Posted on 12/04/2016 7:36:12 AM PST by wintertime
Proposal:
Award any child ( regardless of age) an official high school diploma from his local high school if they score above a certain level on the SAT, ACT, or GED exams.
Why?
1) If the purpose of compulsory education laws is to produce literate and numerate citizens then scoring above a certain level on the SAT, ACT, or GED is proof of that.
2) Fewer students in school will reduce the number of teachers needed. This means fewer salaries, pensions, and benefits that must be paid by the taxpayers. It may even mean closing down and selling some schools and property.
3) It reduces the amount of time the student spends being influenced and indoctrinated by Marxist trained teachers.
4) The young person can start post-high school training and/or college and begin his career years sooner. Increasing the years working can literally mean hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars more earned over a lifetime. The state certainly will benefit from the tax dollars collected and the young person can benefit from a better standard of living and a more secure retirement.
4)) There are advantages to having an official high school diploma when applying for college loans and scholarships, or when applying to enlist in the military.
5) The more time a person spends working in the real world of a free economy the more likely his is to understand and appreciate conservative principles.
Well, here’s the thing:
Whatever one wants for their child in education, there is a way to obtain it.
Merit makes it possible.
My homeschool daughters started college at 16. And their were many times before and after that, where we asked for opportunities and services from the public educational authorities which were granted with aplomb, because the girls had merit and a dossier.
Not every institution or system is a closed shop...and there are administrators and boards of trustees who delight at students who break molds and pursue excellence. Good people.
I would do this a different way. I was raised in a household where the belief was if something was radicalized, to get back to equilibrium you must go 180 degrees in the opposition direction. In a sense, two wrongs if they are opposite will in fact make a right.
My proposal is this. Every teacher gets a 20% raise the minute they leave the union. If the union disbands, the raise becomes 25%. It is not for the school year, but the entire year. With that money, they can buy their own health insurance and contribute to their retirement benefit plans like the rest of us do. School districts can negotiate plans with insurance companies from anywhere in the country.
During the summer break, every teacher will be required to take an online course about the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence and pass a comprehensive exam based on the grade level they are teaching. During the first week of the new school year, teachers will be required to teach civics to their students. Based on grade level, the lessons will become more comprehensive.
Teachers will be bonused and metrics will be implemented grading teacher performance. Student evaluation at the beginning of the school year will determine the teacher bonus from the previous year. This way they cannot cheat. Based on the metrics, if a teacher does not achieve a satisfactory grade, they are first put on probation then dismissed.
Finally, every NEA officer will be brought up on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and sent to Gitmo to teach civics to our guests there. (I threw that one in there as icing on the cake.)
Why Age 15?
My homeschoolers ( who are NOT unusual homeschoolers) started college at the age of 13, 12, and 13. Two finished B.S. degrees in mathematics at the age of 18.
And...My kids are NORMALLY bright kids who aren't any smarter than any of the kids of any other Freeper.
No, because then everyone here will do like the Chinese and spend their entire childhoods mindlessly memorizing the answers to standardized tests. We need less Asian education, not more of it.
We felt differently about our homeschoolers. They started college at the ages of 13, 12, and 13. They are adults now and thriving in their marriages, the community, and careers.
I say no.
Some people freeze when test taking so SAT type testing can not be used to gage everyone accurately.
I cannot see how a school could implement what you suggest without problems.
You are correct. But there is always a way do get to where you want to be.
Graduating summa from university renders the ‘stain’ of a GED moot, sorta. :^)
Other parents would see value in having their children in the real world of the community and meaningful work.
That's the 4th time you've mentioned that on this thread.
You're repeating yourself.
” I claimed he could do the work and should be promoted. They finally agreed that if he could pass two professional certifications that were designed for engineers, I could promote him. He did and I did.”
I have had this problem my entire career. I didn’t have a degree and couldn’t get the jobs I was qualified for. I passed my PMP (project management professional) exam as well as my Intermediate ITIL exam for Operational Support and Analysis. When I went for interviews, I was usually asked what separates me from the pack. I would tell them, they could take someone with a masters degree who got their PMP because they were released from the workforce and either decided to get a PMP or become a life coach, or they can take someone with over 20 years of practical experience who understands how to get a project done without the use of a text book.
No, I didn't say anything about the merits or demerits of government schools. One thing I don't want is to turn our education system into the Chinese education system, where everything is done in cramming centers and a child's soul is destroyed by the time he or she is 14.
Also kids going to a school do learn things other than book knowledge. The proper classroom setting (which most schools no longer have because the kids are more incontrol of things than the teacher) is valuable to children. Authority outside of home, participation, sharing, working out differences, etc.
Kids I know who were home schooled have to find groups and such some what near by to fulfill this aspect of “education”.
PMA. Most important toll for advancement. Kudos.
Our entire education system needs overhauling.
Especially, the university level - the concept that universities can create new areas of studies only to enroll otherwise unqualified students in college level programs - the purpose which is to feed off the government treasury and employ more professors - this needs to stop. It needs to be reversed. These students cannot find jobs after graduating with huge debts.
In no way is there any justification of rewarding diplomas at the university level for ethnic studies, black studies, womens studies, etc. - in addition to the seeming unlimited numbers of students who graduate with psychology degrees. It appears that these programs only serve the professors who want to keep their jobs. If they want to have one or two courses in such subjects, let them be electives.
High schools should go back to promoting technical skills for those students who do not want to go to university. Medium-size cities may want to have one of their HS’s specialize in a so-called ‘shop’ curriculum. No need to have every HS offering the programs.
Just my two cents worth. A bit of common sense according to -—ME!
So....When a psychologist gave them an I Q test they scored in the 98% in mathematics. That was their ticket to get them into the community college. Once they had a certain number of community college credits the state university ( by law) were required to accept them.
Even the ones who DO want to go to college... I think you don't have the experience of being in a room full of kids that age. Even bright ones are still often emotionally chaotic. Adults paying for college are not going to want too many little kids in there giggling and yelling out cheeky remarks at random intervals. It's tiresome. I see it even in high school classrooms with a mixture of kids from 9th to 12th grade.... those 9th graders, no matter how intelligent they may be, can be real little jerks sometimes. The 12th graders look at them like a Doberman looks at a yappy chihuahua just before it attacks. Now imagine a Doberman who is paying his own way.
Maybe a good first baby step! But your plan simple means that the student moves from one indoctrination camp to a more aggressive one faster! Time to break up the monopoly that universities have on learning and credentialing. In most fields, universities are no longer the only option for learning. However, employers still mostly rely on formal credentials from approved institutions of higher education. This can and hopeful will change over time with some creative thinking from employers.
I hear ya, and having been on the other side I can only say that it takes a lot of consistent effort by a boss to make it happen in most organizations. I’d say that smaller privately-held companies are going to be much easier, especially after seeing HR evolve during my career from being a benign service organization to being the “last word” on anything involving people. I have no doubt this was driven by litigation and court decisions that made companies afraid of their own shadows when it comes to anything that creates potential liability. To play devils advocate, I’ll take the example of my internally-promoted engineer - he did fine but what about the precedent that was set? If the next person who wants to follow the same path and fails or can’t perform at the higher level and is demoted of fired, there is a potential liability - at least the person can claim there was unequal treatment and try to get a settlement.
I hate this because I favor a meritocracy but it could explain some of the issues you’ve run into. Finding a company with the right fit and those future opportunities that also has the will and flexibility to advance people on merit alone will be the key.
Charles Murray ( author of the “Bell Curve”) agrees with you. He has written a wonderful essay.
Please do a Google search on the words: “ Charles Murray For Most People College is a Waste of Time.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.