How to improve American Education in 2021. (1 Viewer)

[Paul]

The most recent PISA results, from 2015, placed the U.S. an unimpressive 38th out of 71 countries in math and 24th in science. Among the 35 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which sponsors the PISA initiative, the U.S. ranked 30th in math and 19th in science.

U.S. students' academic achievement still lags that of their peers in many other countries

U.S. students continue to rank near the middle, and behind many other advanced industrial nations, in international math, science and reading assessments.

www.pewresearch.org

My suggestion is rather simple.

1. Study why immigrants from East Asia, India, and Nigeria do well with American education. Apply that insight to other groups (if possible).
2. Manage public schools as if though they were private schools with uniforms and discipline.
3. Create high end special schools for those that are truly disenfranchised.
4. Create a force of social workers to treat family dysfunction with regards to education.
5. Reduce the curriculum to the simple basics and repeat that on a yearly basis.
6. At about 10th grade divide college bound students away from non-college bound.
7. Provide solid basic education and trade training for non-college bound kids. There is no point in offering free college to these kids.

 

[Paul]

Paul gonna Paul. He said to me that he was sure I had never been actually in a Catholic Church, when my daughter was married in one.

As you said an anecdote is an anecdote.

Anecdotal evidence is considered the least certain type of scientific information. Researchers may use anecdotal evidence for suggesting new hypotheses, but never as validating evidence.

 

[MT15]

Paul, what I was commenting on, as was JRad, is your habit it being condescending to people by assuming they don’t know anything, while you attempt to enlighten them.

You told me, without knowing much of anything about me, that I must have never been inside a Catholic Church. That is just laughably silly if you knew me, but you don’t hesitate to make assumptions about people and then run with them. It’s actually sorta silly.

You also just got done lecturing JRad about a personal experience he was sharing, once again making assumptions about people and never hesitating to attempt to enlighten them about their own experiences.

Anecdotes are just that, and you don’t get to correct them, no matter how badly you want to.

 

[MT15]

Oh, and I am a scientist by training and trade, but do please enlighten me further on the scientific method. I’m all ears.

 

[Paul]

Paul, what I was commenting on, as was JRad, is your habit it being condescending to people by assuming they don’t know anything, while you attempt to enlighten them.

You told me, without knowing much of anything about me, that I must have never been inside a Catholic Church. That is just laughably silly if you knew me, but you don’t hesitate to make assumptions about people and then run with them. It’s actually sorta silly.

You also just got done lecturing JRad about a personal experience he was sharing, once again making assumptions about people and never hesitating to attempt to enlighten them about their own experiences.

Anecdotes are just that, and you don’t get to correct them, no matter how badly you want to.

OK, I apologize if I sound condescending. I will be more careful with my words next time.
Believe it or not. I try to be respectful at all times.

 

[MT15]

Thank you.

 

[dtc]

The best way to educate your kids in the country today is to put them in private school or home school.

I don't think the public school system is salvageable at this point, not without a lot of work that the teachers, boards and parents don't want to put in.

The best way to teach kids in America is to make it illegal for parents to put their kids in private schools that teach Jesus riding on a dinosaur and anything that has an Abecka book. From there, you eliminate any funding for religious schools.

And, maybe prioritize actual education over football stadiums and fancy buildings. Paying teachers would be a good idea too.

 

[Farb]

The best way to teach kids in America is to make it illegal for parents to put their kids in private schools that teach Jesus riding on a dinosaur and anything that has an Abecka book. From there, you eliminate any funding for religious schools.

And, maybe prioritize actual education over football stadiums and fancy buildings. Paying teachers would be a good idea too.

So parental choice should be illegal because the state knows best on how to educate kids? Interesting take. This new religion of the left is very jealous of the olds.

 

[cuddlemonkey]

I agree with most everything here!
I would also like to see shop, home economics, and firearm electives (bb guns maybe but just to teach basic fire arm safety)

Some issues I have in regards to starting the day later for students...I am worried what that will do to parents that work? I am alway against leaving your child with the government in general. Parents that have to work will require assistance and that, in todays society, will have to come from the state so that mean more spending. I get that a lot of peeple are working from home recently, but I hope that is not the new normal, though I think I am wrong.

