How would you reform the US Education system.

[daughtersrus]

I'm guessing (and could be wrong), she's talking about the kids that have two teachers and several aides. Many of the kids at our school have a one-on-one aide throughout the day in addition to the classroom teacher and the special ed teacher.

I don't know of any child that has 2 teachers and a 1-1 aide all day long. So many parents and teachers that I know have had to fight just to get a "program" aide.

 

[MrsPete]

There's no need for a sixteen year old who is learning to button his shirt to be in a history class.

Limit inclusion. There is no point having children who function at a two or three year old level in classes with third graders and up, and we cannot afford to give each special needs child his or her very own teacher.

Y'all are stretching the concept of inclusion way beyond what actually happens. We have self-contained classes for the kids who have severe and profound needs. Kids who at the toddler level, as you're describing, aren't in mainstream history classes. They're in separate classes, learning to bake cookies, wash and fold clothes, and they're earning an occupational diploma (not the same academic diploma that most kids will receive).

 

[daughtersrus]

One of the points that was made during the discussion on "Morning Joe" was the we - the US - already spend more dollars per student than every (?) other country. We are not getting the "return on our education dollars". So the solution is probably not spending more.

On average maybe. But what about the ones at the very bottom?

eliminate the NEA and any politician who has never taught from making any decision about educating our kids.

.

That would be Arne Duncan

 

[MrsPete]

If every teacher in America made $100,000 a year, do you believe all the issues that schools have would be resolved?

No, but I think the best and brightest of our graduates would see teaching as a viable option. And don't we want to attract the best candidates into the classrooms?

 

[MrsPete]

I don't know of any child that has 2 teachers and a 1-1 aide all day long. So many parents and teachers that I know have had to fight just to get a "program" aide.

Neither do I. In the 19 years I've been teaching high school (and I'm estimating that I've taught about 2,300 students), I've had three students with a one-on-one aide.

One was a Willie M kid (he actually died during the semester -- No! Not in my class! Not even in school!).
One was deaf and had an interpreter.
One was severely autistic and had a behavioral manager.

A one-on-one aid is very rare.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

No, but I think the best and brightest of our graduates would see teaching as a viable option. And don't we want to attract the best candidates into the classrooms?

Tell that to the "Best" and "Brightest" in Pennsylvania. Our Universities are pumping out great prospects to the point that they have NOWHERE to teach anymore.

I guarantee that some of these graduates could teach rings around a lot of the teachers, but tenure and Union protection allow those teachers to block these new teachers from coming aboard.

All of this occurred because of the ever-escalating salaries in Pennsylvania. Many Districts now have teachers making $80,000-$100,000+ per year.

So it is BECAUSE of the higher salaries that these teachers never leave, and don't allow better teachers to take their places.

As a PP said, throwing money and salaries at the Districts is never going to solve the problems. In our State it has only created more.

 

[MrsPete]

So the solution is probably not spending more.

No, but SPENDING RIGHT would help. Smaller class sizes, more materials, less testing.

 

[MrsPete]

Tell that to the "Best" and "Brightest" in Pennsylvania. Our Universities are pumping out great prospects to the point that they have NOWHERE to teach anymore.

Whereas we have a teaching position right here in my department that we cannot fill. We cannot find a person, best and brightest or otherwise.

 

[SandrA9810]

Now this is a couple years ago, or maybe a year ago. But watching one of the morning news, probably GMA. There were many more young adults in the work force making more money that went to trade school, than their friends that went into a 4yr degree. While a degree is nice, it didn't give them the on the job experience that employers wanted. And the apprentice already had their foot in the door of their career choice.

I'd have to say standardized testing needs to be thrown out the window. And no child left behind program. There's way too much focus on passing these tests than there is about teaching a child what they should know at that grade level. I don't see anything wrong with like the SAT testing that I did way back when, but it didn't determine whether I passed or failed the 3rd grade.

