How would you change K-12 Schools in America?

[GHook93]

I would completely remove it from the County level and move it to the State Level. Then I would set up various levels of school based on intelligence levels and behavioral problems.

Here is how it works: School starts at age 4 going 5 days a week. Parents may be CRIMINALLY liable for not making their kids go to school.

From age 4 -8 they are in the observation state. They start to get taught basic academic and social skills. They are judge on education factors as well as behavioral factors (not by the teacher, but from obervational people). As the years go on they start to get segregated by behavioral problems as well as IQ.

(1) By Age 9: The Children get situation into 1 of 5 school types. Each type being strategically located throughout the state, so try to provide access to all of them. These levels are based on IQ as well as behavior.

Level 1: Genius Level.
Geniuses needs to be identified and challenged early on. We need to get them into schools where they can be groomed to be the next Eisensteins!

Level 2: Higher IQ - Low Behavior Problems
Big problem with schools today is the smart kids get intimidated by kids with behavior problems. Segregate them out based not on race, religion or color, or where they are lucky enough to live, but by IQ and Behavior. Have the class schedule geared towards the fact that they have higher IQ.

Level 3: Lower IQ - Low Behavior Problems
No all behavioral problems are due to kids not being as smart. Allow these kids to be free of problem children, while still learning. Have the coarse geared towards jobs they might thrive in and make a decent living, such as a trade. Recognize the fact that not all kids are meant for college, but still need to make a decent living.

Level 4: Moderate Behavior Problems
Have a mixed criteria, but have a STRONG emphasis on discipline and social skills. Absolutely zero tolerance for class clowning or bullying. Uniforms required.

Level 5: High Behavior Problems
Military Style School. This is boarding school (meaning they are overnight) and its the equivalent to a military school like boot camp. Emphasis here is to knock the bad out of these kids.

Note:
(1) From Age 9-13 children can go up or down at the end of the school year based on behavior improvements (or behavior digression) and improvement in IQ (or decreases in IQ).
(2) From Age 13-15 (Junior High) - They can still go up and down, but its much harder.
(3) By Highschool, they are locked in for the long run, except for boot camp. The best they can get is Moderate Behavior.
(4) After Age 8: Parent do have the option to sending their child to private school or home schooling (however, homeschooling is held to high standards and end of the year passing skill test are required).

no thx.

So you rather have:
(1) Rich go to school and get the best education because you happen to be born to rich parents or in the right neighborhood.
(2) Children born to asshole parents who don't care about their children, you either get to go to the shit school that cost the least or no school at all.
(3) Children born to poor parents, No education for you.
(4) Children born to parents living paycheck to paycheck, no education for you either.
(5) Chidren born to parents who declared bankruptcy or have a horrendous credit rating. You can't go to the good schools, because your denied back of your parent's born financial mistakes.

Sorry but no thx!

 

[Wry Catcher]

Here's what I think.

Pre-school, beginning with the post diaper stage ought to be available in all districts and focus on socialization, reinforcing childrens natural curiosity and introducing (Latin?) a second language.

Grades K-5 need to focus on Reading and reading comprehension, computing, writing and keyboarding, and a second language with an emphasis on behavior expected of adults in the community and workplace. Report cards should be done away with as well as 'social' promotion. Valid and reliable standards need to be developed and an understanding that young children develop at hightly different rates ought to be honored; in fact kids would be given the material best suited for their development not by grade level.

Grades 6 - 8 should begin to focus on an expanded curriculum; introducing the sciences, higher math, health education, including sex education, and continued emersion in a foreign language and culture; furthermore, extra curricular activities should be manditory in an expanded school day. Sports, music and the arts, and clubs (science, chess, computer, etc) ought to both manditory and co-educational helping to build friendship with the opposite sex with a goal of reducing the angst many tweens and teens experience.

By the 9th grade the goal should be that all students have developed the skills (reading comp., math & computers, public speaking, reasoning and writing skills) to be able to enter college and be successful.
High school should provide as many technical classes and training as they do honors or AP classes, as pointed out above, many students are interested in getting on with life, going to work and not having to 'endure' four or six or more years of school. Yet even those kids who choose at 14 or 15 not to go the college course will have the basic skills to pursue college if they change their mind after HS graduation.

 

[Zander]

Easy. Make all grades the same. Why should children be subjected to any type of measurement or comparison to other children at such a young age? Surely we cannot have these precious children competing with each other. That only promotes segregation of the smart from the stupid. We do not want our children failing! What better way to help their self esteem than to protect them from harm completely? Equality of grades solves this problem.

The state should re-educate anyone who disagrees with me. The state knows best. Collective wisdom is true wisdom, is it not?

