Common Core Standards--Yes or NO!

[JoeMoma]

I disagree in general with BS, and this in particular: "The object is to make it harder for parents to understand and assist their children with classwork.
It also sets the parents up to look like stupid bimbos in the eyes of the children.
This gives the child the idea that only the school has people educated enough to know anything and that parents have no ability to understand complex situation."

One of my clients is a dedicated and involved father, a chemical engineer. He brings his 3rd grade son to me 2 nights a week and sits in the lobby with his youngest son while we help the 3rd grader with his math homework. I go to the parent teacher conferences because it has become too frustrating for Dad. When dad helped his son with homework and studying, the child made C's and D's because he did not get credit for arriving at the correct answer without "ribbon modeling" or other nonsense. There is too much theorizing at the primary levels.

At the primary grades, we need to instill a love for learning. Instead, children are being held back in kindergarten, first graders have shut down completely and the kids feel like they are stupid.

I believe we should have a national standard. I also believe we have screwed this up royally K-3. When a practicing engineer cannot teach multiplication because "that's not the method we use," we have a problem.

It does make the child believe his 3rd grade teacher is better at math than his engineer father. His 3rd grade teacher doesn't even know the first digit of pi, but she trumps Dad.

I'm in the industry. Changes need to be made, and we need to move faster than we did with "No Child Left Behind." Over half of my students are 2nd and 3rd graders, and we are preK through ACT/SAT. Dedicated parents are spending $50+ per hour for homework because they can't help their kids themselves. I feel for those who can't afford it.

I hear that from lots of elementary school teachers. You know when good students are crying over 3rd grade math problems--there's a real problem. They're young they get frustrated easily--and I imagine the drop out rate is going to skyrocket as this way of teaching and testing goes forward. That's why it needs to be stopped.

Here is an example of a 3rd grade common core math problem. The below is what my 3rd grade grandson brought home for homework. Keep in mind that he was just learning how to multiply the day before, and they hadn't got into division as yet. There was never any teaching of fractions, yet he was supposed to figure this out and color in the spaces.

From rereading you post, I beleive I know how you grandson was supposed to complete this assignment and possibly what the confusion was all about. Notice the instruction on the worksheet is to match the picture with the proper fraction, not to shade the picture. From the last statement in your quoted post above, it seems like the teacher improvised the instructions because the pictures were not shaded as they were suppose to be. It seems like the improvised instruction was to look at a fraction on the right side of the page and to shade a picture on the left side of the page and match them up by drawing a line like matching is normally done. For example, the second fraction to the right is 1/8. This means that it would be matched with either picture #4 or #5 because each of those pictures have 8 equal sized sections. So drawing a line from picture # 4 and shading in one section in picture number 4 would have resulted in correctly matching 1/8 with a properly shaded picture. If you were trying to shade picture number 2 which has three sections to go with the fraction 1/8, I understand why you may have been frustrated with the worksheet.

Also, you state that there was never any teaching of fractions. Evidently, since your grandson had this worksheet for homework, this topic was most likely covered in class.

 

[HenryBHough]

This begins to smell like somebody made a poor (probably copyright violating) photocopy of the actual test and passed it out to avoid paying.

 

[oreo]

Of course it's good math, but there is no excuse for giving it to 3rd graders as homework when they haven't even gotten through multiplication or division yet, and never saw or understand the concept of fractions. Let alone that this paper wasn't even produced correctly.

that seems unlikely.

I saw it happen on my 3rd grade grandsons math homework. People who don't have kids or grandkids that they don't help with their homework wouldn't know it. Common Core has been in effect since 2010 and there's tons of complaints about it, this is just one example.

 

[oreo]

Dominos pizza doesn't teach math to elementary school children, our schools do.

There is a process commonly referred to as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of WHOLE numbers, and then the concept moves into less than whole numbers, which are fractions. In order to understand and work with fractions the four cornerstones of math must be LEARNED first.

You can't skip multiplication or division and expect a 3rd grader to be able to grasp the concept of something that is (less) than 1. Nor can you be able to expect them to multiple or divide 2/3 x 3/4.

Furthermore you didn't read the 2014 test score link, because that sums up fairly well that Common Core is failing our students.

If you don't think that a third grader can understand the difference between half a pizza and a whole pizza or even one fourth of a pizza, then I am wasting my time responding to you further. Also, worksheets like that one ( but correctly shaded) have been in use well before common core.

