Comments | gentdirkly: Post 2 of ???

gentdirkly

Post 2 of ???

Jun 19, 2008 21:16

Today we're going to look at a little slice of Education. The candidates, predictably, both say that our education system is flawed and that they know how to fix it. Unfortunately, they cannot even agree as to what the problems are ( Read more... )

Comments 9

fifi225 June 20 2008, 01:54:07 UTC

" He is only concerned with testing schools, and then giving those students deemed to be in 'failing' schools the option to leave for another school. It should sound familiar, because that is the system we have now, at least in Florida. That's really the extent of it; he loves standardized tests, he seems to think that somehow everyone's score needs to be high on these. "

It's actually really hard to switch public schools in FL...I have several students at my center that are TRYING to do it.

point of fact? gentdirkly June 20 2008, 22:46:40 UTC

Your reply is the only one taking up a statement in what I consider to be the "facts" section rather than the "opinions" section after it. So, I can only say.. really? Are they in schools that have gotten F's two out of four years? What is holding them up?

Re: Post 2 of ???? anonymous June 20 2008, 02:00:06 UTC

Hi this is makai, i'm not going to make a live journal or something just to post on here... so here it goes ( ... )

clarification gentdirkly June 20 2008, 23:10:15 UTC

I agree with you that Obama's website lays out a couple of possible ways to increase pay to teachers that work hard. I didn't include that information in my synopsis and here's why: He would give more money to older teachers *if* they mentor younger ones and more money to any teacher who volunteers for a 'high-need' school. Both are perfectly admirable ideas. The problem is that both have been proposed many times in many places and teachers' unions have balked. Obama clarifies that any policy he implements will be in concert with the wishes of these unions, so I did not include any of this. Policies like this, if they happen, have to be imposed on the unions ( ... )

fortasse June 20 2008, 12:33:20 UTC

"First of all, every parent has choice about where their child will go to school; they made that choice when they moved to their house."

This statement makes it very clear what economic class you come from.

hey gentdirkly June 20 2008, 23:14:57 UTC

First off, long time no contact.. I can't figure out if you live in New York or Ohio and I'd really like to catch up.
To the point, you're probably right in what you said. My parents always have had money to spare, and that does blind me to how people who didn't grow up that way see things. However, I did go on to say that the argument was moot because my second argument was better. Perhaps I shouldn't have posted the first one at all.

Re: hey fortasse June 25 2008, 13:14:18 UTC

Hi. Yes it has been awhile. Congratulations on your marriage. I'm in Jacksonville for the time being. Hopefully it is just a short jaunt along the way to grad school.

Private and religious schools also require money. Sure, there are scholarships, but probably not the number that would be required of many students were trying to flee a failing public school. I'm also guessing that those scholarships are given the most academically talented children. What if the lower class parents of an above average kid [let's say B grades]want to put him in a private school. They don't have the money, and he doesn't have the grades to get a scholarship. Should he be allowed to languish at the failing public school?

I think we should spend on schools more equitably. The property taxes scheme in place now almost ensures that schools in better neighborhoods are better schools.

Re: hey fortasse June 25 2008, 13:17:26 UTC

Also, I don't think that letting students leave failing schools is the way to go. There will always be some unfortunate kids with inattentive parents who won't bother to move them somewhere else, so these kids will be stuck with a poor education in a semi-empty school.

pennsyfan June 21 2008, 05:37:02 UTC

Education is always going to be fucked up, the beauacracy is to large.

I don't think I should pay for someone to go to comunity college, especially someone who doesn't want to be there.

There needs to be a fundamental change in this country with respect to education.

A STRONG math and science base would be nice.