I think it should be optional for that.
Because I'm sure students would want to have shorter school days instead of doing music.
So it could be an extracurricular activity, there would definitely be money for that.
Students could have more time to enjoy themselves or work if they want to.

A well rounded education includes much more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic though. How does a student ever know the possibilities and opportunities out there unless he or she is introduced to a little bit of everything? A student who is proficient in music, for instance, on average will do better in all subjects than the student not involved in subjects like that.

The purpose of school should be to give the students a solid grounding in what they have to know to get along competently in the world and that would include teaching them the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and history. But it also much include how to think critically, how to evaluate, how to learn, how much they still don't know, and the possibilities to explore.

yep some of everything up till 8th grade then diverge according to capabilities and interests.

 

[FuelRod]

NO we are not.

How do you think we could take the correct approach?
Any plan in mind?

Not specifically. I don't think you are far off the mark but a little simplistic.
The basics. History included.
More focus on achievement. Meeting students where they are as students.

 

[uscitizen]

I think HS should be split towards those qualifying for college and those more towards a vocational education.
One size does not fit all and we cannot hold back the gifted for the less gifted.

I think it would be a waste.
I rather go with the one size fits all with the option of an IEP for the less gifted.

You just damage the square peg trying to drive it into a round hole.

 

[nitroz]

I think HS should be split towards those qualifying for college and those more towards a vocational education.
One size does not fit all and we cannot hold back the gifted for the less gifted.

I think it would be a waste.
I rather go with the one size fits all with the option of an IEP for the less gifted.

You just damage the square peg trying to drive it into a round hole.

Not if the hole is bigger than the peg.

 

[Jessica Blume]

Is standardized testing, longer schooldays, and increased stress doing it for our children?
I don't think so. If you do then please explain why.

I think we should have 5 hour school days with the following courses:
-Math
-English
-Science
-PE (outside sports)
-Computer/Economics (semester long classes)

I think that we should have 5 hour school days because it would benefit our students and taxpayers. The goal is to save money and increase efficiency. But the 5 hour school days could also open up the opportunity for extracurricular activities to keep our kids out of trouble and successful. They would have more time to enjoy themselves and be successful.

I also support the option of dual enrollment.
I think giving our kids the opportunity to get college credits early without having to pay for it is an AWESOME idea. They could have their AA when they graduate High School.
(so they can pave their way in the future!)

what do you think?

The department of education was an idea given to us by Rockefeller who said he did not believe in educating the masses and that competition is sin. That should be our first clue.

 

[Mr. H.]

The failures of education stem from the retention of worthless teachers due to the "tenure" system, the inablity to release said teachers due to the "tenure" system, the ineffective hiring practices brought about by the "tenure" system.

It's a racket, fraught with nepotism favoritism and cronyism that is managed by despotic personel.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

The failures of education stem from the retention of worthless teachers due to the "tenure" system, the inablity to release said teachers due to the "tenure" system, the ineffective hiring practices brought about by the "tenure" system.

It's a racket, fraught with nepotism favoritism and cronyism that is managed by despotic personel.

You're forgetting about the most important failure. Parents.

 

[rdean]

Is standardized testing, longer schooldays, and increased stress doing it for our children?
I don't think so. If you do then please explain why.

I think we should have 5 hour school days with the following courses:
-Math
-English
-Science
-PE (outside sports)
-Computer/Economics (semester long classes)

I think that we should have 5 hour school days because it would benefit our students and taxpayers. The goal is to save money and increase efficiency. But the 5 hour school days could also open up the opportunity for extracurricular activities to keep our kids out of trouble and successful. They would have more time to enjoy themselves and be successful.

I also support the option of dual enrollment.
I think giving our kids the opportunity to get college credits early without having to pay for it is an AWESOME idea. They could have their AA when they graduate High School.
(so they can pave their way in the future!)

what do you think?

Science?

You mean,

Except for:

Evolution
Plate tectonics
Astronomy
genetics
geology

and other "unproven" Non-Biblical type stuff.

 

[nitroz]

The failures of education stem from the retention of worthless teachers due to the "tenure" system, the inablity to release said teachers due to the "tenure" system, the ineffective hiring practices brought about by the "tenure" system.

It's a racket, fraught with nepotism favoritism and cronyism that is managed by despotic personel.

You're forgetting about the most important failure. Parents.

parents are indeed the biggest failure.
But having old women who can't stop falling off the roof (slang) is a bad choice too.
I think coaches make much better teachers.