More Futuristic Fun Than You Really Wanted, part III of V

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

I took my children's education into my own hands a long time ago.  My children maintain no less than a 3.5 and that is my child with dyslexia.  The youngest two are both in mixed classes doing work a grade or two ahead of where they actually are.  JW will have his diploma within the month.  He's 16.

In addition to that I've made damn sure they were in any and every sport, art, extracurricular activity available to them.

[Jasper]

I refuse to have kids if it means bringing more ignorance into the world. 

That's going to happen ANYWAY.   

Your strategy guarantees that you'll get ignorance and more stupidity, to boot.  You won't breed.  Nascar slow-mutants will.

Enjoy your 60s.   

HHNNNAARG

HHNNOOOO

GRUAAAH!!! 

[Luna]

Sorry, but...

If your fucking kids can't read, it is YOUR fault.

Sit down with them and teach them yourself if the schools are fucking it up.

I walked into my first day of kindergarten with a Reader's Digest Condensed hardcover under my arm.  Teacher thought it was cute that I brought a BOOK to school, until she realized I was halfway through actually reading "Jaws."

I know I'm just super touchy on occasion, but I wish you would generic up your responses sometimes, because coming right after my post I take shit like this personally.

Sorry, Khara, it was absolutely NOT intended to be aimed at you, or anyone else personally.  I'll see what I can do to generic stuff better.

I took my children's education into my own hands a long time ago.  My children maintain no less than a 3.5 and that is my child with dyslexia.  The youngest two are both in mixed classes doing work a grade or two ahead of where they actually are.  JW will have his diploma within the month.  He's 16.

In addition to that I've made damn sure they were in any and every sport, art, extracurricular activity available to them.

Responses coming in faster than I can respond.

That's awesome, dyslexia's a bitch, and a 3.5 with it means you're doing right with your kids.  (For what my opinion is worth, anyway.)

[Placid Dingo]

I got asked if there were opportunities to help the poor in my town. I pointed out that I'm a teacher in a mining town; I am the poor people here.

Agree with most but I'll point out that while I'm sure there's use in rote (that's not my area presently so it's not something I've kept up to date on) it's mad to reject other forms of teaching just because they're more new or less familiar.

Also in terms of summer school/repeating a year the evidence I'm familiar with suggests this is a less efficient way of improving results.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Also in terms of summer school/repeating a year the evidence I'm familiar with suggests this is a less efficient way of improving results.

You have to have a penalty for lack of performance when dealing with kids.  You need a carrot, true, but you also need the stick.

A generation of entitled, useless drones in America supports this assertion.

[Juana]

I was completely terrified of having to stay back a year. It never really was a threat to me (I'm intelligent enough to have been able to coast through school), but I'll be damned if it wasn't enough anyway.


Sometimes that's really want a kid needs, too. A friend of mine was in the same third grade class as I, and ended up graduating a year under me because he was help back that year. He's at UC Irvine doing some really amazing stuff now, and if he hadn't been held back, he'd not have done nearly so well.

[Placid Dingo]

Also in terms of summer school/repeating a year the evidence I'm familiar with suggests this is a less efficient way of improving results.

You have to have a penalty for lack of performance when dealing with kids.  You need a carrot, true, but you also need the stick.

A generation of entitled, useless drones in America supports this assertion.

A whole year of your life is a hell of a stick.

Also I'm not in a hurry to take a kid who hates school, give him no holidays and then expect him to concentrate in my class next term. That being said, I don't actually know how the American summer school system operates.

[Juana]

There's a couple weeks' break before and after summer school. Not much, but some. And it's only half a day because (in California anyway) because it's only one subject.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

A whole year of your life is a hell of a stick.

Not as much as the results of NOT enforcing some form of standards.

We have an entire generation of illiterate drones that can play WoW for 96 hours straight, but can't fill out a job application.

[Placid Dingo]

There's a couple weeks' break before and after summer school. Not much, but some. And it's only half a day because (in California anyway) because it's only one subject.

Hopefully it's also using some differently targeted strategies, because otherwise we're in a world of "hey this isn't working! Maybe if we do it more it'll start working!"

[The Good Reverend Roger]

There's a couple weeks' break before and after summer school. Not much, but some. And it's only half a day because (in California anyway) because it's only one subject.

Hopefully it's also using some differently targeted strategies, because otherwise we're in a world of "hey this isn't working! Maybe if we do it more it'll start working!"

Um.

America.

[Juana]

I honestly don't know. I took summer school once in high school to get an art requirement out of the way so I could take the photo course I wanted in the fall. It's been about six years since then.

But, I'd guess not. It's probably smacking your head up against the same wall that got you during the year. Like Roger said, this is the US. We don't do change anymore.

A whole year of your life is a hell of a stick.

Not as much as the results of NOT enforcing some form of standards.

We have an entire generation of illiterate drones that can play WoW for 96 hours straight, but can't fill out a job application.

This. Honestly, sometimes it really IS the best thing. That friend I mentioned? Involved in a project that might change chemistry like the microscope changed biology. That wouldn't be happening, in all probability, if he hadn't stayed back in third grade an extra year.

[Placid Dingo]

I'm just saying, the evidence suggests there are much much more effective ways to maintain standards. Now, if there's times that it's the more appropriate descision, for any reason, I don't have a specific objection, I just tend to feel it's one of the poorer options available.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I'm just saying, the evidence suggests there are much much more effective ways to maintain standards. Now, if there's times that it's the more appropriate descision, for any reason, I don't have a specific objection, I just tend to feel it's one of the poorer options available.

Well, I think it's wrong to use cattle prods or cat-o-nine-tails on schoolchildren, so I think I'm kind of going with my original idea.

[Jenne]

Ah, my nemesis...school funding...my trench warfare has made me a jaded old stick.  But I'll tell you this much--it keeps me motherfucking involved.  And how.  I may get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach everytime I read about how some dumbass wants to take MORE funding from education, you know, to "cut the fat."  Right now, the schools that are "making it" are the ones where the parents can "afford" to subsidize for things like: printer ink, printer paper, pens, pencils, crayons, glue, HAND SOAP, kleenex tissues, etc.  Let alone things like: a PE teacher, art programs fully staffed by volunteers, same with drama and chorus, computer lab techs that work IT and anything computer related for the students AND the staff...

The fundraising arms of all PTAs and PTOs are worn out, if not lopped off whole due to the failing economy.  High schools go without SAT prep courses, middle schools go without counselors and elementary schools go without just about anything, while class sizes grow to the point that you can't fit desks into the rooms.

I am waiting for the law suit era.  Because THAT is probably when this shit's going to have to change.  The CA State PTA, the state board of superintendents and a couple of other education-related entities tried to sue Schwarzenegger.  THAT didn't get very far...but if more and more parents, and I'm talking the ones with the amount of spunyo to giter done, decide to "take up arms" in the form not of fundraising but instead lawsuits and votes...we might begin to see a change in how legislators deal with education funding.

I'm hoping, anyway.