Unfortunately, math is not just looking at things, and making a quess as to what 2/3 of an 8 slice pizza is. In fact JOE why don't you show us, as it states on the homework assignment paper, how you come to a conclusion of what or how many slices EXACTLY, 2/3's of and 8 slice pizza is.

Next I want to how you were able to do that without knowing how to multiply or divide as yet? If you expect a 3rd grade student to do it without knowing how to multiply and or divide fractions, then I expect you do the same.

For some reason unknown to me you seem to think students should know extensively about fractions just from this worksheet which is simply an introduction to fractions. I explained in post # 114 what students need to know to do the work sheet. Knowing how much 2/3 of a 8 slice pizza is not required for that particular assignment. Knowing how much 2 slices of a three slice pizza is what is required. Students that do this assignment will also not know how to do advanced calculus which is a part of math. But they can recognize that two slices of a three slice pizza is 2/3 because the pizza is already physically divided into 3 slices.

If you'll look closely, at the bottom of the page it asks the student, to explain how they came to their conclusions. That's a math equation that they're asking for, when they don't know yet how to add, subtract, multiply or divide fractions.

 

[JoeMoma]

Dominos pizza doesn't teach math to elementary school children, our schools do.

There is a process commonly referred to as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of WHOLE numbers, and then the concept moves into less than whole numbers, which are fractions. In order to understand and work with fractions the four cornerstones of math must be LEARNED first.

You can't skip multiplication or division and expect a 3rd grader to be able to grasp the concept of something that is (less) than 1. Nor can you be able to expect them to multiple or divide 2/3 x 3/4.

Furthermore you didn't read the 2014 test score link, because that sums up fairly well that Common Core is failing our students.

If you don't think that a third grader can understand the difference between half a pizza and a whole pizza or even one fourth of a pizza, then I am wasting my time responding to you further. Also, worksheets like that one ( but correctly shaded) have been in use well before common core.

Unfortunately, math is not just looking at things, and making a quess as to what 2/3 of an 8 slice pizza is. In fact JOE why don't you show us, as it states on the homework assignment paper, how you come to a conclusion of what or how many slices EXACTLY, 2/3's of and 8 slice pizza is.

Next I want to how you were able to do that without knowing how to multiply or divide as yet? If you expect a 3rd grade student to do it without knowing how to multiply and or divide fractions, then I expect you do the same.

For some reason unknown to me you seem to think students should know extensively about fractions just from this worksheet which is simply an introduction to fractions. I explained in post # 114 what students need to know to do the work sheet. Knowing how much 2/3 of a 8 slice pizza is not required for that particular assignment. Knowing how much 2 slices of a three slice pizza is what is required. Students that do this assignment will also not know how to do advanced calculus which is a part of math. But they can recognize that two slices of a three slice pizza is 2/3 because the pizza is already physically divided into 3 slices.

If you'll look closely, at the bottom of the page it asks the student, to explain how they came to their conclusions. That's a math equation that they're asking for, when they don't know yet how to add, subtract, multiply or divide fractions.

Read post 114. I explained it without adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing fractions.

 

[oreo]

I understand what you're stating, but I still don't know how you justify going from multiplication of whole numbers the day before, to moving into fractions, and then the next day going back to adding and subtracting whole numbers, and skipping over division all together. This is what is going on in many elementary schools across the country. It's leaving kids and their parents in a state of complete frustration. We have good students learning to hate math because of it. When they hate school, they tend to drop out at 16 years old. Kids are being tested 8 weeks out of every school year. That's ridiculous. Teachers are teaching to the test, depending on what test is coming up next. If it's FRACTIONS they're going to send homework home, even though these kids are no where close to knowing what is going on in an effort to get them to pass a test.

"In a talk for education journalists, William Schmidt, a researcher and education professor at Michigan State University, laid out what he sees as the four major problems with how the common-core math standards are being implemented.

As we've written in Education Week, Schmidt's recent research has focused on publisher's claims that their instructional materials are aligned with the Common Core State Standards, which he has called largely a "sham."

In the 8-minute presentation, given May 19 at the Education Writers Association's conference in Nashville, Tenn., (which I only recently discovered went up on the Web, and have posted below), Schmidt offers a succint diagnosis of what's going wrong with implementation of the math standards around the country. His critique is not about the standards themselves, but about how they're trickling down to classrooms.

Here's what he said.

