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Steerpike

(2,693 posts)
39. It is not just about money.
Tue Jul 10, 2012, 03:49 PM
Jul 2012

Last edited Wed Jul 11, 2012, 05:01 PM - Edit history (2)

Right now I feel that the American education system is fatally flawed. It seems we try to do as little as possible with the least amount of money and for that matter without coherent planning or leadership.

There is no plan. No child left behind is not a plan. It is a scheme to destabilize an already unstable system. There is very little money. Every year budgets go down because of lack of funding. Some people say (republic-pigs) that money has nothing to do with it. I only agree to the extent that it is not only money that is lacking but leadership and resources as well.

It is about resources and money as well as leadership. We spend untold billions of dollars and assign at least as much in resources on killing and controlling people in endless wars and yet as a nation we cannot find it in our hearts to devote as much to the education of our children. That shows a lack of leadership...a lack of vision.

There are many options we could explore. Teachers with complicated curriculum's should be assigned Teachers Assistants to aid in grading and assist in guiding students in assignments. It is crucial to get the student teacher ratios to a realistic balance.

Advanced Placement Students should have the opportunity to attend special advanced classes. Children with higher IQ's need to be given challenges that suit their strengths.

Children who are musically or artistically inclined should have dedicated academies they can be bussed to that offer prep classes that lead to Masters Skills in the arts. It is important to not only stress Math, Science and Reading but the Arts as well.

Classes should be offered in Industrial Arts: Auto Repair, Culinary Arts, Carpentry, Welding and other skills that can begin at the High School Level.
Not all children want or need a college-centric curriculum. Many students would love to learn a trade skill that can lead to higher incomes without the benefit of a degree.

Free Lunch and Transportation Should be available to all students.Certainly we can do this. We can afford to do this if we just cut back on bombs and bullet. For every woman or child we neglect to kill overseas we can feed hundreds of or own children here in the United States.

Special Needs students should receive as much funding as they need to not only teach personal skills but also how to navigate in their cities. I have often heard people blame these children for the lack of funding available to advanced students. This is untrue we have enough money for all. We just prefer to spend that money on other things.

Physical Education should continue to be offered not just as simple calisthenics but also in a variety of team sports available not just for boys but for girls too.

In this country and in the administration of this country we would rather spend our money elsewhere. Such a pity...such a waste. As in so many other areas that we are concerned with as Democrats, real answers are neither addressed nor even acknowledged. We are living in an intellectual vacuum created by our leaders and the media.
It is not just about money. Without money, resources and leadership together, nothing is possible.

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writing - if it can't be done on a cell phone it won't be done lol nt msongs Jul 2012 #1
I know a teen salin Jul 2012 #47
Wow, article about lack of challenge and the "dumb kids" cliches still come out. (nt) Posteritatis Jul 2012 #49
Shocking! 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #2
Right wing talking points. Kingofalldems Jul 2012 #7
No, that's absolutely true 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #9
Personally speaking, that was exactly my experience joeglow3 Jul 2012 #10
Yes -- you succeeded because the instruction was at your pace. pnwmom Jul 2012 #15
Yeahno, school actually has been dumbed down to absurd levels in the last decade or two. (nt) Posteritatis Jul 2012 #12
Not everything is a RW talking point! Spoonman Jul 2012 #13
Exactly. Just because a Republican shares an idea HotRodTuna Jul 2012 #36
They have been saying this since the early '70's Kingofalldems Jul 2012 #42
"They"? Spoonman Jul 2012 #52
"They" meaning your side of course Kingofalldems Jul 2012 #58
Yeah but what would she know? 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #60
Ah, king you say... awoke_in_2003 Jul 2012 #33
This message was self-deleted by its author Kingofalldems Jul 2012 #43
Sorry, i wasn't slamming you... awoke_in_2003 Jul 2012 #44
OK. Cool. Kingofalldems Jul 2012 #45
No - in our school district the gifted and talented program was the first to go hack89 Jul 2012 #56
It's almost as if logical fallacies such as post hoc ergo prompter hoc are no longer being taught... LanternWaste Jul 2012 #28
Post hoc ergo *propter* hoc 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #57
Not from my point of view onlyadream Jul 2012 #3
I think this may be true. murielm99 Jul 2012 #4
I think this is an important point. wickerwoman Jul 2012 #6
I remember people complaining in a college WRITING class about a 3 page paper joeglow3 Jul 2012 #11
Yeah, when TAing I had a few who'd meltdown at five-page, five-source papers. Posteritatis Jul 2012 #17
Of course it's too easy for 37%! pnwmom Jul 2012 #14
I once had a student who came from a town of 500 in Alaska Lydia Leftcoast Jul 2012 #5
What you are saying is to expect continued and exboyfil Jul 2012 #19
Our school board had limited options. Key policy is set by the state, as are class sizes. pnwmom Jul 2012 #22
But what do you do with the coasting students who know the stuff? Igel Jul 2012 #27
There's probably not much you can do, except infect them with your enthusiasm. pnwmom Jul 2012 #35
I'd like to know what is the distribution of kids in different states and different SECs/schools. Mass Jul 2012 #8
Another BUSH legacy!!!! "No Child Left Behind" Spoonman Jul 2012 #16
Of course it was too easy for 37%. pnwmom Jul 2012 #18
Or Sgent Jul 2012 #30
Few schools use tracking anymore. It's not a panacea. n/t pnwmom Jul 2012 #31
Where are the parents in this report? justice1 Jul 2012 #20
The parents are......... Spoonman Jul 2012 #21
There are only three sulphurdunn Jul 2012 #23
This certainly would explain why high school graduates don't know anything kestrel91316 Jul 2012 #24
The high school curriculum sulphurdunn Jul 2012 #55
"39% of 12th-graders say they rarely write about what they read in class" Igel Jul 2012 #25
Well, they just need 4 more hours daily of the same math problems AllyCat Jul 2012 #26
The thing is that today in eduation, all efforts go to teaching THE TEST. Teachers 1monster Jul 2012 #29
Ever read a textbook from the turn of the last century? Warpy Jul 2012 #32
In the 1990s, I volunteered in a tutoring program for street kids Lydia Leftcoast Jul 2012 #37
Half of all children have above average IQ AngryAmish Jul 2012 #34
The same thing we do now HotRodTuna Jul 2012 #38
That's ... really not what "average" means. (nt) Posteritatis Jul 2012 #48
Average has three meanings in statistics AngryAmish Jul 2012 #50
there is a problem with it though, a concern d_r Jul 2012 #51
It is not just about money. Steerpike Jul 2012 #39
I like your plan ladym55 Jul 2012 #46
Most of what you're describing was available to me klook Jul 2012 #54
A headline worthy of The Onion slackmaster Jul 2012 #40
Flawed Data. And here's the REBUTTAL... YvonneCa Jul 2012 #53
No Child Left Behind. progressoid Jul 2012 #41
as the parent of two recently graduated young adults, I've seen that in Washington State, not Calif. progressivebydesign Jul 2012 #59
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