 

[Wry Catcher]

Easy. Make all grades the same. Why should children be subjected to any type of measurement or comparison to other children at such a young age? Surely we cannot have these precious children competing with each other. That only promotes segregation of the smart from the stupid. We do not want our children failing! What better way to help their self esteem than to protect them from harm completely? Equality of grades solves this problem.

The state should re-educate anyone who disagrees with me. The state knows best. Collective wisdom is true wisdom, is it not?

Thanks for reinforcing my opinion of you.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Here's what I think.

Pre-school, beginning with the post diaper stage ought to be available in all districts and focus on socialization, reinforcing childrens natural curiosity and introducing (Latin?) a second language.

Grades K-5 need to focus on Reading and reading comprehension, computing, writing and keyboarding, and a second language with an emphasis on behavior expected of adults in the community and workplace. Report cards should be done away with as well as 'social' promotion. Valid and reliable standards need to be developed and an understanding that young children develop at hightly different rates ought to be honored; in fact kids would be given the material best suited for their development not by grade level.

Grades 6 - 8 should begin to focus on an expanded curriculum; introducing the sciences, higher math, health education, including sex education, and continued emersion in a foreign language and culture; furthermore, extra curricular activities should be manditory in an expanded school day. Sports, music and the arts, and clubs (science, chess, computer, etc) ought to both manditory and co-educational helping to build friendship with the opposite sex with a goal of reducing the angst many tweens and teens experience.

By the 9th grade the goal should be that all students have developed the skills (reading comp., math & computers, public speaking, reasoning and writing skills) to be able to enter college and be successful.
High school should provide as many technical classes and training as they do honors or AP classes, as pointed out above, many students are interested in getting on with life, going to work and not having to 'endure' four or six or more years of school. Yet even those kids who choose at 14 or 15 not to go the college course will have the basic skills to pursue college if they change their mind after HS graduation.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

1) privatise the lot of them. Not sold, hived off as individual co operatives, collectives or whatever.
2) payment for services from the government would be a base rate with a requirement for base line competency on a per student basis
3) independently proctored tests twice a year to check on the school's progress in instruction in english and Math. That is, if the kids scores increase in aggregate, they are performing.
4) schools that perform in the 60th percentile get a 25% bonus per student 70th percentile get a 40% bonus 80th percentile get a 70% bonus and 90th percentile get a 100% bonus. schools that have students go backward, or are in the lowest 25th percentile have to refund the money paid.
5) there are no districts. A kid can go to any school anywhere.
6) grade level is set by the proctored tests. No kid gets a diploma without being at grade level in reading or math.
7) schools have an absolute right to expel students for any or no reason in order to maintain discipline. If a parent has a student expelled from three schools, the parent is responsible to get the kid to a school that works for the kid, or face civil penalties.

 

[blu]

Wow, that's right out of the communist handbook, isn't it?

which post?

 

[blu]

1) privatise the lot of them. Not sold, hived off as individual co operatives, collectives or whatever.
2) payment for services from the government would be a base rate with a requirement for base line competency on a per student basis
3) independently proctored tests twice a year to check on the school's progress in instruction in english and Math. That is, if the kids scores increase in aggregate, they are performing.
4) schools that perform in the 60th percentile get a 25% bonus per student 70th percentile get a 40% bonus 80th percentile get a 70% bonus and 90th percentile get a 100% bonus. schools that have students go backward, or are in the lowest 25th percentile have to refund the money paid.
5) there are no districts. A kid can go to any school anywhere.
6) grade level is set by the proctored tests. No kid gets a diploma without being at grade level in reading or math.
7) schools have an absolute right to expel students for any or no reason in order to maintain discipline. If a parent has a student expelled from three schools, the parent is responsible to get the kid to a school that works for the kid, or face civil penalties.

not so much on this one. too many teachers are assholes and hold grudges. my 7th grade teacher got fired for basically trying to get 5 to 8 of us expelled simply because she didn't like us.

 

[ConHog]

1) privatise the lot of them. Not sold, hived off as individual co operatives, collectives or whatever.
2) payment for services from the government would be a base rate with a requirement for base line competency on a per student basis
3) independently proctored tests twice a year to check on the school's progress in instruction in english and Math. That is, if the kids scores increase in aggregate, they are performing.
4) schools that perform in the 60th percentile get a 25% bonus per student 70th percentile get a 40% bonus 80th percentile get a 70% bonus and 90th percentile get a 100% bonus. schools that have students go backward, or are in the lowest 25th percentile have to refund the money paid.
5) there are no districts. A kid can go to any school anywhere.
6) grade level is set by the proctored tests. No kid gets a diploma without being at grade level in reading or math.
7) schools have an absolute right to expel students for any or no reason in order to maintain discipline. If a parent has a student expelled from three schools, the parent is responsible to get the kid to a school that works for the kid, or face civil penalties.

not so much on this one. too many teachers are assholes and hold grudges. my 7th grade teacher got fired for basically trying to get 5 to 8 of us expelled simply because she didn't like us.