1) Instructional time is not well-allocated. Teachers are spending too much time on some topics and not enough on others. For example, his research shows that 3rd and 4th grade teachers are allocating about half the time on fractions that experts say the common standards necessitate.

2) Teacher knowledge is "not where it needs to be." Schmidt found that just half of middle school teachers self-reported that they're prepared to teach linear equations, "the dominant theme in those grades." And less than 40 percent of 4th and 5th grade teachers say they're ready to teach "number sets and concepts," which he says is the background for the all-important topic of fractions.

3) Teacher preparation is below par internationally. In looking at the highest-performing teacher-preparation programs outside the U.S., his research team found there were nine courses most of those teachers took. Yet just one-third of pre-service teachers in the U.S. take equivalent courses. At the bottom-performing U.S. preparation programs, that percentage goes down to 10 he said.

4) Textbooks don't cover the standards. In examining one popular (but unnamed) math textbook series, he found that 30 percent of the common-core standards were not being covered. (Also, see his previous research.)

The first two "problems" could potentially be ameliorated with better professional development. As a survey from the Education Week Research Center recently found, half of teachers say they have not gotten high-quality training on the new standards.

To me, no. 3 is not necessarily a common-core specific issue—and, in fact, as backlash to theNCTQ teacher-preparation evaluation illustrated, there's really no agreement yet on what makes a prep program good or bad.

As for no. 4, more groups, including the upcoming EdReports.org, are getting into the business of evaluating textbook alignment."
Researcher Diagnoses Four Problems With Common-Core Math Implementation - Curriculum Matters - Education Week

Now if you don't have kids or grand-kids that you're helping out with homework, I don't expect you to understand what I am saying. But I have certainly given you enough links now, to support what I am saying.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Most people don't know that Common Core was stashed under the economic stimulus bill in 2009. Governors of States--(and while their state legislatures were on their multi-month break) single handily decided to take money from the economic stimulus bill, and in the bargain they would adopt Common Core Standards. Only a few states opted out of taking the Federal Government money. Rick Perry of Texas and a few others.

Most people don't know that these new standards are actually LOWER than the majority of school standards. These standards apply to K-12. Kids today are being tested a whopping 8 weeks out of the year which is ridiculous. Many are being taught just to pass the test and nothing else. Kids are frustrated in school by these new standards, and tests, which is going to make the drop-out rate sky-rocket. Parents all over the country are having a fit about it. It's a one size fits all education program that leaves out many things. Multiplication tables are no longer taught to 3rd graders, yet somehow they're supposed to know how to multiply. Algebra has gone from being taught in 8th grade, now moved to 9th grade, making it impossible to get higher levels of math, that most universities require. Literature has gone from Shakespeare to being able to read travel brochures. This is Common Core.

If you've got 30 minutes, and you're a concerned parent or grandparent, or just want to learn about Common Core, take the time to watch these 1 thru 5 video's that explains it.

Is a difference between recitation and problem-solving. Current emphasis is on recitation - studying material you'll be tested on later. But problem-solving is more dynamic and useful. As in a war with how they say all plans fall apart once the first bullet is fired. If all you have is responses to given tactics, but your enemy uses combinations which don't fall into a neat category you're gonna lose. Have to be able to think dynamicly and change plans on the fly. So why we don't teach kids how to do that instead of just recite static answers to known questions is beyond me.

Sensibly, we should look at the best 3 performing countries' k-12 education systems and do that.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

But of course it's not just how education works or what gets taught. It's cultural more than anything else. As long as everything in our culture says celebrity and sports are the most desireable occupations studying hard in school wont get done. Until academia and science are as 'sexy' as pro-sports and what celebrity ABC is doing today, no one's gonna buckle down to study.

Secondly, if college means going into lifelong debt to attend, no one's gonna go, and even more aren't gonna bother studying hard in k-12 if they udnerstand college is unaffordable anyway.

Want better school performance, and more smart citizens, make higher education free, or virtually so, and deemphasize sports while emphasizing more academics. Everything in US culture is more or less opposite to how it should be. We overvalue war and nationalism while undervalue peace. We overvalue celebrity and sports performance, and undervalue intelligence, creativity, and the arts.

Becomming a musician shouldn't be about becomming rich but creating something beautiful for the enjoyment of others. Being good at sports too shouldn't be about getting rich if the tradeoff is brain damage and addiction to painkillers for the rest of your life. Everything good and worthwhile is embarassingly undervalued in the US. Everything bad and horrible is among the most desired things.

