Stupid In America?????

[nickerbokker]

thoughts? 

[newflvr]

FDIL,

Okay....I give!!  Stupid in America about what??

FMIL

[nickerbokker]

lmao.....

the 20/20 that was on last night about american school systems and how they are letting down the youth of today! 

it was making me sick!  tell me some of you watched it!!!!!!!!!!

[Perdi's Mom]

I didn't watch it because I know they are dumbing down kids in schools and it just irritates me to hear all the garbage.  What also irritates me is that different states are offering their teachers bonuses if their students pass the tests with good stats.  So what's going to happen in the classes: those teachers are going to teach to the test and how to take it, instead of teaching what they should be teaching-the curriculums and things that are important to life in general. 

I recently went through a catalog of school supplies and found that in every subject area, there were atleast 5 workbooks or helpbooks on how to pass standardized tests or getting more work that is similar to the standardized tests so that kids can practice.  I can't believe it...

I'm just glad I homeschool.  I was scared for parents yesterday when I heard that another kid had brought a gun to school and that some kids were wounded.  All I heard was the reporter saying: "only 2 students were injured (like he knows, he's not in there and I don't trust reporters much either)."  He goes on saying, "Since the Columbine incident schools have been really cracking down on guns and violence".  Well obviously not since a kid got one in anyways and hurt "only 2 kids".  2 kids are 2 kids too many in my book!  Recently a girl was raped at her school.  I know that my kids can't always be safe everywhere they are, but I'm sorry, I trust NO ONE in the school system to keep my kids safe from other bullies and 'predators' of children, even from the teachers themselves-they can be horrible as well.  That has been shown time and time again.

I could go on all day... schools in general (public and private) are in sad shape that's for sure.  I'll keep my distance.....

[GR8DAME]

I didn't see the actual show, but I googled and watched the internet blurbs on the website. I am sorry to say that I agree. I have two kids in the public school system, one senoir in high school and a middle school 6th grader, niether of whom are stupid. Nick maintains a 4.5 GPA, in "advanced placement" classes, and rarely cracks a book. It is the practice at the high school to have the kids take the previous years final in the first week of class to see what the students as individuals know before the class even starts. He generally places in the top 5 scores, and never below 7th in his class of 25-30. He is not challanged, and he is in the highest level availible there. That being said, I did a comparison with his girlfriends classes, in another public high school, not more than 5 miles away from us. She takes mainstream classes, and does very well there also. I found the same subject matter was being taught in both classes, in the same time period. Unfortunetly, I do not have the $10,000 per year required for out of district tuition, or a private school or he would be attending elsewhere. As I work full time as does my husband to keep a roof over our heads, homeschool is not an option either. In addition, his school is 55% hispanic, and 15% african american. I would not care what the percentages were if he could actually walk down the halls with out hearing derogatory remarks about being white and recieving threats and invitations to knife fights, in several languages by complete strangers. When confronted with these comments, the administration simply shrugs and says "oh well, there really isn't anything we can do, unless there is an incident..." Essentially, unless my kid is on the floor, bleeding out, nothing will be done. But let one racist coment come out of my child's mouth and I will be called into the office and my parenting and child on trial in a heartbeat. I do not live in a bad neighborhood, just a healthy mix of working families, trying to pay their bills and get by. The problem is the kids that are bussed in from the city. Now let me get this straight...the "underpriviledg ed" kids get to attend my school for free, while because I work hard and provide for my family, my child is trapped there, without an opportunity for a better education??
Casey's school is slightly better, as far as predjudice goes. The school she attends is mostly neighborhood kids. She is also in advanced classes and maintains a straight A average. Because of her grades, and the fact that she is a "good" kid, she is frequently paired with "troublesome" children, and expected to "help" them either scholastically or behaviorally. Wait a minute...isn't that why the teacher gets paid...to teach and maintain discipline? As a result, she often brings home classroom work to do as homework, as she was too busy "helping" her partner understand the work to get her own work done. Another trip to school for me resulted in more intertia from a different set of administrators, but the same party line. "That is just the way things are, deal with it." Needless to say I will move, or take out a second mortgage to insure that my daughter will not experience the joy of the local high school.
The American school system, in my first hand experience SUCKS. It needs a major overhaul to become even close to acceptable. Teachers that start out as good, and willing to teach are crushed under an ineffective administration and unruly, undisciplined and sometimes downright dangerous kids, while kids like mine are lost in the shuffle, ignored by staff and harassed by thugs. I don't pretend to have all the answers, but not enough parents are even asking the questions for there to be any improvements.
Sorry about the rant, Nik, but you just hit a hot button. I'd better quit while I am ahead.
Stella

[doglover]

That is why I am planning on homeschooling my kids, and if my children ever go to school it will be a Christian school that I teach at. I am going to a Christian college to become a teacher.