We already can expel students for a variety of reasons. It's difficult but not impossible, and has nothing to do with the teachers. They can't even recommend it, well I guess that they COULD but we wouldn't care. Even our principles don't have a say in expulsions. That's the superintendent of school's job to recommend expulsion and then the school board votes whether to do it or not, although we never go against his wishes.

 

[AllieBaba]

I would completely remove it from the County level and move it to the State Level. Then I would set up various levels of school based on intelligence levels and behavioral problems.

Here is how it works: School starts at age 4 going 5 days a week. Parents may be CRIMINALLY liable for not making their kids go to school.

From age 4 -8 they are in the observation state. They start to get taught basic academic and social skills. They are judge on education factors as well as behavioral factors (not by the teacher, but from obervational people). As the years go on they start to get segregated by behavioral problems as well as IQ.

(1) By Age 9: The Children get situation into 1 of 5 school types. Each type being strategically located throughout the state, so try to provide access to all of them. These levels are based on IQ as well as behavior.

Level 1: Genius Level.
Geniuses needs to be identified and challenged early on. We need to get them into schools where they can be groomed to be the next Eisensteins!

Level 2: Higher IQ - Low Behavior Problems
Big problem with schools today is the smart kids get intimidated by kids with behavior problems. Segregate them out based not on race, religion or color, or where they are lucky enough to live, but by IQ and Behavior. Have the class schedule geared towards the fact that they have higher IQ.

Level 3: Lower IQ - Low Behavior Problems
No all behavioral problems are due to kids not being as smart. Allow these kids to be free of problem children, while still learning. Have the coarse geared towards jobs they might thrive in and make a decent living, such as a trade. Recognize the fact that not all kids are meant for college, but still need to make a decent living.

Level 4: Moderate Behavior Problems
Have a mixed criteria, but have a STRONG emphasis on discipline and social skills. Absolutely zero tolerance for class clowning or bullying. Uniforms required.

Level 5: High Behavior Problems
Military Style School. This is boarding school (meaning they are overnight) and its the equivalent to a military school like boot camp. Emphasis here is to knock the bad out of these kids.

Note:
(1) From Age 9-13 children can go up or down at the end of the school year based on behavior improvements (or behavior digression) and improvement in IQ (or decreases in IQ).
(2) From Age 13-15 (Junior High) - They can still go up and down, but its much harder.
(3) By Highschool, they are locked in for the long run, except for boot camp. The best they can get is Moderate Behavior.
(4) After Age 8: Parent do have the option to sending their child to private school or home schooling (however, homeschooling is held to high standards and end of the year passing skill test are required).

no thx.

It's the Stalin & Emmanuel Education Initiative!

 

[psikeyhackr]

Mandatory accounting in grade school and high school.

Maybe 7th grade and 11th grade.

I had to memorize how to spell ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM.

That is harder than Net Worth = Assets - Liabilities.

Fifth graders can learn accounting as well as collegians

psik

 

[Granny]

What is this "block" education thing? I don't have much of an understanding of what it is, how it functions, and what the purpose is behind it.

Much more parental involvement in their child's education.

Given the "feel good" grades that are given out these days, teachers should be tested to determine what their actual knowledge is as part of the hiring process. Those who got "feel good" grades but have little actual knowledge should not be considered for employment. Grades, therefore, should be based on actual academic achievements - not on whether some students' feelings will get hurt if they don't get good grades regardless of poor performance.

Absolutely no teachers' unions. Period.

Revival of US flags and Pledge of Allegiance. If different students involved with extra-curriculum activities/sports, etc. want to say a prayer before an activity begins then they should be allowed to do so; but religion should not be taught as a class - that should be something taught at home.

Different levels of education with curriculum requirements for each level, i.e., college prep, business, general/trade. Core classes should be required regardless of level of education chosen.

Greater emphasis on reading and comprehension. If you can't read and comprehend you can't do much of anything else - like following instructions for completion of other subjects.

At least four years of English language in high school - including studies in literature - Shakespeare, the classics, poetry, modern literature and the authors;

At least two years of a foreign language: Latin, Spanish, French, German, etc.;

At least two years of basic science with other advanced studies (biology, chemistry, etc.) for those whose interests lie in the sciences;

At least two years of basic math with other advanced studies (algebra, calculus, etc.) for those whose interests lie in mathematics;

At least two years of history and government classes;

Physical education/general health; sex-ed classes should not be offered, it's better left for parents to teach their children;

Trade and business classes such as woodworking, mechanics, typing, business math, etc. for those who are just not cut out for college or business;

Music and Art (elective courses) definitely need to be revived. These classes help round out students so that they can function in different social situations with at least a minimum of knowledge on a given subject.

