How would you reform the US Education system.

[dejr_8]

Please keep this non-political, Please.

I guess there is talk again that we are slipping behind the rest of the world in education (at least that was one of the segments on "Morning Joe" today). So how would YOU like to see the education system changed.

Here's what I would do

1) Bring back excellence.

In an effort to make every child feel special, we no longer celebrate academic excellence. For example, High Schools are eliminating the Valedictorian. In my son's K-8 school, the acknowledgement for students making the A or A/B honor was degraded from a celebratory breakfast with special certificates to an all students assembly with virtually every student receiving some sort of award. There is a certificate for students that raise a SINGLE class grade one level (i.e. a C to a B). Even my son realizes his A or A/B honor role award is no longer special.

2) Reduce the emphasis on extracurricular activities.

I know colleges are partly responsible for this because they now consider extracurricular activities as an important part of the application. But in reality there are a limited number of hours in each day and every hour spent on extracurricular activities is one hour less spend learning or studying.

3) Bring back Trade/tech schools.

Not every child is going to be a surgeon. Some are going to be mechanics or plumbers. It seems that Tech schools have lost favor because they are viewed as inferior education. They're not. They are preparing certain students for a career that doesn't require college. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[mhsjax]

Please keep this non-political, Please.

I guess there is talk again that we are slipping behind the rest of the world in education (at least that was one of the segments on "Morning Joe" today). So how would YOU like to see the education system changed.

Here's what I would do

1) Bring back excellence.

In an effort to make every child feel special, we no longer celebrate academic excellence. For example, High Schools are eliminating the Valedictorian. In my son's K-8 school, the acknowledgement for students making the A or A/B honor was degraded from a celebratory breakfast with special certificates to an all students assembly with virtually every student receiving some sort of award. There is a certificate for students that raise a SINGLE class grade one level (i.e. a C to a B). Even my son realizes his A or A/B honor role award is no longer special.

2) Reduce the emphasis on extracurricular activities.

I know colleges are partly responsible for this because they now consider extracurricular activities as an important part of the application. But in reality there are a limited number of hours in each day and every hour spent on extracurricular activities is one hour less spend learning or studying.

3) Bring back Trade/tech schools.

Not every child is going to be a surgeon. Some are going to be mechanics or plumbers. It seems that Tech schools have lost favor because they are viewed as inferior education. They're not. They are preparing certain students for a career that doesn't require college. Nothing wrong with that.

I would vote for you. Everything you say makes perfect sense to me.

I have friends and old co workers that have plumbing businesses in their families. They made more money than any of us. Nothing wrong with trade schools. People will always need plumbers and mechanics and other trades, no matter what the economy is. I tell my kids this all the time.

 

[Pigeon]

I think many of the problems regarding our kids' academic achievement have little or nothing to do with the schools, and until these social problems are addressed there will be no genuine significant change. That's about as much as I can say without getting political.

 

[allison443]

I think many of the problems regarding our kids' academic achievement have little or nothing to do with the schools, and until these social problems are addressed there will be no genuine significant change. That's about as much as I can say without getting political.

I agree.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Personally, I don't think there really is much wrong with our system. I think the vast majority of kids do well. I think our inclusive system improves the lives of most of our kids.

I suppose the biggest problems are that the standards are a bit outlandish considering the facts that we measure all by the same ruler regardless of inherent ability & that parenting plays such an important role and that our schools can't intervene there. A teacher can't teach a child Algebra who is incapable of absorbing Algebra and a teacher can't teach a child whose parents say school is useless. I'm not saying the opportunity shouldn't be there but the way we go about it now with testing everyone for the same things and dumping all the results into a pool for an average just isn't telling the whole story.

I don't accept that the system itself is broken, I do think the way we measure our system is unrealistic especially when other countries numbers are not calculated in the same way. To look at the US against a more selective society is like comparing apples and oranges and it's not at all fair. US kids are just a intelligent as the rest of the world but the rest of the world doesn't always attempt to educate every single child in their midst test them and average them in, we do.

I do think an enormous segment of our population does achieve excellence. I do not think that extracurricular activities are bad, in fact they enhance life by improving social development, we are more than just a brain on legs. Of course, limitations should be reasonable but that's the whole parenting thing again and the schools are powerless there. I do think most communities have trade schools, everywhere I've ever lived has had one, if not I guess I agree that this is an area parents should scrutinize.

 

[allison443]

.

2) Reduce the emphasis on extracurricular activities.

I know colleges are partly responsible for this because they now consider extracurricular activities as an important part of the application. But in reality there are a limited number of hours in each day and every hour spent on extracurricular activities is one hour less spend learning or studying.

