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We need more no-nonsense teachers in our schools and they need to be backed up by an equally hard-nosed principal.

Most urban high schools are zoos. If you've ever seen the old sitcom "Welcome Back Kotter," that actually reflects rather accurately how many urban high schools really are (and an increasing amount of suburban schools). The high school I went to in the late 1970s was exactly like that. A few troublemakers constantly disrupting class and making it impossible for the rest of the class to learn. In fact, unruly kids usually encourage the same behavior in others that would otherwise not be exhibited if the troublemakers were dealt with harshly.

I am all for expelling high school students who cannot conform to acceptable standards of behavior as well as minimum academic standards. I don't know why this society is so fixated on everybody getting a high school diploma. In fact, the diploma becomes virtually worthless anyhow if everybody is shuffled through the system regardless of their performance. I say expel the troublemakers. The world needs ditchdiggers and sanitation workers too. And Burger King is always hiring. Just kick the punks out.

I don't know why this society is so fixated on everybody getting a high school diploma. In fact, the diploma becomes virtually worthless anyhow if everybody is shuffled through the system regardless of their performance...The world needs ditchdiggers and sanitation workers too. And Burger King is always hiring...

How right you are! I remember back many moons ago to how shocked I was when my mother (RIP) pointed out that until the mid-1950's or so that quiting school at 16("dropping out") was no more tramatic than dropping out out out of college today. Many, many jobs did not require a HS diploma, e.g. pump jocky, waitress, barber, clerk, hair dresser, construction work, military, factory work, etc.

Girls dropped out about as often as boys, esp. in rural areas. As my mother said: "A girl grows up to be a farmer's wife. What does a farmer's wife (or a farmer) need to know about French literature?"

My mother, who was born and raised in a small Illinois farming community, hated being a farmer's daughter and was determined never, ever to end up a farmer's wife. When she graduated in the mid-1940's she was 1 of only 4 girls in the entire graduating class of 50.

A person's opinion of schools depends on where they live and those schools their kids attend. You cannot lump all school systems together. My three kids have been in outstanding, very good, and louzy schools. The last two systems -- Boerne, TX, and Norman, OK, are both outstanding school systems and my kids received a first rate education with no disruption allowed in the classrooms or on campus. Schools they attended in MA, NH, OH, and CA ranged from louzy in MA and NH to very good in Yucaipa, CA. OH fell somewhere in between louzy and very good.

Out here in flyover country, Norman, OK, or in Boerne, TX, I have never seen anything close to a zoo in our two high schools. You can be in the halls when students are changing classes and it looks like it did when I was in High School.

Two of my kids have graduated from Norman schools (one last year) and they have both stated that there is no disruption permitted in the classroom. Discipline is the name of the game here. Down in Boerne, there was a dress code in the Public Schools. Here in Norman, there is no dress code except for offensive type shirts and yet they dress what I would call normal and like Boerne students.

Have attended every parent conference for my kids and to see the lack of participation by so many parents is frankly disgusting. I have always gone to the parent conferences on the 2nd day since I don't work outside the house which allows those parents that work to go in the evening. Time after time I have been the 17 or 18th parent to sign in to talk to the teacher and that is after an evening and part of a morning. These teachers teach six - seven classes a day and you tell me that only about 20 parents per class care enough to show up in a high school of about 1600 students.

Have been griping about parental involvement for so long it makes my head swim. I tutored Reading (volunteer basis) and was a mentor in Boerne schools in Texas and tutored Reading in OH and CA before being transferred and the number of parents that were contacted about their child's reading skills and their apathetic attitude was appalling.

Being President of PTO (also other offices) and a Room Mother (one time for two different classes) for years, I can vouch for lack of parental involvement even when it comes to sending in napkins for a class party.

Unlike some of the comments on here, I have a lot of respect for the vast majority of my three children's teachers. They haven't all been first rate but would say at least 90% have been. Here in Norman in the high schools they have an overtime period of before lunch that a student can go to if they are having problems in a class. It is not mandatory for students, but it is mandatory that teachers be in their classrooms during that period. It is great for the students when they miss a class to be able to go in and get their assignment. My daughter has had teachers that offered to come in before or staff after school in order to help her with Math and Spanish.

BTW -- the biggest difference between the schools was lack of union members in Boerne and lack of union participation in Norman by most teachers -- none of my kids had any activist union members as teachers. Both States have alternative teacher organizations as well. PC also is not an issue in either school.

If I were judging schools from what I heard from friends, etc., along with my own experience, I would say that schools by and large in medium size cities and smaller in Middle America give a better education with more discipline than a lot of schools across the Country.