 

[oreo]

Most people don't know that Common Core was stashed under the economic stimulus bill in 2009. Governors of States--(and while their state legislatures were on their multi-month break) single handily decided to take money from the economic stimulus bill, and in the bargain they would adopt Common Core Standards. Only a few states opted out of taking the Federal Government money. Rick Perry of Texas and a few others.

Most people don't know that these new standards are actually LOWER than the majority of school standards. These standards apply to K-12. Kids today are being tested a whopping 8 weeks out of the year which is ridiculous. Many are being taught just to pass the test and nothing else. Kids are frustrated in school by these new standards, and tests, which is going to make the drop-out rate sky-rocket. Parents all over the country are having a fit about it. It's a one size fits all education program that leaves out many things. Multiplication tables are no longer taught to 3rd graders, yet somehow they're supposed to know how to multiply. Algebra has gone from being taught in 8th grade, now moved to 9th grade, making it impossible to get higher levels of math, that most universities require. Literature has gone from Shakespeare to being able to read travel brochures. This is Common Core.

If you've got 30 minutes, and you're a concerned parent or grandparent, or just want to learn about Common Core, take the time to watch these 1 thru 5 video's that explains it.

Is a difference between recitation and problem-solving. Current emphasis is on recitation - studying material you'll be tested on later. But problem-solving is more dynamic and useful. As in a war with how they say all plans fall apart once the first bullet is fired. If all you have is responses to given tactics, but your enemy uses combinations which don't fall into a neat category you're gonna lose. Have to be able to think dynamicly and change plans on the fly. So why we don't teach kids how to do that instead of just recite static answers to known questions is beyond me.

Sensibly, we should look at the best 3 performing countries' k-12 education systems and do that.

Common is just that. We're trying to take Finland a very small county about the size of Colorado and do a one size fits all according to them--and impose it as the new standard. The problem is, it's failing here and it has been for the last four years. And many school districts already had higher standards than Common Core and are now having to deal with that.

What new Common Core test scores really show - The Washington Post
Colorado School District Rejects Common Core National Standards

 

[oreo]

But of course it's not just how education works or what gets taught. It's cultural more than anything else. As long as everything in our culture says celebrity and sports are the most desireable occupations studying hard in school wont get done. Until academia and science are as 'sexy' as pro-sports and what celebrity ABC is doing today, no one's gonna buckle down to study.

Secondly, if college means going into lifelong debt to attend, no one's gonna go, and even more aren't gonna bother studying hard in k-12 if they udnerstand college is unaffordable anyway.

Want better school performance, and more smart citizens, make higher education free, or virtually so, and deemphasize sports while emphasizing more academics. Everything in US culture is more or less opposite to how it should be. We overvalue war and nationalism while undervalue peace. We overvalue celebrity and sports performance, and undervalue intelligence, creativity, and the arts.

Becomming a musician shouldn't be about becomming rich but creating something beautiful for the enjoyment of others. Being good at sports too shouldn't be about getting rich if the tradeoff is brain damage and addiction to painkillers for the rest of your life. Everything good and worthwhile is embarassingly undervalued in the US. Everything bad and horrible is among the most desired things.

Nothing is FREE. Taxpayers would be paying the bill for higher education. We are currently 18 trillion in debt, with another 87 trillion in unfunded liabilities, due to baby boomers retiring into Social Security and Medicare at a rate of 10K daily. This rate will continue for the next 15 years.

Here is what 1 trillion dollars looks like. These are $100.00 bills stacked together on pallets. Multiply the chart by 18 to get current debt, then another 87 to see the on coming train wreck.

http://data:image/jpeg;base64,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

 

[Delta4Embassy]

But of course it's not just how education works or what gets taught. It's cultural more than anything else. As long as everything in our culture says celebrity and sports are the most desireable occupations studying hard in school wont get done. Until academia and science are as 'sexy' as pro-sports and what celebrity ABC is doing today, no one's gonna buckle down to study.

Secondly, if college means going into lifelong debt to attend, no one's gonna go, and even more aren't gonna bother studying hard in k-12 if they udnerstand college is unaffordable anyway.

Want better school performance, and more smart citizens, make higher education free, or virtually so, and deemphasize sports while emphasizing more academics. Everything in US culture is more or less opposite to how it should be. We overvalue war and nationalism while undervalue peace. We overvalue celebrity and sports performance, and undervalue intelligence, creativity, and the arts.