You nailed the last part!! I agree 100%. Parents need to let their kids fail and fail a lot, that is how you learn to work hard and make good decisions all the while promoting self accountability.

What's wrong with working from home?

 

[dtc]

So parental choice should be illegal because the state knows best on how to educate kids? Interesting take. This new religion of the left is very jealous of the olds.

You can teach your kid anything you want, but it is not my belief that tax dollars should go to teaching religious nonsense.

 

[Paul]

You can teach your kid anything you want, but it is not my belief that tax dollars should go to teaching religious nonsense.

Most of the greatest universities of the world were or are religious. Harvard used to be a divinity school. Puritans established Harvard College in 1636, shortly after arriving in Massachusetts Bay. Georgetown university is a Jesuit university. When you go there you have no clue that is a Catholic institution.

Most of the great high prep schools were I live are religious. Parents send their kids there for academics and not religion. In Sweden, a much more left leaning nation that America parents can use school vouchers to send their kids to private schools (religious or not). Condemning poor kids to the failing public schools in their neighborhoods ran by the NEA is a severe assault on freedom.

School voucher supporters cheer Supreme Court ruling that states can’t bar religious campuses

A Supreme Court ruling this week determined that states with voucher programs that pay for students’ private school tuition must allow religious campuses to participate, as Florida, home of t…

www.orlandosentinel.com

 

[CoolBrees]

The key phrase in that whole useless post about Harvard is “used to”

We “used to” drill holes in people’s heads to let the demons out. But just like teaching theocratically in higher educational settings, we realized it’s archaic nature and moved on to more reasonable and more practical theories.

 

[MT15]

I’m sure the NEA will be surprised to know it’s running the schools, though.

 

[Paul]

I’m sure the NEA will be surprised to know it’s running the schools, though.

They do not run the schools, but the teachers belong*. You know exactly what I mean? The issue is that the schools in poor neighborhoods suck and many want to prevent responsible parents from choosing a better school.

NEA is against vouchers. They stick it to the poor each time. They force poor children to attend segregated schools.

 

[MT15]

Vouchers will not help our public schools get better, Paul. They will destroy them, which is the aim of the religious right. They don’t want public education to be any good, they would rather abolish it.

 

[Paul]

Vouchers will not help our public schools get better, Paul. They will destroy them, which is the aim of the religious right. They don’t want public education to be any good, they would rather abolish it.

Public schools need competition to get better.
If the schools in the neighborhood were any good the parents would not get vouchers to travel long distances to find a better school for the children.

I will admit that vouchers opens the door to fraud as well as religious indoctrination in Evangelical Fundamentalist schools. I would only allow the vouchers in well established religious school that have an emphasis in academics. Most Catholics schools would be fine but I would be weary of Evangelical types. As for indoctrination, it is now showing up in public schools.

By the way the first public schools in America were Christian.

 

[DaveXA]

Different thread, but I think this should be a requirement to own a firearm - I still stick to some of the lessons learned in mine, and that was in the late 90s/early 00s.

As far as Catholic School goes - I spent K-8 at one, plus a year of HS. Religion is not an optional thing, you are there to learn and integrate into Catholicism. Daily religion class, mandatory church attendance, mandatory prayer. I was only one of two unbaptized students in my entire time in K-8, so while parents may send children to Catholic school for a “better” education, it’s largely also for the religious part in my experience. I left 8th grade thinking premarital sex, drinking, drugs, etc were just the worst thing you could ever do (so I hope you abortion is murder people are following all the teachings).

And anecdotal, but of the 4 high schools I attended, the Catholic one was the easiest.

If I recall correctly, some states do have some sort of education requirement before you're allowed to get a firearms license. It's been a while since I last looked at so I could be wrong. But I agree, everyone should be required to participate in mandatory training before getting a license.

 

[Taurus]

The main problem with American education is that it's based on the paradigm that a kid would rather be in school than staring at the south end of a northbound mule.
We're no longer an agrarian society where the alternative to an education is a life spent doing backbreaking labor until you die poor.

 

[Paul]

The main problem with American education is that it's based on the paradigm that a kid would rather be in school than staring at the south end of a northbound mule.
We're no longer an agrarian society where the alternative to an education is a life spent doing backbreaking labor until you die poor.

What do you propose?