I've been reading this thread over the past few days, but steered clear of posting because I had a feeling it could get heated and I did not want to get mixed in with the fire. Welll....now I can't resist.
Little additional insight. I work for a school in Michigan. People in that go here, work here, etc complain about how bad it is...etc etc. While outside the area our school had a gleaming reputation. Find the best school district in the country and you will find hundreds of people to complain about that same district. You get out of your childrens eduction what you put into it. If you expect to drop your kids off at the door and pick them up at 3 all "learn'ed" up, they the school will fail you miserably. If you get involved and get to know the people and become and active part of your child's eduction then you will have a great experience. I always tell my kids, You won't like all your teachers, some will be good and others bad. Guess what, the same goes for your employers.
I honestly cannot agree with Don more. I was actually going to post this, but he beat me to it. I have been saying this for years, much more so over the past few. Parents need to remain active participants in their children's education. This includes supporting them in a variety of ways including studying, reading, writing, and talking together. It makes a huge impact on the child's learning and educational career.
Yes, they are absolutely awful.
The people in charge are idiots
Most of the teachers can't teach.
Most of the teachers don't give a crap.
Did i mention the people in charge of the schools are idiots?
Sierra, Kevin brought up the point that you are a high school student as a result of your post. I do not feel he was doing this in a malicious way. Instead, he was explaining the all too powerful idea of perception. The way you look at the Florida school system right now is based on your age and maturity level. Five or even ten years from now, you might feel drastically different. I remember I wrote a scathing article to the school paper while I was in high school about something going on. I cringe every time I think about that article now because my perception was so skewed by hormones, immaturity, and who knows what else.
The year I graduated high school if we did not complete a senior project we would not have been allowed to graduate. It had nothing to do with grades it all came down to that one last project. Pretty stupid to have so much ride on that one project IMO.
The completion of a culminating project is becoming a big trend in American education today. More and more you will see college, high school, and middle school students needing to complete a major project to pass a course or grade level. I have mixed feelings on this idea, but wanted to let you know that it is not something that is too far fetched. Instead, it is quickly becoming the norm.
Maybe she is only 16 or 17 but we have all been there. How many times at that age or younger did we tell adults something and were not taken serious or believed when what we were telling them was the absolute truth. It does not mean that she does not know what she is talking about. Who best to tell you what the schools are really like than a student.
My parents had no idea what the school day was like for me because they were not there. They only had their experience to go by. Which in most cases was much worst than what I went through. Back when they were in school teachers were allowed to hit kids. My mom went to a catholic school which was much much stricter than my school. That being said we want better for our kids and how are we going to get better for them if we do not listen to what is really going on. Also it is easy for adults at the school to put on an act for the parents and to make things look better than they really are.
I disagree with this. While a child's opinion has some value, they are not the best individuals to explain "what a school is really like." This should be done by professional educators, i.e. the ones who have the background in the field and work in them every day. As mentioned above, children's perceptions can be very skewed. You could have an amazing teacher hated by certain students because she works them hard while another teacher is absolutely adored because he allows his kids to socialize all period.
Similarly, while I agree that things
can be made to appear better than they really are, it is not something that is easy to do. I can say this from over seven years of experience in the field of education both in NJ and MD. There have been times when I'd be forced by an administrator to present things in a much different light than the true one. Trust me, it is not something that is easy to do and I don't know if I'd agree that it is done regularly either.
How about this idea?
Since the Obama administration wants to link teacher pay to student achievement, how about we also link parents tax returns to their kids educational achievements? You know, if your kid gets all F's , they you have to pay more in taxes, or get no refund/breaks at all.
Remember, students think their teachers are stupid, and teachers think most of their students are stupid. It's a two way street.
I find this comment highly offensive and would like to know on what grounds you have made it. What facts do you have that allow you to say that ALL students feel that their teachers are stupid? I know this isn't the case in my classroom. Likewise, what facts are you basing the comment that ALL teachers think that their students are stupid? I certainly don't feel that way about my students. Generalizing a majority is a dangerous and hurtful thing to do in a discussion. You need to base your comments on facts, not assumptions or perhaps bad feelings you have left over from your educational experiences.
I don't have kids in the Florida education system, but I have cousins that do-so I asked them their opinions on this.
I was told that the best thing about the Florida system is the ability for HS students to earn college credits and graduate earlier. Two of my cousin's children have taken advantage of this so far and graduated early. Other states may have this and I agree that it's great.
However, there are negative things too. The FCAT is the biggest complaint-and the resulting "teaching to the test". And as been mentioned before, there can be a vast difference between districts. One of my cousins homeschooled for several years until they were able to move to a better quality district. The other thing that they complained about was the HUGE amount of time that kids spend OUT of school. There are half days on Wednesdays and a whole week off at Thanksgiving, along with assorted teacher training days that the kids are off.
This other issue garnered mixed reviews. In Florida you can opt your child out of PE. Now, for parents with kids on sports teams, this is great. Your kid is already going to swim team practice or soccer practice 5 days a week, they really could use that period in school for a study hall to get HW done or to take an art/music class. The negative is that a lot of kids who really should be in PE are getting excused from it.
So, if you're thinking of moving down here and you have kids-there's a lot to think about.
Most, if not all, states have a standardized test that they use in the grade levels. New Jersey has the NJ ASK, Florida has the FCAT, etc. It's a result of No Child Left Behind and years of unwise decisions made by the government. Unfortunately, it is not helping educating our children, but hurting them.
I have never taught in Florida, but may do so in the future. Yes, I have heard that their schools, for the most part, are poor. However, I strongly believe that there are also good schools in the state and a lot of education needs to be supported from the home in order for true success to exist.
