PUBLIC SCHOOLS - GET OUT NOW!

American Vision ^ | March 7th, 2006 | Gary DeMar

[taxesareforever]

I don't know about your state, but in Washington State it is in its Constitution. It would take a change to the Constitution to do away with public education.

[Lurker]

Then I guess we better get busy.

I'm running for school board next time around. Wait'll they get a load of me.

L

[BurbankKarl]

I just heard that there is a lawsuit against LAUSD because 20% of the enriched studies students are white....above the 10% attendance average of all schools in the district.

[taxesareforever]

I admire those who run for this unpaid position. They become a beating post from all sides. Change is hard to get adopted but if no one steps up it will never happen. I wish you the best.

[Lurker]

It should be fun. I'll make damned sure there's a 'no strike' clause in every teacher contract. That's numero uno.

Then it's a complete independent audit of all expenditures made by the entire school system.

Then it's a 'no new taxes' pledge.

And that's just for starters.

L

[CowboyJay]

"Public schools that offer the opportunity for every citizen to obtain an education must always be available, or at least until that moment when there are enough private schools in the U.S. to be able to offer an education to every child, the parent's ability to pay notwhitstanding."

Something we finally agree on, LG.

Although there are some very valid points on this board about using Church facilities to start private schools. Would voucher funds be available for use this way under current plans?

If so, I'd support it. If not, heck no. We can't afford a nation of ignorant illiterates (just look where we are now).

[XR7]

“My child is a witness for Christ in the public schools.”

This is the most assinine statement ever.
The job of parents is to protect and nurture their children - not send them out as "sheep to the slaughter."
If the parent wants to "witness," fine.
But where is the scripture that says we are to send our children out to do battle with the forces of darkness?

[D-fendr]

From my public school experience…

Judging \ from \\\ your posts \\ thus far on this forum \\\ you are a fine example of Public School education.

Thanks for illustrating the point.

[NYpeanut]

Absolutely right. And if people have a problem with something in a public school they should get off their bottoms and change it. All things considered, public schools in the US do a great job of educating kids (backed by decent families) that come to them desiring an education. (I am not a teacher but I play one on TV).

[LowCountryJoe]

This works for Christians up until the point where some private school with a gay & lesbian curriculum would emerge or perhaps a school with druid or wicken leanings comes about for the fringe element in society. Many Christians would be so up in arms about the potential five (or so) percent of the kids that would attend these fringe schools with taxpayer subsidies, that they would kill the idea the minute a whiff of such a school's opening would come about.

And what of the potential schools with Islam as its foundation? That would nab up to 15% in some areas of the country. I honestly don't think that many Christians have the tolerance for these kinds of potential developments even though tolerance was something Jesus of Nazareth taught vehemently.

[AmericanChef]

-If Christians pulled their children out of public schools, voted down every tax increase having anything to do with education, voted to repeal the education portion of the property tax, and voted for candidates who would cut every dollar from education funding, then most families could afford the costs involved.-

Voting down the tax increases is something folks will never learn. The edoocashun sistem is very good at picking what they'll tell parents they'll "have to cut" if they don't get their money. Fees for extra-currikular activities will have to be paid by parents!! Oh no! How will we ever save for our vacation? Heck, when I went to school, your parents paid for all that stuff. Ski club is necessary? Don't think so!

[dakine]

I like the free lunch and after school care...

[LowCountryJoe]

I like the free lunch and after school care...

Problem is is that everyone likes the 'free lunch' and the after retirement care - on someone else's dime, of course.

[freeangel]

"Public schools must always be avaailable..."

And I imagine that we shall always pay taxes to fund such schools. However, lower enrollment will mean less money is being thrown at the NEA and THAT will be the big issue.

[Serenissima Venezia]

And I imagine that we shall always pay taxes to fund such schools. However, lower enrollment will mean less money is being thrown at the NEA and THAT will be the big issue.

That would certainly help - and send a message that change is needed. We also need more public outcry when things like our being last in international math and science tests happen or the education weenies decide to 'recenter' SAT scoring to make it look like kids are doing better. These events happen without even a whimper from the public. Of course, the NEA has its willing allies in the MSM covering up the facts.

[Serenissima Venezia]

mean, how many students 40 years ago left high school with 3 years of calculus (including diff-eq) under their belt?

I don't think very many do now either. Unless they go to a college for those classes and are quite gifted. The 3 calculi and either differential equations or linear algebra is all the math that's required for a BS in engineering and physics, so I wouldn't expect very many high schoolers to get to that level without going to a college for the classes. (The 3 calculi and DiffEQ would be 4 semesters or 2 years of math.)

But the goal of the curriculum of the top-ranked nations in math and science isn't to push kids through quickly, but to provide an indepth knowledge of the subjects. I did a research paper of the findings of the Third International Math and Science Studies (TIMSS) - and the findings are available for anyone to see. It's pretty shocking. We lack a national curriculum that is coherent (establishment of clear, disciplinary links between topics). Therefore, what kids are studying can vary widely from state to state - and even school to school.

Also, the persistence of old topics and lack of instructional focus on topics that are newly introduced show that we are not demanding that kids learn the material deeply so they can move on to more advanced topics. We concentrate more on breadth, not depth. The average U.S. high school math curriculum introduced 30 topics in one year, while in Japan they introduce only 10. But the kids learn those 10 well and they don't need to be repeated again and again - that's the main difference.

It seems that in our rush to improve a failing education system, the NEA did the opposite of what works - rather than rush to introduce new topics, we need to slow down and make sure that the relationships between old and new material is understood. Of course, there are other problems besides the curriculum, but I think that is the main issue. Teacher training, textbooks, commonality of preparation of the students, and assessments need to be changed as well.

[Conservativehomeschoolmama]

Amen to that!

[taxesareforever]

I'll make damned sure there's a 'no strike' clause in every teacher contract.

In Washington State it is against the Constitution for public employees (teachers) to strike. However, our court will not uphold the Constitution when teachers do go on strike.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Now, all you have to do is to make sure that yours is the only vote that counts on that issue.

My opinion on a subject cannot be wrong, it can differ from yours, but it's not wrong simply because you don't agree with it.