ACR

We spend a load of money on schools every year. How effective are these schools? Most H.S. grads spend about 13 years in school, from age 5 - 18. How much of that money is wasted???

We all need degrees from a college/university/trade school in order to work anywhere that provides a decent wage these days. Therefor, can it be argued that are public school system is somewhat behind the times?

Personally, I spent the majority of my time in classroom learning topics which I do not, will not, and never use. How many have taken foreign languages for years, and yet can only speak a handful of words today? How many have spent hours in elementary music class and can't remember how to play the recorder or read musical notes today?

We are all paying into this system for our children, how much of our money is being poorly utilized???

What if our public schools specialized in the core subjects, to advanced levels in those 13 years (OR LESS!) to free up time for the students with parental consent to be able to choose their specialty for their careers at around age 15 - 16. Giving them an A.A. or A.S. when they are 18.

1. Math (Very core)
2. Language Arts (Reading, writing, comp, etc)
3. History / Social studies (Very important for many reasons)
4. Philosophy (The opposite of history basically, teaches the mind to think)

Hammer these subjects from K - 8. Shorten school days, learn the cores, and start "specializing" (Your degree) sooner. Cut out all the fat and garbage that's flooding our school systems! Unless someone can justify why YOU should be paying for MY kid's Music class, French class, P.E. class, etc...

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SFLRN

The most important thing our educational system needs is more flexibility in the formats and policies each school implements. The many different learning skills and goals of families and students can be better accomodated by our educational system. However, this is not meant to suggest that our educational system is somehow inferior, only that it could be even better. As to French, I personally am of the opinion that these languages should be taught at an earlier age if they are to be taught at all.

Goldenboy219

Your exactly right!!! What should be the focus of a primary education??? Something that is actually forced should IMHO cater to your strengths and likes in an attempt to prepare you for something you are interested in learning.

If you decide you want to receive a university degree, you than have chosen to expose yourself to a core curriculum.

Just as in mass production leaves out great detail in individualism, mass education does the same.

Some people are more interested in computers than Shakespeare... I hated math until i took physics. Actually, i hated repetitive assignments. Once i learned an application of actual mathematics, i was very impressed.

I think you have it backwards, but thats my opinion.

I believe you should start empowering a childs creative brain. Develop their strengths and use their interests to work on their weaknesses.

If a kid is really into computers, and shows an above average aptitude towards math, it should be up to the "teachers" to come up with a way to incorporate literature with a child's interests. Same thing as a student who is very interested in world history and is strong in reading comprehension and weak in math. It should be up to the "teachers" to develop a study project that involves history and math.

What you have now are 3 types of students.

A.) Like every subject because things come easy to them

B.) Like linear subjects because testing in distinctive mediums have told them they are better at math.

C.) Like asymmetrical subjects because testing in distinctive mediums have told them they are better at reading.


Then you have people alienating a particular subject, and in turn weakening themselves by not wanting to develop it.

Once you have the opportunity to choose if you want to be truly educated, than you will have the choice to be put on a platter. You will be forced to learn subjects that really do not have impacts on your particular career goals. But it will be you who wants this university education, and that is the goal of any type of higher learning. To expose you to multiple aspects of education and giving you the opportunity to step outside your biases and preconceptions of a particular subject. You will have to do this to earn a university education, and to do that you have to be at least semi successful.

Thats not to say everyone who graduates from a 4 year institution with a core curriculum becomes truly educated. In order to do that, you have to be willing to be beaten. You have to put yourself out there and lose enough times to understand what you have to adjust in order to be successful in a particular subject.

Just as in working out. You have to break your muscles down in order to make them stronger. You dont get better by making things easy for yourself.

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INTROtoBILL101

Honestly I have an opinion I find rarely in other views.

Basically I think that most people say that either more money, new subject material, better teachers, smaller classrooms, or some combination of them, is the answer to the school system. Here's what I think.