You know, I have heard this said by others as well...kids are over scheduled, etc. But then I read a quote from someone who said, instead of worrying about the kids who are involved in things like sports, dance, extra classes, etc. we should be more concerned with kids who do nothing after school except go home and watch tv or play video games.
If these students are doing extra curricular activities because they are college bound like you say, isn't that focusing on education? I would say the majority also focus on school and grades then too, right?

 

[golfgal]

I think many of the problems regarding our kids' academic achievement have little or nothing to do with the schools, and until these social problems are addressed there will be no genuine significant change. That's about as much as I can say without getting political.

Also keep in mind that when comparing the US to other countries, by age 16 most other countries no longer have compulsory education-meaning, only the kids that WANT to be there are there, the other kids have moved into trade schools or the workforce so we are comparing ALL of our kids to the top 10% of everyone elses kids. I will stack our top 10% up against any country.

Also, I know of no other country that requires severely mentally handicapped kids to take standardized testing and "grades" their schools on how well these kids do-doesn't matter that they can't read or even feed themselves, they have to take the tests .

I will also say that extra curriculasr are NOT a conflict with education-in fact you will find that the best students in the schools are the ones involved in the extracurriculars. What IS at fault are the parents that think their child is Michael Jordan and have their 5 year old in 8 sports each season.

 

[Heidict]

Stop teaching to the test.

Cut the dead weight. The majority of teachers are wonderful. They love their job and they are great at what the do. Unfortunately, there are some bad apples that have no business being in a classroom. Get rid of them.

I love the idea about bringing back trade schools.

 

[bored]

We need to first reform the US family unit and alot of the education problems would go away!

 

[golfgal]

You know, I have heard this said by others as well...kids are over scheduled, etc. But then I read a quote from someone who said, instead of worrying about the kids who are involved in things like sports, dance, extra classes, etc. we should be more concerned with kids who do nothing after school except go home and watch tv or play video games.
If these students are doing extra curricular activities because they are college bound like you say, isn't that focusing on education? I would say the majority also focus on school and grades then too, right?

 

[RitaE]

I'd make schools smaller and put them back into the local community, including the responsibility for making them good schools. Our School District just built a High School that is sized for 2000 students, kids from 4 different towns. Personally I don't consider that a High School - more of a factory. When I send my kid to school I want every single teacher/staff member in the building to be able to call him by name. That is one of my main reasons for not sending my kids to that school.

I'd go back to the basics. English, Math, Science and Social Studies. I'd quit rushing toward every new and improved Math and Reading program that the textbook publishers put out and I'd insist that the schools realize that in the end 8 x 9 = 72 today the same that it did 50 years ago and we really don't need twenty new methods of teaching it. What we need is an insistence that kids learn it.

I'd end Tenure. I'd fire bad teachers and the administrators of failing schools.

I'd quit insisting that schools be parents. Schools shouldn't be responsible for childhood obesity, health care or teaching "values" or any of the other feel good stuff that is a parental responsibility and they have no business doing any of that until they get better at what their job is supposed to be, teaching Reading, Math etc etc

 

[diznygirl]

I think many of the problems regarding our kids' academic achievement have little or nothing to do with the schools, and until these social problems are addressed there will be no genuine significant change. That's about as much as I can say without getting political.

Get the politicians out of the eduction system. Teachers are regulated down to the minute what they MUST teach every day - it takes a lot of the creativity out of teaching. And learning.

You know, I have heard this said by others as well...kids are over scheduled, etc. But then I read a quote from someone who said, instead of worrying about the kids who are involved in things like sports, dance, extra classes, etc. we should be more concerned with kids who do nothing after school except go home and watch tv or play video games.
If these students are doing extra curricular activities because they are college bound like you say, isn't that focusing on education? I would say the majority also focus on school and grades then too, right?

Some of them come home and do their homework, and get enough sleep for school. I know children who get taken out of school regularly so they can "rest" for their extracurriculars.

Stop teaching to the test.

Cut the dead weight. The majority of teachers are wonderful. They love their job and they are great at what the do. Unfortunately, there are some bad apples that have no business being in a classroom. Get rid of them.

I love the idea about bringing back trade schools.

Allow the teachers to teach. And not just the stuff that's going to be tested on. There is stuff my kid has never covered cuz they have to wait for a non-test year to cover it.

And a I know a few teachers that are very lucky to have a job. But their kids make good grades and do well on the test - yeah, well I pretty much homeschooled that year!