These classes should include some history of the various styles and masters of art, the various styles and musicians, as well as hands-on art, singing or playing the students' chosen instruments.

Federal government should stay out of education - it should be a state run proposition with more direct involvement of parents.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Following 45 minute classes should be mandatory.

Math, English, Spanish, A science class,History ( not social studies) Computer skills.

A 7th 45 minute class would be for an elective.

Teachers should be tested once every 2 years for proficiency in their subjects they teach. With real consequences if they fail.

Get rid of standardized tests. Cut Administration in half. Get the Federal Government OUT of SCHOOL rooms 1-12.

Note Spanish would be mandatory 1st through 8th grade and from 9 to 12 an elective language would be required.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

getting the parents more directly involved is the biggest first step. Discipline can follow.

Aprophacal story out of the bad old days in Russia..


The parents were required to come once a month and help out the school in some way. Sweep the hallways, clean the blackboards, etc. (This was the kind of compulsory volunteerism that made the XUSSR such a lovely place) Since teachers were not allowed to touch the kids, ever, it was expected that any discipline would be taken care of at home. Schools sent back a daily report to the parents which was expected to be signed.

And consistent persistant problems that interfered with the education of the collective might result in a short vist from the CheKa. Parents were totally responsible for their kids behavior, and had all necessary authority to make sure the kids followed norms.



The Orient is big on school uniforms, which for girls tend to be expensive. From what I have seen, it is counterproductive, but uniforms are a big part of the culture. Russia is still big on the uniforms that haven't changed much since 1917. For girls, it must be humiliating.

(Back in the Brezhnev era they let loose on the standards for girls stockings, and were never able to get back)

These girls are all in correct uniform.

Apprently, one of the weird traditions that has grown up about graduation day in Russia is a swim in the nearby fountain. Ze Russianz, zey is Vierd zometaims.

 

[kwc57]

Interesting all this talk about testing teachers for proficiency in the subject they teach. What does this do to homeschooling where the average housewife teaches all subjects at different grade levels to their kids. Should the have to pass proficiency tests for math, english, science, history etc. from 1st grade thru 12th? Could anyone pass that?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Interesting all this talk about testing teachers for proficiency in the subject they teach. What does this do to homeschooling where the average housewife teaches all subjects at different grade levels to their kids. Should the have to pass proficiency tests for math, english, science, history etc. from 1st grade thru 12th? Could anyone pass that?

Is my tax dollar paying for mom to home school? Home Schooling requires proficiency testing of the child to pass each grade level.

 

[kwc57]

Interesting all this talk about testing teachers for proficiency in the subject they teach. What does this do to homeschooling where the average housewife teaches all subjects at different grade levels to their kids. Should the have to pass proficiency tests for math, english, science, history etc. from 1st grade thru 12th? Could anyone pass that?

Is my tax dollar paying for mom to home school? Home Schooling requires proficiency testing of the child to pass each grade level.

So does public school.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Interesting all this talk about testing teachers for proficiency in the subject they teach. What does this do to homeschooling where the average housewife teaches all subjects at different grade levels to their kids. Should the have to pass proficiency tests for math, english, science, history etc. from 1st grade thru 12th? Could anyone pass that?

Is my tax dollar paying for mom to home school? Home Schooling requires proficiency testing of the child to pass each grade level.

So does public school.

The difference is that A) a home schooled child that fails must return to Public school, in effect FIRING the mother. B) nothing happens to teachers that fail students.

 

[ConHog]

Is my tax dollar paying for mom to home school? Home Schooling requires proficiency testing of the child to pass each grade level.

So does public school.

The difference is that A) a home schooled child that fails must return to Public school, in effect FIRING the mother. B) nothing happens to teachers that fail students.

and of course mom doesn't get $40K a year plus bennies to fail her own kids.

 

[kwc57]

Is my tax dollar paying for mom to home school? Home Schooling requires proficiency testing of the child to pass each grade level.

So does public school.

The difference is that A) a home schooled child that fails must return to Public school, in effect FIRING the mother. B) nothing happens to teachers that fail students.

Depends on individual states.

http://oklahomahomeschooling.org/ok...meschooling:_An_Oklahoma_Constitutional_Right

http://oklahomahomeschooling.org/oklahoma-homeschooling-laws.htm#Leaving_Public_School