Astonishing News from the World of Public Education!

[Phaedrus]

Teachers Foresee `Retention Time Bomb'

This just in from the Miami Herald: making students actually qualify for advancement, rather than simply pushing them ahead as the years go by, is more difficult.

No shit. They figured it out all by themselves.

The only mystery left to solve is, why do they think of this as a bad thing? A student being disruptive to his classmates because he is sixteen years old and in the seventh grade is a student who needs to go ahead and drop out, not because he is stupid, not because he is destined to fail, but because he obviously -- for whatever reason or combination of reasons -- is unable to acheive within the established parameters of the public school system.

I myself suffered from this very problem when I was younger, and while no one would argue that I was a stupid kid (onthe contrary, I was constantly deluged with pep talks about how much *potential* I was wasting) no one could deny the fact that I was failing, miserably and repeatedly. Things seemed to have worked out for me reasonably well despite having left school after my second attempt at the tenth grade, and although another child's situation might be different from mine, the fact that situations vary from person to person is the precise underlying reason why public education, the mother of all one-size-fits-all public programs, simply doesn't work.


Phaedrus

 

[DarrylParsons]

Well said Phaederoo,

I've believed for a long time now that the purpose of formal education is to keep children and teens off the streets and to make sure they turn into docile robots by adulthood who never question the core values of the system.

Sure the 3 Rs are important, but those basics can be taught in about 5% of the time that kids today spend in school.

 

[xpanda]

A few years back, the Ontario gov't came up with 'standardised testing' so that each kid in each grade in each school would be required to write the same test before moving on in a given subject. For some reason teachers freaked out about this -- my guess is that it required them to actually teach instead of coming up with arbitrary curriculum and/or test results.

I attended five high schools, and in that time I read Romeo and Juliet three times, Hamlet twice but never even saw the cover of MacBeth. I studied Canadian/American relations for three straight years, but learned shit about English/French relations outside of what I've taught myself. I missed trig altogether, but covered functions twice.

Universal standards in schools cannot be a bad thing, and anyone who opposes this must be, well, a teacher.

 

[Sodium Pentethol V]

Keep promoting high birth rates among dumb people and the continued plight of our public education system is already etched in stone.

Standardized tests are moronic not surpising you see nothing wrong with teachers who teach students to pass a test rather then teaching them to learn.

And I am not a teacher.

 

[Sodium Pentethol V]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> why public education, the mother of all one-size-fits-all public programs, simply doesn't work <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yea doesn't work.

On acid or just feel like posting about s h i t you know less than nothing about.

Our society has advanced mankind further than any other society in the history of the planet but our education system doesn't work.

ROTFLMAO what an a s s.

 

[xpanda]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Sodium Pentethol V:
Keep promoting high birth rates among dumb people and the continued plight of our public education system is already etched in stone.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

So you've had the snip, then, I take it?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Standardized tests are moronic not surpising you see nothing wrong with teachers who teach students to pass a test rather then teaching them to learn.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't you think you ought to have some idea of what is on those tests before you can make a statement that claims they are useless?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>And I am not a teacher.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thank god for that.

 

[Sodium Pentethol V]

No I do not have to see or wait for anything.

Teachers who teach for the purpose of students passing some government test vs teachers who teach with the idea of students learning how to learn?

No brainer idjit, any more mornic platitudes you would like to subscribe too?

 

[xpanda]

Why are the two mutually exclusive?

 

[DarrylParsons]

Sodium,

Just wondering...do you use the same communication style face-to-face as on the forums? And if so, how many times a year do you get the crap beaten out of you? Thanks.

 

[barman]

Anyone who has posted on the Web for any length of time realizes that SP does not use the same communication style in person. At least I hope not.

Looking people in the eye and telling them they are PHUCKING DUMBAS$ES tends to lower the number of social contacts you can maintain for too long.

Can result in a pretty lonely life, although you have the advantage of ALWAYS BEING RIGHT.

