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Public education isn't preparing teens
The Washington Times ^ | 3-21-05 | Michael Smith

Posted on 03/21/2005 11:12:45 AM PST by JZelle

Bill Gates has declared American high schools "obsolete." In a Feb. 26 speech to the National Education Summit on High Schools, he said "our high schools — even when they're working exactly as designed — cannot teach our kids what they need to know today." These criticisms are not new, but the fact that America's most successful businessman is concerned about how America will survive in a world that requires educated workers should cause people to take notice. Mr. Gates went on to say he was "terrified for our work force of tomorrow."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: education; fasttrack; homeschool; hseducation; kids; teens
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We're too busy teaching about condoms and gay acceptance.
1 posted on 03/21/2005 11:12:47 AM PST by JZelle
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To: JZelle

Public schools should EDUCATE! Parents should do the 'preparing.'


2 posted on 03/21/2005 11:17:51 AM PST by eccentric (a.k.a. baldwidow)
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To: JZelle

High schools ceased to be effective once they phased out trade schools. Everyone cannot go to college, our society does not work that way. Reality is that we still need carpenters, auto mechanics, etc...


3 posted on 03/21/2005 11:17:53 AM PST by WBurgVACon
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To: JZelle

Exactly right.


4 posted on 03/21/2005 11:18:28 AM PST by gidget7
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To: WBurgVACon

I'll second that on Voc-Ed.


5 posted on 03/21/2005 11:19:08 AM PST by RightWhale (Please correct if cosmic balance requires.)
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To: JZelle

Oh no!

Hide this from public school advocates!

Quick before the tag team arrives!


6 posted on 03/21/2005 11:20:17 AM PST by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: eccentric

In California last Tuesday, the annual test results were released and only 21% of the schools here passed.

Course only one paper I read even covered it.

The large local paper seems more interested in covering up school failure then letting the tax-payers know where their money is wasted.


7 posted on 03/21/2005 11:20:34 AM PST by edcoil (Reality doesn't say much - doesn't need too)
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To: WBurgVACon
"Reality is that we still need carpenters, auto mechanics, etc..."

Those are some of the jobs that Americans won't do so we need to keep importing illegal aliens.

8 posted on 03/21/2005 11:25:05 AM PST by Truth29
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To: JZelle

The article suggests that home schooling in high school is a potential solution to the problem, but for sports programs and cooperative teaching of various subjects. But the thing high school kids are missing is the hard work that kids need to do. As colleges and high school classes protest hard assignments and demand free weekends, their education suffers. I suspect many home school parents are not up to the task of assigning loads of homedwork as well.

High schools are also off track with the concept of group assignments, these allow weaker students to coopt the grades of stronger students, (I'll do the artwork). Also group activities are an opportunity to mix work with play. Not a way to get lots of work done.

I agree too that high schools are spending a lot of time brainwashing the next generation to vote democrat, normalize homosexuality, socialize the economy, and blame capitalists for the state of the environment.
I don't see the article having the solution, of course home schooling is better than public school, but is it tough enough?

High schools could win back these kids if the teachers would assign high levels of work and the schools would bring back tallented coaching to afterschool programs. This won't happen, but it is worth a thought.

The most amaxzing thing is that Gates, an ardent supporter of liberal causes, and a funder of racist scholarship programs apparently sees that the present system is failing. I wonder what he thinks should be done?


9 posted on 03/21/2005 11:25:54 AM PST by KC_for_Freedom (Sailing the highways of America, and loving it.)
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To: JZelle

They're also too busy preparing people for college when 75 percent won't go.


10 posted on 03/21/2005 11:27:52 AM PST by biblewonk (Neither was the man created for woman but the woman for the man.)
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To: JZelle
I began homeschooling our daughter when she was in the 8th grade. At the end of the year, I asked her if she would like to return to school for high school. She said "No way, I'd just be bored in class." Smart girl.

She has thoroughly enjoyed the freedom with homeschooling. She's taught herself Japanese and Digital Video Editing as well as Biology. She's lazy doing the work she NEEDS for college acceptance, but I've put that on her. She knows that if she doesn't finish it, she doesn't get into college. She's just now, halfway through her Junior year wrapping her mind around that. I have no doubts that she'll get all the work done. She's a voracious reader and will be able to do all the work she needs to do pretty quickly.

She's also giving more thought these days about what it is she thinks she'd like to do as an occupation. Some of her class choices at the Community college will affect that. If she takes Intro to Psych. this summer, she can take a course in Cognitive Psych at Harvard in the Fall. That will go a long way toward letting her know if THAT'S what she'd like to do. Japanese language is another possibility, but she's already doing that.

Most kids don't think about much but just getting those high grades to get into the big name schools, without a thought about whether or not those schools truly offer what the kids need to further their lives along.

11 posted on 03/21/2005 11:28:45 AM PST by SuziQ
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To: JZelle

I would be satisfied if, at a minimum, our public schools could guarantee that every high school graduate would be able to read, write, and count.


12 posted on 03/21/2005 11:33:39 AM PST by ops33 (Retired USAF Senior Master Sergeant)
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: JZelle
Bill Gates has declared American high schools "obsolete."

Well, it almost took a rocket scientist to figure it out.

14 posted on 03/21/2005 11:45:08 AM PST by jsmith48 (www.isupatriot.com)
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To: MinnesotaSmith
What about...

1) Dismantle the public school system.

2) There is no 2.

15 posted on 03/21/2005 11:50:10 AM PST by LongElegantLegs (I considered getting highlights; but my smugness is easier to maintain.)
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To: MinnesotaSmith
2) Ban any holder of any Education degree or member...

That one can be implemented very simply: Pass a law that says anyone claiming a Doctor's degree do original research and write and defend a thesis. That would make asswipe out of 90%+ of D.Ed. and Ph.D. in education degrees.

Postgraduate degrees in education are a fraud.

16 posted on 03/21/2005 11:54:33 AM PST by eno_ (Freedom Lite - it's almost worth defending.)
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To: JZelle
Mr. Gates went on to say he was "terrified for our work force of tomorrow."

Bill Gates has been one of the big boosters for open borders and illegal immigration. He is a big part of the problem.

Just two decades ago, California's public schools were the pride of the nation. Now they are ranked 48th out of 50.

And something like 90% of the students in Los Angelos are English as a second language basket cases. Do you think their might be a relationship between failing schools and mass immigration?

17 posted on 03/21/2005 11:54:58 AM PST by jackbenimble (Import the third world, become the third world)
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Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: JZelle
Bill Gates has declared American high schools "obsolete."

I thought we did this on FR years ago?

20 posted on 03/21/2005 12:00:56 PM PST by <1/1,000,000th%
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