General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The Common Core could well be Obama's worst policy. [View all]greatlaurel
(2,004 posts)Here is a link so you can educate yourself about this issue. It is easy to spot someone who is completely ignorant about education issues when they pull out the agrarian calendar organic fertilizer. http://stateimpact.npr.org/ohio/2011/08/10/six-reasons-students-get-summer-off-and-the-agrarian-calendar-isnt-one-of-them/
Your older teacher calumny is pretty ignorant, too. Older teachers have spent weeks and months on professional development to improve their teaching skills and learn new methods. When are teachers supposed to grade papers and write their lesson plans once they have students 8 hours a day? Of course, the fact that longer school days and longer school years are proven to make no difference in kids learning also shows you know nothing about education. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/13/longer-school-year-will-i_n_2468329.html "A 2007 study by Ohio State University sociologist Paul von Hippel found virtually no difference in the academic gains of students who followed a traditional nine-month school calendar and those educated the same number of days spread across the entire year."
Finland outperforms the US in education. They have a shorter school year, shorter school day, and they avoid high stakes testing like the plague. Teachers are in charge of their curriculum. Teachers are also well paid and treated as the highly skilled professionals they are. They also know that smaller class sizes and giving struggling students special attention make all the difference.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ist/?next=/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html?c=y&page=5
You really need to lay off the right wing talking points and learn something about the real issues in education.