 

[Phaedrus]

posted by Sodium Pentethol V:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
Yea doesn't work.

On acid or just feel like posting about s h i t you know less than nothing about.

Our society has advanced mankind further than any other society in the history of the planet but our education system doesn't work.

ROTFLMAO what an a s s.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not that I consider anything you post really all that worth the effort of responding, but you should take some time to familiarise yourself with the particulars of the American public educational system sometime before you decide to call a critic of it an acid tripper, idiot or ass.

Of course, the same fúcktard casting these comments about thinks that attending chamber of commerce meetings is what businessmen do, and that anyone who disagrees with President Bush wants New York to be nuked, so bear in mind that I take the criticism with a grain of salt.


Phaedrus

 

[Sodium Pentethol V]

COurse you do,

that is the only way to dismiss the basic fact that the american education system is what has led the greatest advancement of mankind,

and you posted the system doesn't work.

 

[Sodium Pentethol V]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Of course, the same fúcktard casting these comments about thinks that attending chamber of commerce meetings is what businessmen do, and that anyone who disagrees with President Bush wants New York to be nuked, so bear in mind that I take the criticism with a grain of salt.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

no!!!!!! businessmen are furtive supporters of greater taxation and governemnt red tape and interference, they are card carrying members of the great failed liberal experiment. They like Uncle Sam as 40% partners. Be real.

Abt nuking NY, if it was upto a guy like Al Gore or any other democratic leader of note, it would take a nuke blowing up in a major US metro area to take action.

Don't believe it? Try listening to the diarrhea that encompasses their oral communuications.

 

[Phaedrus]

posted by SPV:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
that is the only way to dismiss the basic fact that the american education system is what has led the greatest advancement of mankind,
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Do you seriously believe this? America has succeeded despite its educational system, not because of it. Is is hilarious to see a make-believe conservative spout off on the American educational system as the foundation of America's greatness (although I must admit it is a refreshing change from the usual suspects [Reagan and Jesus.])

Seriously, I know you have no qualms about making an ass out of yourself in public, but for God's sake learn something about it before you try to talk about it with grown ups.


Phaedrus


PS Predicted response:

"Idjit! This is America f u c k i n g deal with it or go back to Europe or Spain or whatever country your from"

 

[xpanda]

Phaedrus: Okay, specifically now, what (let's say) five things would you change in public education, assuming 'privatise the damn thing' isn't an option?

 

[Sodium Pentethol V]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Do you seriously believe this? America has succeeded despite its educational system, not because of it. Is is hilarious to see a make-believe conservative spout off on the American educational system as the foundation of America's greatness (although I must admit it is a refreshing change from the usual suspects [Reagan and Jesus.])

Seriously, I know you have no qualms about making an ass out of yourself in public, but for God's sake learn something about it before you try to talk about it with grown ups.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


No it's a freak coincidence, that we lead mankind into the 21st century and our education system sucks.

Hilarious.

 

[Phaedrus]

xpanda

There is no way I could narrow it down to five choices without being so overly broad as to not be able to prescribe any remedy.


Phaedrus

 

[Sodium Pentethol V]

Is that the bankrupt failure of public education that trots out the world's best and brightest every single year?

The driving force behind the only super power left on earth?

The folks that are responsible for more mediecal and technological break throughs than at least three of the previous generations combined?

Those failures?

 

[Phaedrus]

posted by SPV:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
Is that the bankrupt failure of public education that trots out the world's best and brightest every single year?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's all you have to say SPV, because that demonstrates what was already known anyway -- that you have little if any acquaintance with reality. This is almost as sad as your criticism as a nitwit of people who correctly state that America has economic problems.

You're a fúcking embarrassment to America; it's idiots like you that people in other countries envisage when they speak of "ugly Americans."


Phaedrus

 

[wilheim]

The only other one (USSR) in the last 50 years died by it's own hand.


wil.