Posted on 07/01/2008 10:40:58 AM PDT by wintertime
We must be willing to redefine education. What education looks like now is an artificial construct. It was not created by people who knew or understood children or teens. It was created by bureaucrats and special interests who wanted to control children and teens.
I talked with a young lady the other day – 14-years-old – who loves horses and aims to own stables and teach riding, among other things. She’s been working with horses since she was five. She’s good enough now that she “breaks” new ones and retrains ones facing changes in the use they’re being put to. She knows her stuff.
(snip)
Then there’s her other life – public school. She failed her end-of-year math exam by three points, so she’s going to summer school. She’ll have to pass the test to move on to the next grade. I’ve talked with her. She’s smart and highly competent – just not especially interested in algebra. She’s more accomplished than many adults (even ones who did pass algebra). But she has four more years of school to go, during which time she’ll have to pass endless tests and divert her efforts from what she knows she’ll devote her life to.
(snip) I get many calls a month from parents of teens who simply haven’t managed to fit into the school mold. They’re smart kids, often kids with serious interests they’re prevented from pursuing because so many adults in their lives are running them through the testing/counseling/therapy wringer.
(snip)
In order to redefine education, we will have to engage in some self-liberation, for most of us have a very hard time letting go (I mean really letting go) of the idea that the state knows some secret about education that we don’t and that if we defy their model we just might be sorry.
(snip)
Oh, you must mean pet's name. A "pet name" is a nickname.
But you needed to google it and make a comment about it...duh. I’m computer illiterate but I’m far from stupid, Tired of Taxes. Nice save.
Do you know what you're talking about? Because I have no idea.
I have no sympathy or empathy for the whiners, those wallowing in the victim mentality so prevalent today.
Then tell me why you posted, "Well said," in response to Verga's post that began with the line, "Almost 70% of African Americans come from single parent homes, who is going to teach them?"
I'm the one who responded by opposing the victim mentality taught to students in public schools. I'm the one insisting we don't need the public schools. I'm the one calling free public education an entitlement.
You're trying to play on both teams.
I really don’t give a damn about anyone’s racial make up or hyphenated crap. You seem to be the one with the racial issue here.
If you don't have issues with race, why did you fly into a rant against the "black community" and bring up your Irish and Italian immigrant ancestors in response to my post #155? Why didn't you respond to my post in a civil tone? My post was polite. Why did you fly off the handle? Come on, you have issues with race. ;-)
You’re the one whining to the mods about posts.
LOL. No, someone else went to the moderator to have my post deleted. I only asked that it be restored.
I'm beginning to doubt you're really a schoolteacher. What subject do you teach? What grade? What type of school? My guess is you're a school aide or a classroom assistant, right?
Yes, you did, Verga, but at the same time, you also brought race into the discussion. I merely responded.
Italian and Irish are not races, they are nationalities. Caucasian, Negro, Asian, Native American, and Hispanic are races.
The point was, you and Twink were the ones who brought up race/ethnicity. I only responded to your comments.
There fixed it for you.
To be sure, the same problems also occur within other ethnic groups but not to the same extent - yet. Also, pointing out that those problems occur within the community doesn't mean that all members of said community have those problems.
Some of the comments on this thread could have been expressed more tactfully, but "political correctness" is not exactly a forte of FR.
Y'all might also be interested in this article.
Almost sounds like increased spending on education gets results, doesn't it? ;-)
I saw an article which surprised me this weekend: For the second year in a row, a vast majority of New York City parents, teachers and students who responded to a Department of Education survey said they were satisfied with their schools, with more teachers saying their schools maintain order and make it a priority to help students achieve.
I don't know anything about education in the Northeast except what I've read, but if the schools are "among the best in the nation" and "a vast majority" are satisfied with their schools, I can see why private schools wouldn't be deemed necessary by most.
What red herring, Verga? Humor me.
“That sounds like a great organization! Do they have any plans to go national?”
Hmm....I don’t know about that..
but a movement they started, went all the way to the Supreme Court last year. It involved the fact that the Union was required to SHOW and keep records which supported the fact that they WERE NOT using “non member’s” dues to pay for political “stuff”.
They were unable to do so...and were actually penalized for their practices.
Then that decision was overturned...and the WEA was off the hook..
But the Attorney General appealed...
The case actually made it all the way to the USSC...SO WELCOME!
The Governor spun it and passed a new law that made the decision sort of irrelevant.
(read here)
But the USSC ruling is now on the books..
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2003752870_duesed19.html
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/poi/opinion/20605744.html
(1 year later)
Here’s how the NEA spins it..
They’re AWFUL!
http://www.nea.org/newsreleases/2007/nr070110.html
For the last time, I was bringing up the issue of single parent homes. You are the only opne that saw race in it.
Notice I said “supposedly” about NJ schools being among the best in the nation. You ignored everything I posted and focused on the only line I didn’t back up with evidence.