Becomming a musician shouldn't be about becomming rich but creating something beautiful for the enjoyment of others. Being good at sports too shouldn't be about getting rich if the tradeoff is brain damage and addiction to painkillers for the rest of your life. Everything good and worthwhile is embarassingly undervalued in the US. Everything bad and horrible is among the most desired things.

Nothing is FREE. Taxpayers would be paying the bill for higher education. We are currently 18 trillion in debt, with another 87 trillion in unfunded liabilities, due to baby boomers retiring into Social Security and Medicare at a rate of 10K daily. This rate will continue for the next 15 years.

Here is what 1 trillion dollars looks like. These are $100.00 bills stacked together on pallets. Multiply the chart by 18 to get current debt, then another 87 to see the on coming train wreck.

http://data:image/jpeg;base64,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

18 or 1 trillion in debt doesn't matter, nor does 18 or 180. Couldn't pay off a single trillion dollars nevermind more.

US has ensured its own inevitable collapse because of its debt. It's gonna happen. Only question is when. Trying to make poltiical points out of bringing up the debt when nothing you can do could pay it off is pretty cynical and underhanded.

As to nothing's free, sure, but if we can reture working weapons systems to buy new exorbiantly price ones like the F-35, we can surely find a few billion to pay for everyone who wishes to to go get a 4 year degree.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Let's say we have 10 million undergrads needing paid schooling. 10 million times whatever the average is is say 500 billion.

F-35's latest cost total is 1.5 trillion. And all we get is a new mediocre plane whereas the free Bachelor's gives us 10 million college graduates joining thre labor force, many of whom will be eternally grateful to the government for the free schooling. Choice is obvious.

 

[oreo]

But of course it's not just how education works or what gets taught. It's cultural more than anything else. As long as everything in our culture says celebrity and sports are the most desireable occupations studying hard in school wont get done. Until academia and science are as 'sexy' as pro-sports and what celebrity ABC is doing today, no one's gonna buckle down to study.

Secondly, if college means going into lifelong debt to attend, no one's gonna go, and even more aren't gonna bother studying hard in k-12 if they udnerstand college is unaffordable anyway.

Want better school performance, and more smart citizens, make higher education free, or virtually so, and deemphasize sports while emphasizing more academics. Everything in US culture is more or less opposite to how it should be. We overvalue war and nationalism while undervalue peace. We overvalue celebrity and sports performance, and undervalue intelligence, creativity, and the arts.

Becomming a musician shouldn't be about becomming rich but creating something beautiful for the enjoyment of others. Being good at sports too shouldn't be about getting rich if the tradeoff is brain damage and addiction to painkillers for the rest of your life. Everything good and worthwhile is embarassingly undervalued in the US. Everything bad and horrible is among the most desired things.

Nothing is FREE. Taxpayers would be paying the bill for higher education. We are currently 18 trillion in debt, with another 87 trillion in unfunded liabilities, due to baby boomers retiring into Social Security and Medicare at a rate of 10K daily. This rate will continue for the next 15 years.

Here is what 1 trillion dollars looks like. These are $100.00 bills stacked together on pallets. Multiply the chart by 18 to get current debt, then another 87 to see the on coming train wreck.

http://data:image/jpeg;base64,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

18 or 1 trillion in debt doesn't matter, nor does 18 or 180. Couldn't pay off a single trillion dollars nevermind more.

US has ensured its own inevitable collapse because of its debt. It's gonna happen. Only question is when. Trying to make poltiical points out of bringing up the debt when nothing you can do could pay it off is pretty cynical and underhanded.

As to nothing's free, sure, but if we can reture working weapons systems to buy new exorbiantly price ones like the F-35, we can surely find a few billion to pay for everyone who wishes to to go get a 4 year degree.

Bringing up the debt has everything to do with education. Teachers and college Professors expect to get paid for what they do. They get their paychecks from taxpayers. Now if you offer FREE college education, that is another unfunded liability, that is eventually going to show up on Americans tax bills. Whether or not we allocate so much money to defense or whatever, it is still a BILL, regardless of where it is going too.