Extracurricular activities are a great opportunity. However, too many schools put emphasis on a child to succeed more in the sport than in literacy. Who really cared about the Colorguard or Marching Band... every student has to earn and keep their grades up to stay in the program. But the school's biggest football or basketball star?? They're given every opportunity to take tests over and over again, or turn in projects weeks late (because they have to practice so hard), and then they're tests are graded on a huge curve just so they pass. Kari went to the University of Miami (huge football program), and often times she would help out her professors and grade papers. She told me plenty of stories of the "greatest football player ever" of how stupid he really is because the school forced the professor to pass the student, so he didn't get kicked off the team.
It's nice to set guidelines to allow students in the activities, and there's nothing wrong with going to school on a scholarship for sports, just don't make his academics suffer to make him the greatest player ever.

And let teachers teach. If some one isn't working in the classroom, they need to keep their nose out of it.

 

[daughtersrus]

Neither do I. In the 19 years I've been teaching high school (and I'm estimating that I've taught about 2,300 students), I've had three students with a one-on-one aide.

One was a Willie M kid (he actually died during the semester -- No! Not in my class! Not even in school!).
One was deaf and had an interpreter.
One was severely autistic and had a behavioral manager.

A one-on-one aid is very rare.

My youngest DD is in a self-contained class for severely disabled children. She has a 1-1 aide as well as a teacher for the classroom of 12 students.

My oldest DD is a SpEd teacher. She is the second teacher that you may see sitting in the back of a classroom working on accommodations or walking around helping the students(GenEd as well as SpEd). The students have no idea that she's a SpEd teacher. On average she has at least 5 students in each class and a total of over 30 on her case load.

 

[NotUrsula]

Institute a national core curriculum.

There is no way that any standardized testing that is meant to judge performance can do so with any legitimacy unless the instructional playing field is leveled. Every school in the country should be using exactly the same curriculum at a given grade level for the core subjects of Reading, English grammar and English-language literature, Social studies, Mathematics and Sciences. A fourth-grader in Texas should be able to move to Ohio in mid-semester and be studying the same material. It is fine to offer accelerated options to kids who can handle it, but the "norm" for grade level should be established nationwide.

Along with this, of course, should go a universal testing system meant to judge student readiness and achievement, and testing should happen at the beginning of each school year, not the end. That way, the teachers can see what children really know, and what needs work. If a child is really not capable of doing the expected work for that grade, he should not be promoted until he has mastered the needed skills.

 

[castleview]

Y'all are stretching the concept of inclusion way beyond what actually happens. We have self-contained classes for the kids who have severe and profound needs. Kids who at the toddler level, as you're describing, aren't in mainstream history classes. They're in separate classes, learning to bake cookies, wash and fold clothes, and they're earning an occupational diploma (not the same academic diploma that most kids will receive).

I wish I could say that's how it is here, but it's not. While the kids are in self contained classes a few periods a day, they are in the mainstream classes too.

 

[Pigeon]

No, but I think the best and brightest of our graduates would see teaching as a viable option. And don't we want to attract the best candidates into the classrooms?

It is sort of funny to me that many people who are so opposed to teachers being well paid defend exhorbitant pay for executives, because how else can you attract talent?

 

[Toad_Passenger]

It is sort of funny to me that many people who are so opposed to teachers being well paid defend exhorbitant pay for executives, because how else can you attract talent?

I've seen far too many bumbling idiots at CEO positions to know that pay does not always equal talent. And, as I said, in our School District there is also plenty of dead weight making nearly $100,000.

Every year I hear the local Unions tout that higher pay will mean better education. It seems that it would work in theory, but, in practice, that never seems to be the case.

 

[daughtersrus]

I wish I could say that's how it is here, but it's not. While the kids are in self contained classes a few periods a day, they are in the mainstream classes too.

So when the student is in the mainstream class, they have a 1-1 aide, SpEd teacher as well as the classroom teacher with them?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

One of the points that was made during the discussion on "Morning Joe" was the we - the US - already spend more dollars per student than every (?) other country. We are not getting the "return on our education dollars". So the solution is probably not spending more.

That is because the education isn't there. My dd has to fight to take a higher level class even though she is more than capable. What a joke.

They have watered the schools down so they can get the money however the result is that the kids are bored want more and they are not allowed to go for it.