We did check into Christain  schools and they were around $2500 - $3000 dollars a year and they allow you to make monthly payments.

[GR8DAME]

Tuition at private or christian schools vary depending on region. If you can find one in your area (there were 7 private grade schools that closed all around me last year) grade schools run about $6000.00 per year, and high schools are $9000.00 to $12,000 per year here. That does not include books, additional fees and uniforms. On a 10 month payment plan, which is standard, that is $1,600.00 a month for one kid in each. I have done my research. I wouldn't begrudge the money, if I had it to begrudge. Meanwhile, $1200.00 a year in my taxes goes to fund public schools, whether I like it or not, also not including books, and additional fees. For that much money in taxes I think I have a right to expect an adequate education and some semblance of safety for my children.
Stella

[newflvr]

I can totally understand your frustration with the school system.  We never put our kids in public schools.  The neighborhood where the kids grew up was a wonderful and charming place...but that was in the days of bussing and like it or not, kindergartener s were beat up for their lunch money....so we never opted in.  My kids were bussed out...by me, to a private school that was at least safe....so on that score, mission accomplished.  But academically, the whole program was silly at best and ridiculous at the worst.  No Christmas program...wint er program only....the 'C' word was not to be mentioned.  My oldest child is almost 28.....so this was 23 years ago!!!  The Muslim and Shinto kids were badgered for their winter holiday songs:  an Iranian friend said their song was "Silent Night".  She was NOT liked by the administration . 

My middle son is very gifted in math and science...and a difficult kid when he wasn't challenged.  He liked to invent 'stuff' and was always in trouble for his inventions and arguing with the math teachers that there were other ways to solve complex math problems.  We ended up taking him out of that school and putting him in a boarding school for high school (and yes, it was a financial pain in the posterior) but it saved his life.  He had been depressed and withdrawn and within weeks when the new school gave him an old tool shed with cast off parts he was in heaven.  He's about to graduate with a degree in engineering and has his first patent under his belt.  His old private school was sure he'd end up in jail for his bellicose ways.

The point of this story is that there is not a single answer to the education problem.  Private schools can be just as rigid and stupid as public schools...and public schools can do really good work if there is enough parental involvement and support.  I think home schooling is fantastic for parents who can do it and have enough patience.  I don't think I would have been cut out for it.  We ended up sending the first two kids through the stupid private school and I honestly think they would have done fine in a good public school (operative word is 'good').  My middle son was lucky to find a place where he was allowed to let his intellect grow and was nurtured by caring and involved teachers.  My youngest son who has pretty severe language and learning disabilities would have been lost in a public school was lucky enough to go to a school that specialized in kids like him.  Has any of this been easy?  A RESOUNDING "NO".  Did we have to sacrafice time, energy and money?  ALL the time.  But the reward is awesome....

I wish you guys who are raising kids now all the best luck!  You have my prayers

[doglover]

Tuition at private or christian schools vary depending on region. If you can find one in your area (there were 7 private grade schools that closed all around me last year) grade schools run about $6000.00 per year, and high schools are $9000.00 to $12,000 per year here. That does not include books, additional fees and uniforms. On a 10 month payment plan, which is standard, that is $1,600.00 a month for one kid in each. I have done my research. I wouldn't begrudge the money, if I had it to begrudge. Meanwhile, $1200.00 a year in my taxes goes to fund public schools, whether I like it or not, also not including books, and additional fees. For that much money in taxes I think I have a right to expect an adequate education and some semblance of safety for my children.
Stella

Wow that is really expensive. Where do you live? I can truely understand why that is not an option.

[GR8DAME]

We live in suburban Chicago, about 20 minutes from downtown. The tuition used to be cheaper, my son started out in a local Catholic school for three years, but when the schools started closing and options became more limited tuition went thru the roof. They can ask for that much money and get it, and turn kids away because the demand for private schools here far outstrips the availible spaces in the exisiting schools.
Stella

[chaos270]

    I'm from a small town in Connecticut that has the best school system in the area.  We don't have a high school so I went to a semiprivate high school that is one of the top in the nation.....we have our own museum that's filled with one set of two plaster sets of the Greek originals currently in the UK.  So yeah our school had money, but some of the kids had learned nothing from grade school.  I was in all the advanced classes which were challenging on occasion because they were college courses. 
   But going to college and seeing how bad other students are is eyeopening.  I mean I had choice of any college because of my grades and such but chose the state university due to the expensiveness of the other schools. So I see so many kids work themselves to death and can't do well because they weren't prepared properly.
    I agree to the fact you are taught how to test well in most schools and when some hit colllege where you have to think they fail miserably and that's talking about in New England where the school systems are very good.  I've heard horror stories about schools in the South.

