Educational ineptitude, Cont'd [Education majors have the lowest SAT scores of any college major]

I think I screwed up or they changed the way they score the test. I completely forgot the 1 in front of the other two numbers. I had to check my test scores (in the file cabinet in the basement) after I went to the praxis link. My friend, scored a 164 on the social studies test (for NJ). My husband figured that to be an 82%. If it goes by straight percentages. I scored 186 which he figured to be in the 90 something percent. We didn’t figure out percentiles. the test result gives *your score* and Possible score range* - which is 100-200. He figured the highest score would be 200 so since I got a 186, he said I scored in the 90something percent. So min score would be 100 and max would be 200.

My test results state that 153 is the passing score for NJ but the link says 157 so maybe they raised it since I took the test?). PA, on my test results state a 157 as the required passing score for that state and says the same on the site. A 157 would be around a 78% so that’s not as bad as I thought.

When I first received my initial certification in PA, back in the 80’s, they didn’t have a test for secondary ed social studies so we had to take the NTE along with the PA state boards (we called them that, it was the required state teacher test - not sure what the official name was).

A few years ago, PA required all teachers teaching content areas (middle or junior high) to take the praxis, regardless of how long they’d been teaching. Some philly schools are K-8, some are K-6 then they move onto to 7-9 junior high and high school is 10-12. My best friend teaches in a K-8 school. She attended a junior high for 9th grade since she went to our catholic school through 8 grade and the public high school started at 10th grade. I taught in a K-8 philly school but taught 6,7,8 grade content areas. The philly school district is a mess. Even with all the charter schools or “magnet” schools.

Anyway, she’s been teaching for close to 20 years in the same school and she’s close to giving it all up (tenure, pay, etc) to teach in NJ. She’s worried about taking the praxis (required in NJ now) - she’d pass no question imo.

When I first received my initial certification in PA, it was good in NY and NJ. A few years ago, I had to take the praxis in order to get NJ certification, they didn’t care I was certified in PA and NY. Even before that, I had to get a county sub certificate in order to sub, which costs about $78 and s-m background check and fingerprints which cost about another $100 or so. IMO, it was a racket. I didn’t have to take the competency test though, which cost even more money, because of the MS and MA degrees. And, I was told, never looked into it, that if I wanted to sub in another county that I’d have to apply and pay for each county sub cert. But the s-m background check would still be good. Since I’m certified in NJ now, per the praxis, the county stuff doesn’t matter.

I also received emergency teacher status before I took the praxis because the sd was in a bind and needed a long term sub.

The rampant liberalism and bullying by the union in this area is probably the biggest problem I have with our ed system. And as you stated, the local politics plays a huge part. I could get a position, it’s happening right now, that a friend of mine applied for and is highly qualified for. But, I know the outgoing and incoming Mayor and town council, so the job is mine if I want it and it’s the same job she applied for. She can’t even get an interview. And we both worked at the school a couple years ago and know the principal. She’s far less jaded than I am so I don’t *get* what’s happening. I think she’s a better teacher than I am, too. To me, it’s a job, something I have to do, no matter how much I love it, it’s not a career for me. I was a stay at home mom and if I didn’t have to, I wouldn’t go back to work other than part time - as long as it didn’t interfere with my home life, my kids, etc. She’s teaching in Trenton now and comutes - it’s a tough drive from here, goes back for all the nighttime shows/events, etc.

I don’t know if I told you this but our local school district is in a huge battle right now with the parents and officials/educators/activists. The 3rd grade curriculum introduced a video, That’s a Family, for health class. It’s a homo video produced/distributed by Womens Media. Parents weren’t properly notified, no consent forms, etc. One school showed the video, a few concerned parents learned of it, and it’s been a circus ever since. We now have a “consultant” we’re paying for and big surprise, she’s a man hating feminist lesbian. Parents are fighting it, along with fighting the liberal political agenda and the homo activists who are invading our school board meetings (and don’t live in our town). And this is/was a conservative, republican, affluent little town. The parents are considered lunatics, outsiders, a “special interest group”The teachers, union, admin, etc. don’t want parental involvement if it doesn’t 100% agree with what they think is best. The attitude is one of “how dare those parents question us”

The Northeast is almost a lost cause, imo. And up here, we’ve heard (teachers) how low the standards are down south. There’s so much scorn for the South. I think it’s because it isn’t primarily liberal. And we all now how enlightened liberals are and those of us who aren’t are morons(sarcasm here).

I’d like to see schools competing for students. I think the standards would be raised.

Needless to say, teacher incompetency isn't the only explanation for our education malaise. Parents who don't give a damn and students with minds and attitudes alien and hostile to the education process figure in as well.

Alien and hostile to the indoctrination process?!

Perhaps there's hope after all. Will they children save us from ourselves? Not if the adults can help it.

Here's an idea. Everyone needs food, shelter and clothing, right? The government should provide them. And everyone needs healthcare, so the government should provide that too.

And we know how hugely successful the highly competent politicians and bureaucrats have been with the government education system. Conversely, we know how inept the private sector science, R&D, and business have been at providing food, shelter and clothing.

It's for the children.

In many states its illegal to gamble except when the government is the source. Ie., lotteries. Legal gambling businesses could not compete with a 50% vig (house take). For the government, it's okay to return half the lottery money as prize-money because the other half is for the children's education. So gambling is bad -- except when it's for the children.

And we all know that lying is wrong. Except... you've got it... when its for the children. Santa Clause, Easter bunny, tooth-fairy, unicorns, Zeus, etc. You get the idea,

But is it for the children... or more for the adults? Thus joining young innocent minds with joys of living in contradiction with irrationalities destined to collapse under their own weight.

The government will teach the children that they're free because their parents can vote and they can too when they're eighteen years old. What will they not see until it's too late?

Political man busies himself in the differences across the political aisle. The focus is on differences when in reality, the differences are trivial compared to the similarities. They're parasites leeching off value producers and value creators -- men and women that respect inalienable rights and expect the same in return.

The "natives" are getting restless and soon, it's afraid, that they'll be demanding respect for their inalienable rights.

Hoodwinked, political man continues to vote for the lesser of evils despite knowing that evil always begets evil. Real man knows they're both bad and uses that reality against them. If you're on the right the left is bad. If your on the left the right is bad. To God Believers Allah and his followers are bad. To Allah believers God and his followers are bad. To unbelievers they're all bad.

But that's just politics and religion. Because...

Because what remains is science, business/free competition and art. What would be the state of man without science and business? What would the state of man be without politics and religion? Care to trade in our place value number system for Roman numerals?

Man needs to be left alone to develop his and her own character. Trading with whomever agrees to trade and associating with whomever agrees to associate. Always the freedom to not associate or trade.

No person, business or organization has the right to obligate another person, business or organization so as to force them to associate or trade with any person, business or organization. No person has the right to obligate another person so as to force them to not associate or not trade with any person, business or organization. For example, While Sue can't deny John from shopping at Mary's bookstore nor force him to shop there, Jane can do either or both.

"If one person has a right to something he didn’t produce, simultaneously and of necessity it means that some other person does not have right to something he did produce." -- Walter Williams

If one person has a right to obligate another person, simultaneously and of necessity it means the other person doesn't have a right to their own life. No man-made law can change that.

Despite Hillary Clinton. It doesn't take a village. Nor do you need things "take[n]... away from you on behalf of the common good." Sacrificing the individual, in whole or in part for the alleged greater good of the group always diminishes the group. Obviously it diminishes the person being sacrificed. For, without the individual there can be no group.

Set on a path of self-destruction, under the weight of its irrationality comes its inevitable collapse. Simultaneous, the rise...

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