Why in the hell does my nerdy kid need to take PE? She would be better off taking a computer class. Don't give me your mumbo jumbo how important PE is...that is baloney.

The problem is that the curriculums stink on ice.

She could probably take a community college class NOW in english and do well.

In fact there are many students in her middle school ready for community college level classes and they can't advance because of "the rules".

Her friend Buddy last yr (7th grade) almost got a perfect score on the ACT. His math skills are at a University level and he is held back. Plus he is writing computer programs already.

My oldest would have KILLED for foreign language. She would have taken it up to her eyeballs if she could. However again PE and MO required classes are SOOOO important. NOT!

I will stop ranting now.

 

[taximomfor4]

I say part of the problem is the emphasis put on varsity sports. I went to school over in Europe. Our school days were longer, some classes were longer. Band was an after school activity...and homework was waaaaay more time consuming. Kids were fine staying at school longer each day, because they didn't have school sports schedules to squeeze in before bedtime. Almost nobody had a job in high school. They can't drive at 16, so nothing they "have to" pay for.

To do that, we'd have to get rid of Varsity sports, and spend more time on academics. Most kids would have to forego getting part time jobs, to fit homework and real studying when they get home. But I think if we make school days longer, and eliminate the school sports, and expect kids to make SCHOOL their job till they graduate, lots of people will be ticked off. Really, though, having school sports be such a significant part of American high school life is going to have to take from somewhere. I think it takes from academics. There are only so many hours in a day.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

The severely disabled should receive services but not in schools. What exactly are they being educated in? They are not learning math or science.

The amount spent is staggering.

 

[goofinoff]

If every teacher in America made $100,000 a year, do you believe all the issues that schools have would be resolved?

I'm not saying to pay them $100,000, but pay them more than the state average! I'm saying that if teachers got paid more, than more people would want to teach therefore putting more teachers in the classrooms. That is only 1 part of a very big problem. As a parent of a 3rd and 4th grader, I have seen what some teachers are dealing with, with over sized classrooms, too many student requiring extra attention, etc. So if there were more teachers, the classes wouldn't be so big. 1st grade teachers shouldn't have to have a class of 22 students with no teachers aid.

Hear, hear! Over the years I've heard some of the best and brightest students say, "I really want to be a teacher, but I want to earn more money . . . so instead I'm going into _____."

Our country has never decided that educating children is really all that worthwhile.

Exactly! We have to remember that teachers are molding the children of tomorrow. These are children and teenagers that will be taking care of us and our country someday. They deserve the best education possible and in my opinion that comes down to teachers!

 

[LisaR]

That is because the education isn't there. My dd has to fight to take a higher level class even though she is more than capable. What a joke.

They have watered the schools down so they can get the money however the result is that the kids are bored want more and they are not allowed to go for it.

Why in the hell does my nerdy kid need to take PE? She would be better off taking a computer class. Don't give me your mumbo jumbo how important PE is...that is baloney.

The problem is that the curriculums stink on ice.

She could probably take a community college class NOW in english and do well.

In fact there are many students in her middle school ready for community college level classes and they can't advance because of "the rules".

Her friend Buddy last yr (7th grade) almost got a perfect score on the ACT. His math skills are at a University level and he is held back. Plus he is writing computer programs already.

My oldest would have KILLED for foreign language. She would have taken it up to her eyeballs if she could. However again PE and MO required classes are SOOOO important. NOT!

I will stop ranting now.

My DD started taking classes at the community college at the age of 14. My DD is NOT gifted. She is your average, normal kid. She excels at some subjects and stinks royally at math. She has straight A's at the CC and is in their honors program. Believe me when I say I am not bragging. I am beyond frustrated that she has yet to have a challenging class after three semesters. They couldn't possibly dumb these classes down any more if they tried. The only challenge is figuring out what each professor wants (MLA format, stapled pages, hand written corrections in the margins, etc). Academically, it is a joke. But they don't have a choice but to dumb it down. These kids entering the CC system are not prepared. I don't know what the answer is but what we are doing isn't working.