Eventually we are going to have to get a handle on this debt, or we will end up like Greece, and at that time it won't matter if anyone is educated or not. No one is going to get a government check. Our Debt has gone from triple A to now double A. China will refuse to loan anymore money to us. God forbid they raise the interest on the current debt we owe. Right now the Federal Government is borrowing 43.6 cents on every dollar it spends. That's not going to last.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

But of course it's not just how education works or what gets taught. It's cultural more than anything else. As long as everything in our culture says celebrity and sports are the most desireable occupations studying hard in school wont get done. Until academia and science are as 'sexy' as pro-sports and what celebrity ABC is doing today, no one's gonna buckle down to study.

Secondly, if college means going into lifelong debt to attend, no one's gonna go, and even more aren't gonna bother studying hard in k-12 if they udnerstand college is unaffordable anyway.

Want better school performance, and more smart citizens, make higher education free, or virtually so, and deemphasize sports while emphasizing more academics. Everything in US culture is more or less opposite to how it should be. We overvalue war and nationalism while undervalue peace. We overvalue celebrity and sports performance, and undervalue intelligence, creativity, and the arts.

Becomming a musician shouldn't be about becomming rich but creating something beautiful for the enjoyment of others. Being good at sports too shouldn't be about getting rich if the tradeoff is brain damage and addiction to painkillers for the rest of your life. Everything good and worthwhile is embarassingly undervalued in the US. Everything bad and horrible is among the most desired things.

Nothing is FREE. Taxpayers would be paying the bill for higher education. We are currently 18 trillion in debt, with another 87 trillion in unfunded liabilities, due to baby boomers retiring into Social Security and Medicare at a rate of 10K daily. This rate will continue for the next 15 years.

Here is what 1 trillion dollars looks like. These are $100.00 bills stacked together on pallets. Multiply the chart by 18 to get current debt, then another 87 to see the on coming train wreck.

http://data:image/jpeg;base64,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

18 or 1 trillion in debt doesn't matter, nor does 18 or 180. Couldn't pay off a single trillion dollars nevermind more.

US has ensured its own inevitable collapse because of its debt. It's gonna happen. Only question is when. Trying to make poltiical points out of bringing up the debt when nothing you can do could pay it off is pretty cynical and underhanded.

As to nothing's free, sure, but if we can reture working weapons systems to buy new exorbiantly price ones like the F-35, we can surely find a few billion to pay for everyone who wishes to to go get a 4 year degree.

Bringing up the debt has everything to do with education. Teachers and college Professors expect to get paid for what they do. They get their paychecks from taxpayers. Now if you offer FREE college education, that is another unfunded liability, that is eventually going to show up on Americans tax bills. Whether or not we allocate so much money to defense or whatever, it is still a BILL, regardless of where it is going too.

Eventually we are going to have to get a handle on this debt, or we will end up like Greece, and at that time it won't matter if anyone is educated or not. No one is going to get a government check. Our Debt has gone from triple A to now double A. China will refuse to loan anymore money to us. God forbid they raise the interest on the current debt we owe. Right now the Federal Government is borrowing 43.6 cents on every dollar it spends. That's not going to last.

Greece recovered because its' debt was small enough larger economies could cooperate and pay it off. There's no coming back from a US default on an 18 trillion dollar bill we skip out on. We'd be giving the finger to everyone we owed money to who coincidentally would be the only ones capable of lending us more to pay off the loans we'd just defaulted on.

 

[oreo]

But of course it's not just how education works or what gets taught. It's cultural more than anything else. As long as everything in our culture says celebrity and sports are the most desireable occupations studying hard in school wont get done. Until academia and science are as 'sexy' as pro-sports and what celebrity ABC is doing today, no one's gonna buckle down to study.

Secondly, if college means going into lifelong debt to attend, no one's gonna go, and even more aren't gonna bother studying hard in k-12 if they udnerstand college is unaffordable anyway.

Want better school performance, and more smart citizens, make higher education free, or virtually so, and deemphasize sports while emphasizing more academics. Everything in US culture is more or less opposite to how it should be. We overvalue war and nationalism while undervalue peace. We overvalue celebrity and sports performance, and undervalue intelligence, creativity, and the arts.

Becomming a musician shouldn't be about becomming rich but creating something beautiful for the enjoyment of others. Being good at sports too shouldn't be about getting rich if the tradeoff is brain damage and addiction to painkillers for the rest of your life. Everything good and worthwhile is embarassingly undervalued in the US. Everything bad and horrible is among the most desired things.

