Education system, really?

[mohawktipi]

Re: Education system, really?

Every one over the age of 50 knows how to be self supportive. We grew up with 3 tv channels, no computers, no video arcades and no limits on what we were allowed to learn. We were our own baby sitters for much of the day because we played outside. Our moms didn't work so we had a safe haven if we needed it.

Todays kids are parked in front of 180 tv channels dropped off at video arcades or playing video games on their Iphone or Ipad. They don't how to make a tree house, a snow fort or any other fun skill. They lack social grace because they communicate by text message not face to face.

Both parents work (if there are two) and think it is the responsibilty of the school system to teach manners and decorum. Discipline has been taken out of the hands of the teachers because of fear of law suits for child abuse. The country is going to hell in a hand basket and most people are greasing the skids.

I hope I did a better job of raising my kids than I see today and I hope they (and I) do the same with my grandkids.

[partyofone]

Re: Education system, really?

Tom, really?

"Todays kids are parked in front of 180 tv channels dropped off at video arcades or playing video games on their Iphone or Ipad. They don't how to make a tree house, a snow fort or any other fun skill. They lack social grace because they communicate by text message not face to face."

Not mine. My kids know how to do those things and more. They also have the ability to use current technology in ways that some older Americans could never understand.

"Both parents work (if there are two) and think it is the responsibilty of the school system to teach manners and decorum."

That may be partially true, but both my wife and I work to be able to afford to give our children what they need or want. That's the reality of our society.

I do agree that SOME parents want the school to discipline the children and that we can't do that they way we used to. That causes some difficulty for SOME teachers.

I'm not trying to attack your views or opinions because I wish things were the same as they were years ago, but that's not the case. Mom stayed home because the house you grew up in didn't cost $100K, the car you drove didn't cost $30K, bread wasn't $3 a loaf and gas was WAY cheaper.

The bottom line for me is that MOM is going to be bringing home the money this year if I don't get recalled from furlough. The chances of me finding another teaching job in music is slim. Looks like a career change for me.

Erik

[magman]

Re: Education system, really?

You may be interested in knowing that many AMT ( A & P ) schools never have students working on "Live" aircraft.

The public high school I referred to did not do things that way.

We accepted a certain amount of "outside work" to incorporate in the curriculum.

Owners would drop off their project & expect to provide ALL materials needed.

There were Ercoupes, 150's, 120's , Colts , a Knight Twister & even a bare bones BC12D.

Each project had somewhere around 100 kids involved at some point.

NOT all at one time though.

The challenge is in assigning students .

No one wants the dirty jobs ( stripping paint) ALL the time.

Student duties included dealing with the owners.

Some were very cheap & wondered why the school did not provide sandpaper & masking tape.

Many visited the "Burger Basket" & distributed them to kids staying after classes to participate.

Some of those same "kids" today are working for airlines , FAA , DoD etc.

Keep in mind the facilities were already there so cost to the taxpayers was minimal.

Isn't this the type of activity schools should do?

[jim cooper]

Re: Education system, really?

I'm 75 this year. Hard to fathom what has happened to the country. When I was in school, if you acted up, you not only got it straight from the teacher, then you got it when you got home. There was VERY LITTLE disorder in schools Teachers were highly respected. Recently there has been much to do about schools being built in Afganistan. This is a nice gesture BUT at the same time we are laying off a music teacher in Lewistown, Penna! Some how our prioritys have gotten screwed up. Today there are POLICE full time in our schools. That pretty well says it all. JC

[magman]

Re: Education system, really?

"Getting it from the teacher" may well result in a letter from an attorney these days.

Some of these policies may have an impact discipline :

1. Suspensions are generally a 3 day maximum from classes.

2. The School Admins may well have a dim view of a beginning teacher writing

Complaint Slips & sending problems to the office.

You are expected to deal with most things on your own.

However; many strategies to do this have been taken away.

What do YOU do when the student returns & does the same infraction?

They also KNOW the Admin will soon be criticizing the teacher.

The most effective thing about a suspension is if the parent has taken a day off of work

to attend the hearing. ( There may well be ACLU reps).

It can get ugly FAST.

3. To have a student expelled can be extremely difficult.

If the child is under 16 years of age you may have to put them in jail.


4. Students that fail 6th grade work & are 16 years old are often given a "Certificate of Attendance" . ( should be "Non-

attendance?")

At that point they are promoted to high school where they cannot keep up with the "regular" students.

This soon leads to discipline problems that drag the whole class down.

The "innocent" kids suffer because of the actions of a few.


There are bad things overseas.

However; there are also VERY BAD things here in this country that we are not addressing.


The key is POLICIES .

These are not made by teachers or most admins.

The origin is a School Board or a State Education Dept.

Politically motivated policies of social experiments have taken a toll.