[Good Hope]

Yes, they are dumbing down America. It is sickening. And the amounts of money going into Public Schools down here in South Texas is outrageous. The schools are asking for 10k per child for public schools. The majority of materials purchased, such as the $2000 microscopes, one for each student, have never been used. When you ask why....the response is because we need to spend our time teaching them how to take a test, or deal with social issues, period.  You ask why so much money, .... well because we need 2 sets of books for each student, one in English and one in Spanish, plus all of the teachers must be biligual and that costs more in salaries. When you ask why should they be in both language when this is the US, the answer is, but many of our students are Mexican who were born here, so they should be taught in Spanish.  That's what you get when the Federal government dictates these test requirements, the tests are now more important than teaching children not just the basics, but how to develop their thinking and reasoning abilities, as well as logic. And forget about learning history. Kids these days could not recognize a bill from the bill of rights even for a million dollars with reference books in front of them.

We homeschool after realizing some 7 years ago, that a good private school is worth it's weight in gold. However, these are few. When one is not available home school is the only option. This is not just in the south, we lived in Maine for three years. Have a sister-in-law who lives teaches and will say the same thing. She and my brother are looking at ways to homeschool their daughter, and Linda still work pt. It's also the same in Kansas and Phoenix, AZ where an uncle and aunt teach. I could go on but won't. This is a national problem. Consider yourself fortunate if it doesn't exist in your school.

Deena

Deena

[Teamshredit]

I don't have any children so I have no first-hand opinion on the topic. San Diego schools aren't that great, and if we did start a family I have no clue what we would do about schooling them. I attended Catholic schools all my life(in Ohio) and don't know anything about public school environments. Paying a mortgage AND a tuition where we live isn't reality for us right now. Home schooling seems to be a common alternative around here, especially with the long waiting lists at private schools.
Just curious, how does home schooling affect children's ability to socialize and work in larger groups? Going back to my memory of childhood, both my home and classroom environments had a major impact on the way I developed mentally and socially, but each in its own way. I know I'm getting a little off topic, but if Chip and I have kids it's going to be an issue we'll have to discuss.
When did a good education become a luxury? And so complicated?

[my3dogs]

My children are now in high school.  They have always attended public school.  What we've found lacking in public school (and there are deficiencies in ours) we've supplemented in other ways).  It's what works for our family.   
But the testing/assessment system never fails to dumbfound me. 

Here's only one example.

When my oldest had her first MEA (Maine Educational Assessment) tests in 4th grade the school send home an informational sheet for the parents.  The tests are only taken at certain grade levels and 4th is the first time, the tests last for a week.....good information so far.  The last part cracked me up.   

 Please be sure that your child eats a good supper, gets a good night sleep, and has a good breakfast during this week. It's so important for their success on the test. 

What about the rest of the year?  Maybe the school board wouldn't have to be so concerned about the results of these tests and therefore their funding if they did their JOBS the REST OF THE YEAR!!!

The next year when my son took his first MEAs........SN ACKS were provided.
Can you believe that?

UGH.

[Teamshredit]

My children are now in high school.  They have always attended public school.  What we've found lacking in public school (and there are deficiencies in ours) we've supplemented in other ways).  It's what works for our family.   
But the testing/assessment system never fails to dumbfound me. 

Here's only one example.

When my oldest had her first MEA (Maine Educational Assessment) tests in 4th grade the school send home an informational sheet for the parents.  The tests are only taken at certain grade levels and 4th is the first time, the tests last for a week.....good information so far.  The last part cracked me up.   

 Please be sure that your child eats a good supper, gets a good night sleep, and has a good breakfast during this week. It's so important for their success on the test. 

What about the rest of the year?  Maybe the school board wouldn't have to be so concerned about the results of these tests and therefore their funding if they did their JOBS the REST OF THE YEAR!!!

The next year when my son took his first MEAs........SN ACKS were provided.
Can you believe that?

UGH.

They should change it to "It's so important for OUR success on the test."