Nothing is FREE. Taxpayers would be paying the bill for higher education. We are currently 18 trillion in debt, with another 87 trillion in unfunded liabilities, due to baby boomers retiring into Social Security and Medicare at a rate of 10K daily. This rate will continue for the next 15 years.

Here is what 1 trillion dollars looks like. These are $100.00 bills stacked together on pallets. Multiply the chart by 18 to get current debt, then another 87 to see the on coming train wreck.

http://data:image/jpeg;base64,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

18 or 1 trillion in debt doesn't matter, nor does 18 or 180. Couldn't pay off a single trillion dollars nevermind more.

US has ensured its own inevitable collapse because of its debt. It's gonna happen. Only question is when. Trying to make poltiical points out of bringing up the debt when nothing you can do could pay it off is pretty cynical and underhanded.

As to nothing's free, sure, but if we can reture working weapons systems to buy new exorbiantly price ones like the F-35, we can surely find a few billion to pay for everyone who wishes to to go get a 4 year degree.

Bringing up the debt has everything to do with education. Teachers and college Professors expect to get paid for what they do. They get their paychecks from taxpayers. Now if you offer FREE college education, that is another unfunded liability, that is eventually going to show up on Americans tax bills. Whether or not we allocate so much money to defense or whatever, it is still a BILL, regardless of where it is going too.

Eventually we are going to have to get a handle on this debt, or we will end up like Greece, and at that time it won't matter if anyone is educated or not. No one is going to get a government check. Our Debt has gone from triple A to now double A. China will refuse to loan anymore money to us. God forbid they raise the interest on the current debt we owe. Right now the Federal Government is borrowing 43.6 cents on every dollar it spends. That's not going to last.

Greece recovered because its' debt was small enough larger economies could cooperate and pay it off. There's no coming back from a US default on an 18 trillion dollar bill we skip out on. We'd be giving the finger to everyone we owed money to who coincidentally would be the only ones capable of lending us more to pay off the loans we'd just defaulted on.

I agree, of course we can't default on our debt. Someone has got to pay the tab, but it doesn't help with Obama coming out there and offering "free" community college, while at the same time TODAY he is asking for 1 billion dollars to fight ISIS with. It all adds up, nothing is free.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

But of course it's not just how education works or what gets taught. It's cultural more than anything else. As long as everything in our culture says celebrity and sports are the most desireable occupations studying hard in school wont get done. Until academia and science are as 'sexy' as pro-sports and what celebrity ABC is doing today, no one's gonna buckle down to study.

Secondly, if college means going into lifelong debt to attend, no one's gonna go, and even more aren't gonna bother studying hard in k-12 if they udnerstand college is unaffordable anyway.

Want better school performance, and more smart citizens, make higher education free, or virtually so, and deemphasize sports while emphasizing more academics. Everything in US culture is more or less opposite to how it should be. We overvalue war and nationalism while undervalue peace. We overvalue celebrity and sports performance, and undervalue intelligence, creativity, and the arts.

Becomming a musician shouldn't be about becomming rich but creating something beautiful for the enjoyment of others. Being good at sports too shouldn't be about getting rich if the tradeoff is brain damage and addiction to painkillers for the rest of your life. Everything good and worthwhile is embarassingly undervalued in the US. Everything bad and horrible is among the most desired things.

Nothing is FREE. Taxpayers would be paying the bill for higher education. We are currently 18 trillion in debt, with another 87 trillion in unfunded liabilities, due to baby boomers retiring into Social Security and Medicare at a rate of 10K daily. This rate will continue for the next 15 years.

Here is what 1 trillion dollars looks like. These are $100.00 bills stacked together on pallets. Multiply the chart by 18 to get current debt, then another 87 to see the on coming train wreck.

http://data:image/jpeg;base64,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

18 or 1 trillion in debt doesn't matter, nor does 18 or 180. Couldn't pay off a single trillion dollars nevermind more.

US has ensured its own inevitable collapse because of its debt. It's gonna happen. Only question is when. Trying to make poltiical points out of bringing up the debt when nothing you can do could pay it off is pretty cynical and underhanded.

As to nothing's free, sure, but if we can reture working weapons systems to buy new exorbiantly price ones like the F-35, we can surely find a few billion to pay for everyone who wishes to to go get a 4 year degree.

Bringing up the debt has everything to do with education. Teachers and college Professors expect to get paid for what they do. They get their paychecks from taxpayers. Now if you offer FREE college education, that is another unfunded liability, that is eventually going to show up on Americans tax bills. Whether or not we allocate so much money to defense or whatever, it is still a BILL, regardless of where it is going too.

