Fixing Education

[Davidthegoliath]

It's a real shame what public school has devolved into. Pass test, get paid, go home.

[pineapplebunnybounce]

Ivy, yea I don't entirely understand why so much effort is put into passing what should be a basic test with a reasonable standard. But it doesn't sound productive. As for tailoring education for individuals, I'm not too sure how much of a difference that makes for the majority of the kids, I know a minority would benefit from more attention, I'm unsure as to how such a system can be achieved. I think in the present situation, it's up to parents to pick up the slack.

[gilbertc06]

One of the big problems is that school has done away with education and academia in favor of creating a system to condition kids for the capitalistic workforce.

Another one is that the system is heavily designed for certain types of kids and leaves out things like hands on experience, creativity, bilingual studies, etc...

[bladevalant546]

Well I had ADHD, and had an issue with homework as I did not see the logic behind it (from my perspective). The approach of the teachers really hurt me a lot in my ability to do well not to mention my own laziness. My Parents were always hard on me, I was just stubborn, a lazy genius is what my teachers called me. I had one even make me stay after class and asked me why i was making such low grades, she claimed I was one of the smarted students in all her classes. I felt bad and that teacher really helped me, I did better in her class. I wished I was more mature, but it was my personality and I feel it is wrong for me to be penalized because of that.

What i mean about penalized is not a free ride, but maybe more psychological attention? I remember being in algebra two, and I was failing mainly because I did not care about my homework. However, I applied myself once and I literally did the best in the class...out beating an Asian exchange student whom always made perfect grades. The point being there needs to be penalty for failing. At the same time there needs to be more elaboration in the development of our students. I think the fields of psychology and neurology have a lot to offer to help bring better education to the field.

[Minimalist]

Ivy, yea I don't entirely understand why so much effort is put into passing what should be a basic test with a reasonable standard.

Because you get what you measure. BTW, there have also been a couple of cheating scandals where teachers/administrators were giving kids the answers to these tests. The whole thing is a gigantic, bureaucratic, clusterfuck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Pub...ng_scandal

[bladevalant546]

If i am not mistaken, in the US schools get tax benefits for standardized testing scores?

[Minimalist]

I don't know that there is much of a carrot; I think it is all stick. "Failing schools" are closed - so kids have to be transported even further away - as if the building is the cause of the problem. The whole thing was just republicanuttiness with an ultimate design to force more kids into so-called "charter schools" which are for-profit schools which gives rich cocksuckers another means of lining their pockets at the public trough.

NCLB has expired and not been replaced. Obama's Secy of Education granted states waivers from the worst aspects of this silly law.

[bladevalant546]

Interesting, I however am anit-partisan so I view republicans and democrats as serving the same corporate masters. With that said, I hate the republican Ayn Rand philosophies about private ownersship. To make matters even worse, most of the middle class believe this....it is very depressing.

[Davidthegoliath]

Interesting, I however am anit-partisan so I view republicans and democrats as serving the same corporate masters. With that said, I hate the republican Ayn Rand philosophies about private ownersship. To make matters even worse, most of the middle class believe this....it is very depressing.

I don't think most of any class believe in anything. The easiest thing to do is to not have a reason to live and work towards your goals. I hate when people assume a majority hold themselves to a philosophy. The majority of people I meet in lower and middle class America are either apathetic or willfully ignorant of how they are being oppressed by those with other agendas. Don't ever assume a majority is intelligent enough to even hold themselves to a philosophy.

[Minimalist]

What "middle class?" Its a vanishing concept.