BlueTalon

I don't know enough about British schools to be able to comepare them with American schools, but I think our education system is abysmal, for a number of reason.

New topic, new thread. Let the flames begin!

BelichickFan

Parents and kids, that's what matters. They don't need new books or new buildings, the kids need to want to learn and the parents need to encourage it.

Having a kid in 2nd Grade and Kindegarten, I can tell you, IMO, what No Child Left Behind will do . . . it will make the gap bigger. They're pushing the kids a lot faster than ever, I can't believe the books my 2nd grader has to read and be tested on. For kids with good parents, they will be more advanced than ever. Kids with parents who don't care will be in the same place but that place will be further behind the other kids who are in a better place.

Parents and kids, that's what matters.

PatsWickedPissah

There is a systematic anti-educational values culture problem in poorer inner city communities of color. Any black parent(s) dedicated to helping their kids face a culture where academic success is viewed as playing the white man's game. So the typical handicap of starting with an over stressed single parent household is exacerbated. I don't know how to solve this. Money has proven NOT to be the answer. Bill Cosby has made an attempt to change these cultural values and he's been villified for it.

Alternatively, cultures that stress 'family values' of learning and education produce a disproportunate # of academic successes. Jewish immigrants and Asian immigrants are 2 specific examples of a family value on education producing great results even with impoverished beginnings.

Harry Boy

Politically correct air heads still believe that a Black kid can't learn how to spell cat unless he is sitting beside a white kid (what an insult to black children)

Cosby tried to tell them, he was crucified for it. He wanted the black parents to give support and help to the children, the "Left Wing And Racists Among Them" want the Government to somehow wave a wand and educate their children. Cosby also wanted them to stop killing each other on the streets, he was Crucified for that one to.

Chevy

From a school-system perspective:

Be concerned with EDUCATION, not lawsuits. Give the power in the classroom back to the teachers where it belongs. If you have a class of 30, and student 17 is cutting up, kick their butt out of the class and let the other 29 have a chance to learn. As it stands now, most schools wouldn't allow it.

School boards and districts need to prioritize better:

1-Students
2-Parents
3-Teachers
4-Materials
5-Support Staff

Unfortunately, the Board and Superintendants think themsleves the priority.

And there's so much more after this.

sdaniels7114

The public school I attended, Boston Latin '87 sceamed very loudly that not enough money was being spent on schools imo. The zillion yr old hardwood floors were buckling up so badly that doors had to be kept either open or closed because you had to take the door off its hinges to change from one position to the other. There were no doors on any of the stalls in the bathrooms and little TP. The heating system was pathetic and I don't want to conjure up the memories of the cafeteria because I just ate. So I won't speak of that now. This school was and still is the very best public education has to offer teenagers in the city and building-wise it was horrible.

I can't imagine what it must have been like for regular students attending regular schools because this was the only public school my parents would allow me to attend.

shirtsleeve

Here comes some REAL fodder!

It is high freakin time we abandon the outdated and inadequate public school system completely! Time to privatize the schools and kick the politicians, social engineers, and most importantly, the no good teacher's union out of our kids' lives!

MCAS is a Joke! It punishes the kids and allows the fat lazy tenured p.o.s. to continue to subperform.

Time to create a voucher system, allowing the parents the ability to choose schools that perform.

I cant wait to hear the wailing and knashing of teeth from the social engineers on this one....And the first rediculous line will be... "the poor, poor, ghetto children will get subpar education, because the voucher will not cover the costs of a school like Phillips or the Groton School." Wow! I didn't know they got that kind of education now....

NOW the real flaming shall begin!

Patters

It's hard to evaluate the school system in general since different districts have different standards.

Shirtsleeve I presume went to a lousy school or moved to a cheap suburb and sent his kids to a lousy school; otherwise, what would his reasons be based on?

My view is that compared with the rest of the world, our nation is by many measures is the greatest, and that's in no small part due to our educational system. Despite it's flaws, it has turned out the world-class workforce and thinkers. That doesn't mean it can't use a lot of improvement, but those improvements won't come from voucher systems that cut funding for public education.

One thing I will say, however, is that the tenure system needs to change because there is a small percentage of teachers who really are no good and are protected wrongly by the system.

PatsWickedPissah

Tenure modification and vouchers so that inner city kids who want to escape disfunctional schools can, just like all the rich pols who send their kids to private schools.

Earlier the point was made that local school admins are scared to death of litigation. They are. I know teachers who cannot take any measures to discipline kids because the vice principle is terrified to take any action.

shirtsleeve

On this we agree.

Sorry to dissapoint, but I was the beneficiary of a fine education at a public school. My children did and do go to fine suburban public schools. But herein lies the problem. There are many schools, mostly urban, that repeatedly subperform. Dispite my attempt to draw out the social engineers, I believe that this inequality needs to stop. The most efficient way to accomplish this is through a voucher system. These new urban private schools will be performance based by default. Parents will have choices when selecting the school to send their children to. Any school that cannot routinely produce a quality academic product will not attract students or their voucher money. These schools will fail as a business.
Will this system provide for an equal education for all? Hell no. But neither does the system we have now.
At least kids from poorer communities could be assured of a quality education, if not one replete with all of the benefits richer communities could afford.