Oh Crap! DUMB EM DOWN!

[Mr. P]

I've had a loose connection with Craig for 7 years, I never knew he was an IDIOT!

Dr. Craig Dowling, assistant superintendent of instruction for Rockdale schools, said schools will no longer require students to make at least half As and half Bs on their report card to be considered for the A/B honor roll. He said at least one A and the rest Bs on their report card will be enough.

Read it all....
http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/RC-Templates/rcnews1.shtml

 

[Abbey Normal]

Precisely why we need standardized tests.

Btw, what is an "A/B honor roll". At any school I've seen, in my day and currently, A & B honors are two separate things. It's always been either High Honors/Honors, or Distinguished Honors/Honors, etc. Why would you lump A and B Honors together? That doesn't really "honor" the acheievements of the A students.

 

[Said1]

I've had a loose connection with Craig for 7 years, I never knew he was an IDIOT!





Read it all....
http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/RC-Templates/rcnews1.shtml

OMG. Lame or what?

 

[GotZoom]

Just more PC bullcrap.

Teachers don't use "red' pens to grade papers because "red" is a negative color.

No exchanging of valentines in class because one kid might not get as many as other kid does.

Not keeping scores or standings in sporting events because the "losing" team might get their feelings hurt and feel inferior.

BS.

 

[Gem]

Why not just put EVERYONE on honor roll...why should grades be a factor, afterall...grades are just letters...everyone deserves the morale boost that comes with that honor roll distinction.

 

[Semper Fi]

Why not just put EVERYONE on honor roll...why should grades be a factor, afterall...grades are just letters...everyone deserves the morale boost that comes with that honor roll distinction.

I completely agree. In fact, the government is to blame for segregating the abilities of children, and trying to butter it up with 'letter grades.' Rather, the kids should just be able to show up for classes, express their individuality through color games and flower thinking sessions. Everyone should get A's, because there are no wrong answers.

 

[Mr. P]

Sorry folks the link is no good now, the Friday issue is out.

 

[Hobbit]

I completely agree. In fact, the government is to blame for segregating the abilities of children, and trying to butter it up with 'letter grades.' Rather, the kids should just be able to show up for classes, express their individuality through color games and flower thinking sessions. Everyone should get A's, because there are no wrong answers.

I think some of the people I work with went to that school.

 

[CSM]

Just another step towards making mediocrity something to be proud of....

 

[Bullypulpit]

Just more bullcrap. No wonder we have a society where many feel they are entitled to everything they want. We've a whole generation of kids who have never had to work for anything. And, when reality bites them in the ass, they cry "Foul!".

 

[Jimmyeatworld]

Just more bullcrap. No wonder we have a society where many feel they are entitled to everything they want. We've a whole generation of kids who have never had to work for anything. And, when reality bites them in the ass, they cry "Foul!".

I'm agreeing with Bully... I feel faint...

That's exactly it. They get out in the real world, and unless they had parents that successfully steer them right, they have no idea how to live. Sometimes you have to put out an effort in the real world, sometimes the real world doesn't "let everybody play", sometime the real world says no.

 

[Semper Fi]

I'm agreeing with Bully... I feel faint...

That's exactly it. They get out in the real world, and unless they had parents that successfully steer them right, they have no idea how to live. Sometimes you have to put out an effort in the real world, sometimes the real world doesn't "let everybody play", sometime the real world says no.

Perhaps the most important, the real world places blame.

 

[Bullypulpit]

Perhaps the most important, the real world places blame.

Or, perhaps more appropriately, enforces responsibility.

 

[Mr. P]

Or, perhaps more appropriately, enforces responsibility.

That would be it, and accountability.

 

[archangel]

This is too funny...gotta admit while in HS and college I was a A,B,C student...1/3,1/3,1/3 no awards for me except in real life where I excelled...met all my goals...when ya think about it GW was a 2.0 kinda guy and I do believe he met his goals..never mind he exceeded them...so who cares what others have to say about ones GPA anyhoo!:tears1:

 

[kurtsprincess]

Here's what I think all students should be told:


Rule 1: Life is not fair-get used to it.


Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.


Rule 3: You will NOT make 40 Thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone, until you earn both.


Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.


Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping-they called it opportunity.


Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.


Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.


Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.


Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. You have to do that on your own time.


Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.


Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one

 

[pegwinn]

Amazingly enough I am not surprized. Every generation is stupid, shiftless, lazy, and weak. They don't have what it takes to succeed or be on top of a situation. My folks told me all about how easy I had it in school compared to them. Two of my three kids are in college now. Honestly the only way my HS was tougher than thiers was that we didn't get do-overs.

My kids got to do it over if the initial effort failed. IF they got it perfect the second time around, they were given a C. They learned that if you don't have the time to do it right, you will find time to do it over.

Don't get me wrong. I don't like dumbing down education. But, this argument comes up every generation. Violence in Schools is a good example. Remember Blackboard Jungle?

I once wrote an essay on how to make standards based education. I still think it should be that way. But, I am not getting too wrapped around the axle, because I (not the school board) am the one who decides when or if my last kids homework is completed.

 

[Abbey Normal]

Here's what I think all students should be told:


Rule 1: Life is not fair-get used to it.


Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.


Rule 3: You will NOT make 40 Thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone, until you earn both.


Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.


Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping-they called it opportunity.


Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.


Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.


Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. You have to do that on your own time.


Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.


Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one

These are all great, but I especially have a soft spot for Rule #7.

 

[Gem]

Every generation is stupid, shiftless, lazy, and weak.

While I agree with you and Aristotle on this one...I still have grave concerns about the Americans of the future.

A science teacher in my building retired last year, she took a liking to me and would often stop by on her way out of the building to chat, knowing that I would always be there late - working on Special Ed. paperwork, grading papers, etc. She often would show me text books from 10-20 years ago...and she would show me the curriculum she was using, the lessons she was teaching, etc.

The 8th grade science lessons of 15 years ago look like college-level Biology I or II today. I know this because I took Bio I and II at PITT in 2000 - and I'm willing to bet it hasn't gotten MORE difficult since I left.

Each adult generation might share the same lamentations about their youth...but the bottom line is still there: we are dumbing down education to reach the lowest achiever...rather than raising the standard to challenge the highest achivers or even maintaining high standards to challenge the average learner.

This can't bode well for our future as a nation - especially as we continue to be an increasingly global society, in competition with nations that not only have an incredibley high academic standard, but also a culture that respects education and a system that weeds out students academically starting in middle and highschool if not earlier.

Our nation, as a whole, does not value education culturally. And we have lowered standards to make the parents of underachieving children feel better about themselves. Additionally, due to educational psychology/philosophy that stressed trying to raise childrens' self-esteem even if they do nothing that deserves raising their self-esteem has created a generation of American students who THINK they are brilliant, funny, talented - when academically they are not.

We can shrug and say - every generation feels their kids are dumb and spoiled - but I think it might be a mistake to ignore how our students are stacking up to their global counterparts.

 

[pegwinn]

While I agree with you and Aristotle on this one...I still have grave concerns about the Americans of the future.

As do I. But I think the dumbing down is dependent on a lot of factors. First and foremost is the Kid, then the parent. My daughter is a junior in high school. She is taking what they call "AP" courses. Her courses were not even offered in my high school 25 years ago.

I'm sure that there are parents out there that refuse to allow thier kids to be challenged, or to fail, or even to try hard. So I don't know. My kids went to public schools. And they did well. And the schools offered courses that would challenge me today and would have killed me as a hot shot HS Senior.