I went to Public School in Philadelphia all the way through high school, and guess what, I learned everything I needed to be successful in college and in the workplace. I didn't say I learned them from the much maligned Philadelphia Public School System, but I didn't learn a lot from there. The place I learned the most, and where everyone learns the most, is in the home and with social interaction, more so in the home. Here's where people get the assumption, "here comes some conservative old person who doesn't know what's going on". Wrong. I'm a moderate college kid in Philly with virtually the same oppurutunity as my classmates had in public schools.

However, I was fortunate that my folks made me do my homework everyday and fed me dinner and I lived in a part of the city that wasn't really exposed to the level of crime that is becoming common even in the national news. I never saw someone get killed or lived like many of the less fortunate city residents.

What am I saying? I'm saying that no amount of money or restructuring of classes will save or drastically improve the school system. It starts at the familial level. In my opinion, how much a child learns and sees has ten times more of an impact than what they will read in school. In fact, what they learn at home will determine what kind of student they will become. We have to hold parents accountable as much as the students, especially on the elementary level. I have no fail-safe solution, just suggestions.

Parents can not be home if they are forced to work dead-end jobs that pay enough that a family can live paycheck to paycheck. Without the supervision the child isn't in a learning state. In this instance, we need more affordable daycare and more closely monitered daycares held to muich higher standards.

Going one step further, instead of throwing money at the schools, throw that money at the people. Raise the wages to increase purchasing power and the standard of living while also making it possible for parents to spend more time with their kids.

Education in public schools has become a pragmatic strictly limited discourse w/o any room for creative change. We have to make social learning a much more important aspect of the student's learning process.

We have to recognize that some people aren't cut out for certain things. We can't slow down the learning of many for the inclusion of some. I think that's why tracks in Catholic Schools could be fine tuned and administered in Public schools. (people are saying, where did the social liberal go?) I don't believe in welfare and I don't understand why social darwinism can't be modified a little to let the achievers achieve at a high level, if they are in fact capable.

And for those they will need an advanced introduction to the work force, which should be everyone, job training has to take a much larger role in the high school level. It is so easy to find a job with just basic skills that could be learned from job-training classes. Keeping the jobs will be made possible by better values building and social capital learned at home.

This isn't a burden that can be bared by any federal or state government a big as ours. We have to go to the source, the very base, the family unit. We can't assume all 5 and 6 year olds are at the same level the way public school's do. However we can bridge the gap. Doing so will take time.

Billo_Really

I have over 10 years experience designing electrical systems for K12 modernization projects. A lot of the Bond money going to schools is not for teaching subjects. I don't know just how much of Bond Measures go to that, so I won't comment on it. But I can offer my expert opinion on how the money is spent on the modernization of school facilities.

The past few years there have been many, many Bond measures in various school districts to provide air-conditioning in every classroom as well as providing extra relocatable classroom buildings (trailers) in a program called "Class Size Reduction".

These projects always have a commissioned Architect/Engineer representing the District, a Construction Manager and a Project Manager all making sure where the money is being spent. This money is watched liked a hawk (so to speak). And it goes like this:

• Contractor files a pay request (one every month).
• The Architect/Engineer of Record reviews the as-built drawings for level of completion.
• If the contractor is in compliance with the Contract Documents, the AOR/EOR signs the pay request.
• Then the IOR (Inspector of Record) reviews the as-builts.
• If the IOR agrees with the AOR/EOR, he signs the pay request and sends it to the CM (Construction Manager).
• The Construction Manager reviews pay request and if he/she is in agreement with the preceding District representatives, signs the pay request and sends it to the District.
• The District reviews the pay request and if everything is per the General and Supplemental conditions of the Contract, issues a check to the Contractor.

To make a long story short, kids won't learn if they are packed into a 60 kid class that is 100 degrees in tempature.

My personal opinion is the money is well spent. You need the elementary school education in order to grasp the higher learning required in college.

BTW, I am currently working in petro-chem, so the preceding was not said to pad my own bank account.

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Goldenboy219

I have no problem with state of the art schools. I do have problems with our industrial education system...