American Schools more like prison?

[JohnDG]

I for one believe the prison system we have does not rehabilitate you, but instead places you in purgatory(not my words but the best for the subject). Almost like they are preparing your kids for prison, but what the hell do I know. (im crazy haha)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufmr6g8qHvc

Immortal Technique

It's funny how 'on the block' niggaz will kill you for cash
But never raise their gun and cry out "Freedom at last."
The cold war is over, but the world is still gettin colder
Atlas walking through the projects with the hood on my shoulders
I would like to raise my children to grow to be soldiers
But then a general, would decide when their life would be over.

[The Grand Nudger]

People want to protect their children, from eveything. But they want it done cheaply. That means block buildings tall fences and as much police presence as you can afford. Add in the authoritarian nature of the educator/student relationship and our uniquely American habit of threatening to sue absolutely anyone for anything....and you have a situation practically bound to make any conspiracy theorists head swim with possibility.

:looks around suspiciously:

Good thing we don't have any of those folks round these parts.

Ahem-

A fair few educators, parents, and students are very disappointed with what they perceive to be the many faults of our system of education. However, we didn't just wake up one day with the schools we have as is. Schools ask for money, people say no. It's as easy as that. Until we start saying yes we don't really have any room to complain, we're getting exactly what we pay for. There's no conspiracy here, no plot to "prepare kids for prison". Tell you what, you go find me an educator who, 4-7 years prior, decided to take a major that would most likely leave them impoverished with no better prospects for a job at the 7-Eleven than the snot nosed kid down the street because they said to themselves "You know what I want to do with my life...prepare children for prison."

No, no plot, no motives, just negligence on our parts.

[Minimalist]

Some of the decisions by school boards make me think that they are little more than mindless bureaucrats with a terrible fear of being sued. The day they started suspending children for drawing pictures of a gun or bringing an aspirin to school because of a "zero tolerance policy" is the day that I lost all respect for them.

Try thinking assholes. That's what you get paid to do.

[Whateverist]

Some of the decisions by school boards make me think that they are little more than mindless bureaucrats with a terrible fear of being sued. The day they started suspending children for drawing pictures of a gun or bringing an aspirin to school because of a "zero tolerance policy" is the day that I lost all respect for them.

Try thinking assholes. That's what you get paid to do.

As one more brick in the wall, I used to think so too. But with all the top down pressure around No Child Left Un-fucked with, I have begun to accept that it is my compliance that I am paid for. Doing something because it is best for kids or just plain the right thing to do, has to be done clandestinely. Officially it has become all about covering your ass, and teaching used to be such a wonderfully creative and involving occupation. I can't begin to tell you how happy I will be to retire in the near future.

[Minimalist]

There is a reason that 50% of new teachers leave the profession within the first 5 years and it isn't just the shitty pay.

But what excuse do the administrators have? Those assholes are generally well-paid.

[Whateverist]

There is a reason that 50% of new teachers leave the profession within the first 5 years and it isn't just the shitty pay.

But what excuse do the administrators have? Those assholes are generally well-paid.

Administrators are now under so much pressure that they feel compelled to make too many point of delivery decisions, which of course they can't possibly do as well as the teacher in the classroom. I don't envy them their job, but then again, I never did. Teaching can really be a creative occupation, or at least it has been.