I provided you with evidence that people are being taxed out of their homes. I provided you with evidence that the public schools were driving the Catholic schools out of business. Btw, many thousands of us are so dissatisfied with the public school system that we homeschool at our own expense. But, you like the fact that we spend more per student and that the public schools monopolize education.
I said spending per pupil was the highest, but I didn’t say higher spending led to better results. The reason I mentioned spending at all is that we’re being too heavily taxed to pay for the school systems. The bureaucrats like to justify the spending by saying, “NJ schools are among the best in the nation.” But, if A and B exist, that doesn’t mean A causes B. This state spends more per pupil on average, but each township spends a different amount. In Camden, spending per pupil was roughly $16,000/year, and it didn’t produce good results. (Lots of pockets were padded with that money, too.) One of the wealthiest townships spends roughly $11,000/year, and they score at the top.
Again, like it or not, your cause championing the public schools is a leftist-progressive one. Conservatives and Republicans understand the need for competition, and we value choice in education. One of the purposes of Free Republic is to push for educational choice. You’re working against us here.
I didn't say it was racist to point out social problems. Twink flew into a rant against the "black community." Among the other obnoxious remarks she made, she also quipped, "Call me a racist, I don't give a f," so I called her a racist. (If the shoe fits...)
I suggest you go back and read my posts again. My whole point was that it's hypocritical to insist black people need you to teach them and then complain that black people are needy. Just like the so-called "black leaders," it benefits you for people to stay needy. You earn a salary off it.
I also pointed out that white people must be needy, too, because most of the students in public schools are white. And, boy, do they whine and cry around here over public school spending. I know plenty of black and mixed-race families homeschooling, and, as I pointed out, we're paying taxes for mostly white kids to attend school in the suburbs.
If the public schools ever were closed down in the inner cities, people within those communities (church leaders, entrepreneurs, and, yes, teachers, etc.) would step in to provide education at a far lower cost and probably with better results. But, I don't expect the public school system ever will be closed down; the NEA has too strong a hold on everyone. So, don't worry, your job is safe.
Here's what you said:
"Almost 70% of African Americans come from single parent homes, who is going to teach them?"
Now, tell me, again, did you bring up race?
As I said before, I saw nothing wrong with that statement above. I responded politely to it. But, when another teacher responded to me by flying into a rant complaining about the "black community," you cheered her on.
I guess you really don't understand, feel free to ahve the last word, you are just not worth it.
OK, here’s the last word:
No, I don’t understand you because your posts aren’t making any sense.
According to the people who rank such things, NJ schools are in the top 5 in the nation. I was pretty sure you were correct, because I've seen state rankings before, but I've gone and looked it up to be sure.
I didn't ignore everything else you posted, and I read your PDF file, but it was last night when I was sleepy and this morning I didn't remember the specific point I wanted to comment on.
I provided you with evidence that people are being taxed out of their homes. I provided you with evidence that the public schools were driving the Catholic schools out of business. Btw, many thousands of us are so dissatisfied with the public school system that we homeschool at our own expense. But, you like the fact that we spend more per student and that the public schools monopolize education.
You are in New Jersey, but there are places down here where property values are rising so quickly that people have been, or were in danger of being, taxed out of their homes, too. In most cases our elected representatives took action to alleviate the situation before it got that bad.
Again, I don't know about New Jersey, but down here, only about half of the property tax is for school - the other half goes for running the county government, police, courts, roads, waste collection, mosquito control, and that sort of thing.
I don't necessarily "like" that your state spends more per student and monopolizes education, but I don't vote in New Jersey and I'm not responsible for the decisions of the voters and elected officials in your state.
The educational system does seem as if it follows a basic law of economics, however...For instance, if you liked the television programming you could get using an antennae, would you pay extra for cable? (In your situation, I suppose it's like the government using your tax money to buy Comcast for everyone, but you'd have to pay extra, in addition to what you'd already paid in taxes, for Time-Warner?)
Again, like it or not, your cause championing the public schools is a leftist-progressive one. Conservatives and Republicans understand the need for competition, and we value choice in education. One of the purposes of Free Republic is to push for educational choice. You’re working against us here.
That's your opinion, and I suppose we could have an entire thread devoted to whether or not you are correct, and whether or not most FReepers agree with you.
No one else seems to have a problem with it,
Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm
Interesting article. Thanks for the link.
I’m not PC and hope never to get sucked into being PC. It’s a sad state of affairs when people are labelled and bullied into ignoring facts for fear of being labeled racist, homophobe, islamophobe, sexist, etc.
The victim mentality/woe is me attitude that is so prevalent in our society lately ticks me off. We do a disservice to our children, ourselves and our country when we silence facts in favor of emotions or fear of offending any groups or individuals.
But, I should work on the “tact” part ;)
Nope. I meant pet name as in nickname.
Well said, as usual.
High school and 8th grade. Oh, and Community College.
So you think there’s something wrong or less worthy being a classroom aide? Keep posting this crap. Just makes you come off more clueless. You aren’t worth the time as you can’t get over the emotional nonsense and take a look at the factual info.
No one else seems to have a problem with it,
You must mean your NEA buddies here.
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