BlackPhx
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Joined: 11/8/2006
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Sad to say, she was both, Elitist and in some nasty ways Right, at least in my humble opinion. OK not so humble. Feh.
There has been a dumbing down of America. There is more of a focus on sports in this country than on education and that has been going on for a very long time. The heros that are held up for children to emulate are not Einstein, Salk, Armstrong, but Baseball and Football players who are consistently being caught in scandals of some sort. Video games that catch their attention don't teach healthy values or peek their interest in anything other than violence. Public Schools are rarely anything more than rote teachings of the SATs and CATs from elementary schools on up and babysitters. Classrooms are over crowded, underfunded and textbooks are rarely less than 7 years out of date. Teachers are underpaid and frustrated and gravitate if they are any good to the private sector yearly. Our School years are too short, our supplies non existent and every one has an excuse for why Johnny can't read. It is a sad day when kids graduating H.S. have to take remedial courses in College to learn what they should have learned in H.S. like how to write an essay, algebra, et al.
Charter schools and vouchers are not the answer. Returning the schools to the standards of yesterday, is. Public schools can offer exactly the same things Private schools do with effort. You want teachers who are dedicated to teaching and not just babysitters, then hire them, pay them a decent salary OR pay them as they are paid now, give them the supplies they need to teach with AND, subsidize their housing. There isn't a town in America that does not have homes that are delinquent in property taxes, abandoned or have been seized. Put a little effort into them and let the Teachers rent them at vastly reduced costs as LONG as they are teaching and maintaining educational standards ABOVE the minimum. Take some of these abandoned buildings and convert them into schools. A 6 floor apartment building with 6 apartments on each floor can easily become 36 classrooms with a bathroom, lab area and grade appropriate library. Stop teaching the class to the speed of the slowest student. If that student is holding back the class, then let them attend a remedial class or schedule in a tutoring hour to bring THEM up to the speed of the rest, not vice versa. Extend the school year. America is one of the few countries where school is not year round with short breaks. Parents have to work which means a lot of these children are left unsupervised or lightly supervised during the summer. Sitting in front of video games is no where near as educational as summer programs at museums, YMCA's and PAL but, it is all many parents can afford these days and FREE programs are being cut right and left as Taxes are cut. Children and the elderly are the first to lose out it seems in this country. Most of all stop this BS of every student gets a trophy, gets a certificate even those who came in last. It devalues the efforts of those who do try, buckle down and do the work, makes the effort and it ill prepares them for the work world where mediocre gets you fired..not promoted.
When I went through school classes were small, no more than 30 students to a teacher, aptitude tests were given and if the student had an interest in the areas they tested well in, their class schedule was arranged to EMPHASIZE that. If it meant they had to go to a school outside the district that focused on that area, then they were taken there or travel arrangements were made to facilitate it. I made sure my sons had the same opportunities, and stayed involved in every step of their education. Something many parents don't do these days as they try to make the money to keep a roof over their heads.
But I have also seen mothers living in inner cities who work 2 or 3 jobs to make sure their kids get an education and opportunities they didn't have. My grandmother never graduated HS, my Grandfather got his education through the military and with help from the Masons, but they made sure that all three of their children attended college, got their Doctorates and did it working a hard scrabble farm in NC, preaching and selling insurance. Mother had a Masters in Social Work, one Uncle a Dr of Psychology and the Other a Doctorate in Religion and Philosophy with which he taught for many years in Tennessee. It is a sad commentary that too few students feel they can go to college unless they get a sports scholarship.
It is also pretty sad when Bart Simpson is a role model. Or that there are people who have graduated HS and have kids who are PROUD they haven't opened a book since then. It makes me weep as someone who has over 1000 books and has read all of them more than 4 times and worn out several library cards over her lifetime.
There is a lot right with this country, and a lot that is wrong that can be put right again. But it takes dedicated people to do that. Not always the people with educations, but the ones who care and are willing to work hard, reach out and fire up the rest to correct what is wrong. Cronkite was replaced with talking heads, and you have to hunt for Meet the Press these days. There is a lot that is available for those interested in continueing their educations even on TV..but it does no good unless you turn away from the mindless drivel, staged reality shows and tripe and seek out the other channels then sit down with your UMs and discuss what is being seen.
Education starts at home. Imaginations are sparked at parents knees with stories told and shared of childhoods, fairytales and books, not with a video game and goodnight. America isn't dumb, as much as some politicians would like to think we are.. it's just gotten lazy and maybe this shake up in economy and a change in the way government babysits the lazy and greedy will kick start us again. Of Course it would probably help if we stopped thinking there was a pill for everything...
poenkitten
P.S. thanks for reading this far and how did this end up in HUMOR?
< Message edited by BlackPhx -- 10/20/2008 10:37:17 AM >
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RE: Palin and Joe Sixpack. - 
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