If you listen to politicians (Democrats and Republicans), everyone wants to fix the school system. They all have different ideas, more money, more tests, vouchers, etc... But the problem with the public educations system have been going on for generations and different Administrations from both parties have tried but not succeeded. Is this really a problem that can be fixed? If so, why have it not been fixed up to now. Why have other countries been doing better with less resources(Eastern Europe and many Asian countries come to mind) If you are the education secretary, what would you do? Are there models that can be borrowed? Hopefully this will generated some good debate and ideas, please no name calling please.
i would say that vouchers haven't truely been tried on a large scale. i'm not doctrinally in favor of them, but i am curious to see what would happen if they were given a fair shot at working.
"Talking out of turn? That's a paddlin'. Lookin' out the window? That's a paddlin'. Staring at my sandals? That's a padddlin'. Paddling the school canoe? Oh, you better believe that's a paddlin'."
I am all for whatever works, maybe there should be a timed test on a large scale say for like 2-3 years?
They need to have more stringent guidelines for becoming a teacher and then compensate them accordingly. Forget putting money into a newer, better football field or auditorium....pay the damn teachers what they deserve. Pay them bonuses tied to the kids' scores on the state/national exams. There are no more important people in regards to our future than today's teachers.
Teachers may not be the most highly paid profession but they are probably not doing too badly. I do not believe it is rocket science to teach high school kids Math, Science, English, etc... But I believe today's teachers sometimes do focus too much on the psychlogy of teaching instead of the material being taught.
local control is hugely important. the problems in New York City, which are largely the result of cronyism in the teacher's union, are likely quite different from those is, say Boise. money will always be an issue, but it's not always the solution. the amount of money wasted in the nyc schools is simply staggering.
i swear i'm not disagreeing just to disagree with you!!! but i'd say parents are more important. and i think part of the problem with our education system is the embracing of the notion that it is to teach and be all things to children. that they take the place of parents in our society. this is conclusion i've drawn from being married to someone who taught first grade for 5 years and hearing comments made from parents about their role in their kids' lives relative to teachers. i also think our education system isn't NEARLY as bad as it's made out to be.
If they are making 6 figures then I definately should switch to teaching. I agree that parent's role is very important. No kids will learn well in school without a good environment at home.
Max, I think you hit the nail on the head. When kids come from families with supporting parents who care about their kids educations and (most importantly) believe it's up to the kid and the kid's family to get that education they turn out just fine. It's probably the main reason why middle and upper class kids (regardless of race) tend to do better. Also, children coming from families who's culture emphasises the importance of doing well in school (Asians, for example) also do well. The problem is not so much with our system as with the culture of lower-class America.
The problem is they can't teach at all when they are doing is nothing but babysitting and dealing with unsupportive parents. That's the hard part. The subject matter is an after thought.
Good point, in many inner city schools often sports is thought of as the only way to move out of poverty instead of good education.
i agree. my wife would come home so frustrated after talking with parents who said, "i never have time to read with my kid!" that's such crap. seriously..we're talking about 5 minutes. i've read with my 5 year old since he was months old....i'm already reading to my 4 month old every night before he goes to sleep. that's not to pat myself on the back...i'm really saying it's not that great of an effort. when children feel loved...when they feel supported...when they're encourage...they perform better in all aspects of life. again, that's not rocket science. i'm a mentor through a church program called Kids Hope. i spend one hour a week with a kid at a public school. we spend a bit of time studying for spelling tests...but we spend most of our time just hanging out, with me showing an interest in him and how he's doing. the kids' performance from this goes up big time. it's shown time and time again. just a very minimal investment of time and care goes so freaking far. the child i mentor comes from a single parent home...his father is far away in another state. he laments to me how he wishes he had a father around. it breaks my heart. and it's no suprise to me why he struggles at school. not a diss on his mom at all, because she's great and she tries super-hard. it's merely the product of a culture that sees kids as a burden instead of a responsibility.
You want six figures for teachers? Come on now lets be reasonable. Teachers work 5 days a week and 9 months a year. And they get all holidays off. Teachers average $47,000 (www.salary.com) for about 180 days of work. I agree with 111chase111 the problem is more cultural than anything else.
yeah..i used to say this to my wife, and she'd reluctantly agree. ultimately they work less than 9 months a year. they have roughly 3 months off for summer...two weeks at Christmas time..a week at Spring Break..and various other days throughout the year. my wife was home by 5 on most evenings. definitely a difficult job. but not sure it warrants six figures.
I've read "Thumbelina" and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" forty nights in a row and counting. I changed the names of the dwarves and it's been a big hit so far... Reading with your kids is one of the greatest times you can have with them. I don't understand parents who wouldn't do it.
I think a huge problem with teachers is the fact that they are paid almost soley based on number of years they teach, and it isn't easy to fire them. If no matter how great you are, you will not make any more money or less money.. it takes away some motivation. Why work hard when you won't get fired, won't get a pay cut, and won't get a pay raise. Pretty secure job! Doesn't matter if you are a great teacher, you know that you will likely make less than the horrible teacher with one more years experience than you.. Teacher unions etc though don't want them to be paid based on performance though. I know there are arguments about the teach may just have horrible kids etc, but I'm sure there is someway around that. I've heard proposals about paying based on how much they performed better than the year before, so that you account for the fact some kids aren't performing well to begin with. My sister is a teacher, and no matter what I hear.. I'm not ready to say they are the least underpaid people in america etc. You can start out in Houston area at around 34k or so and move up from there each year. That isn't a horrible salary for the number of days off a year etc that they get. There are plenty of people who make less than that. For instance, oh construction workers who work almost everyday a year with no holidays etc in the Houston heat. They could be paid more, but they aren't THAT underpaid. .if you take into account number of days a year.