Eventually we are going to have to get a handle on this debt, or we will end up like Greece, and at that time it won't matter if anyone is educated or not. No one is going to get a government check. Our Debt has gone from triple A to now double A. China will refuse to loan anymore money to us. God forbid they raise the interest on the current debt we owe. Right now the Federal Government is borrowing 43.6 cents on every dollar it spends. That's not going to last.

Greece recovered because its' debt was small enough larger economies could cooperate and pay it off. There's no coming back from a US default on an 18 trillion dollar bill we skip out on. We'd be giving the finger to everyone we owed money to who coincidentally would be the only ones capable of lending us more to pay off the loans we'd just defaulted on.

I agree, of course we can't default on our debt. Someone has got to pay the tab, but it doesn't help with Obama coming out there and offering "free" community college, while at the same time TODAY he is asking for 1 billion dollars to fight ISIS with. It all adds up, nothing is free.

Doesn't help if we're spending 1.5 trillion for a single weapons platform either.

Wanna pay down the debt in a meaningful way and amount quit pretending like the hypothetical enemy is still the Soviets and not guys with AK-47s and RPGs. Is no justification for a defense budget higher than the next 20 countries combined. That's just corruption run amok. Should cut the defense budget to no more than the 2nd place country whoever that is.

 

[oreo]

Nothing is FREE. Taxpayers would be paying the bill for higher education. We are currently 18 trillion in debt, with another 87 trillion in unfunded liabilities, due to baby boomers retiring into Social Security and Medicare at a rate of 10K daily. This rate will continue for the next 15 years.

Here is what 1 trillion dollars looks like. These are $100.00 bills stacked together on pallets. Multiply the chart by 18 to get current debt, then another 87 to see the on coming train wreck.

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

18 or 1 trillion in debt doesn't matter, nor does 18 or 180. Couldn't pay off a single trillion dollars nevermind more.

US has ensured its own inevitable collapse because of its debt. It's gonna happen. Only question is when. Trying to make poltiical points out of bringing up the debt when nothing you can do could pay it off is pretty cynical and underhanded.

As to nothing's free, sure, but if we can reture working weapons systems to buy new exorbiantly price ones like the F-35, we can surely find a few billion to pay for everyone who wishes to to go get a 4 year degree.

Bringing up the debt has everything to do with education. Teachers and college Professors expect to get paid for what they do. They get their paychecks from taxpayers. Now if you offer FREE college education, that is another unfunded liability, that is eventually going to show up on Americans tax bills. Whether or not we allocate so much money to defense or whatever, it is still a BILL, regardless of where it is going too.

Eventually we are going to have to get a handle on this debt, or we will end up like Greece, and at that time it won't matter if anyone is educated or not. No one is going to get a government check. Our Debt has gone from triple A to now double A. China will refuse to loan anymore money to us. God forbid they raise the interest on the current debt we owe. Right now the Federal Government is borrowing 43.6 cents on every dollar it spends. That's not going to last.

Greece recovered because its' debt was small enough larger economies could cooperate and pay it off. There's no coming back from a US default on an 18 trillion dollar bill we skip out on. We'd be giving the finger to everyone we owed money to who coincidentally would be the only ones capable of lending us more to pay off the loans we'd just defaulted on.

I agree, of course we can't default on our debt. Someone has got to pay the tab, but it doesn't help with Obama coming out there and offering "free" community college, while at the same time TODAY he is asking for 1 billion dollars to fight ISIS with. It all adds up, nothing is free.

Doesn't help if we're spending 1.5 trillion for a single weapons platform either.

Wanna pay down the debt in a meaningful way and amount quit pretending like the hypothetical enemy is still the Soviets and not guys with AK-47s and RPGs. Is no justification for a defense budget higher than the next 20 countries combined. That's just corruption run amok. Should cut the defense budget to no more than the 2nd place country whoever that is.

Look anyone can tear through the Federal Governments budget and find all kinds of wasteful spending. It really doesn't matter who the President is, who runs congress (democrats or republicans). G.W. Bush doubled down on education, Obama has quadroopled that, and our children are still failing. That's the issue here.

Common Core is going to add a lot of expense to education, as did no child left behind. It's the Federal Government's meddling in State and local affairs that usually turns into a disaster.