 

[Mary•Poppins]

Also keep in mind that when comparing the US to other countries, by age 16 most other countries no longer have compulsory education-meaning, only the kids that WANT to be there are there, the other kids have moved into trade schools or the workforce so we are comparing ALL of our kids to the top 10% of everyone elses kids. I will stack our top 10% up against any country.

Also, I know of no other country that requires severely mentally handicapped kids to take standardized testing and "grades" their schools on how well these kids do-doesn't matter that they can't read or even feed themselves, they have to take the tests .

I will also say that extra curriculasr are NOT a conflict with education-in fact you will find that the best students in the schools are the ones involved in the extracurriculars. What IS at fault are the parents that think their child is Michael Jordan and have their 5 year old in 8 sports each season.

 

[Carl]

Allow a way for the students who WANT to learn to separate themselves from those who don't and be placed in an environment where all those there want to learn.

 

[Pigeon]

While I have nothing against trade schools, I don't think there is much point in having a huge resurgence of them, either. Many of the jobs that trade schools used to perform people to do simply don't exist in large numbers in the US today.

Yes, we still need some plumbers, welders, HVAC folks and others in the skilled trades. But our manufacturing base is a shadow of its former self and has been replaced with service jobs that pay very little. You don't need to a trade school to teach somebody to be a cashier at Walmart.

 

[PollyannaMom]

OP - I'd vote for you too!

I also agree with golfgal - testing requirements have gotten completely out of hand! I love that we work hard to educate everybody, but trying to get every child to point x is not even close to giving each child what he or she needs.

 

[golfgal]

I'd make schools smaller and put them back into the local community, including the responsibility for making them good schools. Our School District just built a High School that is sized for 2000 students, kids from 4 different towns. Personally I don't consider that a High School - more of a factory. When I send my kid to school I want every single teacher/staff member in the building to be able to call him by name. That is one of my main reasons for not sending my kids to that school.

I'd go back to the basics. English, Math, Science and Social Studies. I'd quit rushing toward every new and improved Math and Reading program that the textbook publishers put out and I'd insist that the schools realize that in the end 8 x 9 = 72 today the same that it did 50 years ago and we really don't need twenty new methods of teaching it. What we need is an insistence that kids learn it.

I'd end Tenure. I'd fire bad teachers and the administrators of failing schools.

I'd quit insisting that schools be parents. Schools shouldn't be responsible for childhood obesity, health care or teaching "values" or any of the other feel good stuff that is a parental responsibility and they have no business doing any of that until they get better at what their job is supposed to be, teaching Reading, Math etc etc

Think about this practically-2000 students is a GOOD SIZE for a high school. It is small enough that the class sizes aren't outrageous but big enough to offer a lot of choices. In our old town the school was 700 students, not tiny but not big either. A lot of classes were offered every other year because there weren't enough kids to take them every year. If you didn't get in, oh well, your loss and there isn't much they can do. Some friends in that town have a senior and he can't get into Spanish II-required for graduation in our state (2 years of a foreign language). They had to fill out all kinds of paperwork, etc. to get him exempted. I wouldn't want to have my kids in a high school smaller then about 1500 students.

 

[goofinoff]

Pay teachers more! Bottom line! Teachers don't make enough. We need more teachers in public schools to reduce the size of the classrooms.
Stop cutting school budgets. It seems to be on the news every week that when a city or town is in financial difficulty they go right to the school budget.

 

[goofinoff]

I'd quit insisting that schools be parents. Schools shouldn't be responsible for childhood obesity, health care or teaching "values" or any of the other feel good stuff that is a parental responsibility and they have no business doing any of that until they get better at what their job is supposed to be, teaching Reading, Math etc etc

ITA!

 

[golfgal]

While I have nothing against trade schools, I don't think there is much point in having a huge resurgence of them, either. Many of the jobs that trade schools used to perform people to do simply don't exist in large numbers in the US today.

Yes, we still need some plumbers, welders, HVAC folks and others in the skilled trades. But our manufacturing base is a shadow of its former self and has been replaced with service jobs that pay very little. You don't need to a trade school to teach somebody to be a cashier at Walmart.

I agree-but offer the option. In our schools we have some trade classes, auto shop, technical drafting, woodshop, etc. but the kids that want to can also take classes at the community college. They also have OJT (on the job training) classes that kids can take. They take their core classes required for graduation in the morning and after lunch they go to work at various jobs around the area. They have a teacher that supervises them (does spot checks at work, etc.), much like a student teaching assignment. A lot of the kids work in offices as receptionists, secretaries, work in vet clinics as lab tech/vet techs, etc.