M.3Antar

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W.J. Wilczek

Much of what passes for education is a waste of time, albeit that now a college education, which is little more than a high school refresher course, has come to be the ticket to middle-class society. Beyond that, what good is the pursuit of useless studies and advanced academic degrees that only certify learning beyond one’s capacity to think? It seems a tiresome venture with but little prospect for any substantial reward; and yet one sees such masters of arcane knowledge who are no good for anything but a pretentious display of pedantry. (There was once a noted ichthyologist who prided himself with knowing the Latin names for the entire genus, and whose students joked that the professor was so full of fish that every time he learned of a newly-discovered species another previously learned would pop out his backside in an expression of unpardonable French!) One cannot help but think that more useful things might well be learned outside the halls of academe at the local tavern.

Tony123

Teacher unions: remove them or replace them. When I was in high school, we had a teacher union strike two years in the row. Watching the people I "learned" from fight and bicker on public news and radio was definitely a good influence for me. If a school decides to pay their teachers like crap, the teachers will not come. Once there aren't any decent teachers to teach, the school will fail in national standards and be forced to raise pay to attract other teachers. Win-win.

Material: If we are aiming to send most of our kids to college after high school, prepare them for college in high school! I had a 3.7 in high school and here was my method of work: sit around, B.S. the worksheets and busy work with the text book, and then B.S. the test. That got me mostly A's without any problem. Entering college was pretty hard for me (and still is, honestly.) I never needed to "study" or do "homework" in high school. I never needed to take notes and prepare for tests on my own in high school. Can't say the same about college. Preparation is key -- why waste 12 years in grade/high school if you aren't prepared for what is next in life?

-- Tony
Join me in political debate sometime at the Political Debate Live podcast!

Technocratic_Utilitarian

First, I would start by dismantling the travesty of "NCLB," which is really designed to destroy education so it can be shown how bad it is, thus opening the door for privitization.

Secondly, change the curriculum to a greater focus on science, math, and civics.

Pedagogy would also be an important change; keep it based on best-practice and research-driven. Take it out of the hands of far-flung beaurocracies who have little contact with actual teaching and make a more bottom-up programme of education.

Focus more on a curriculum pedagogy of critical thinking, application skills instead of pedantic memorization and regurgitation.

Change the scheduling to block format.

I wouldn't get rid of teacher's unions; I would restrict their power. Techers unions are still useful. It's not true at all that schools will simply raise teacher pay without them. They won't. Teachers already get paid crap in many areas (especially cities). There are already massive teacher shortages due to low pay relative to risk and responsibility in many schools, and the schools aren't lavishing the teachers with better pay. Some do. Many don't.

the-daily-technocrat.blogspot.com my blog

freecell

namvet69

I remember when I was in grade school how orderly things were. No one questioned the authority of teachers and parents were the first to support their position. Then, all of a sudden, there were lawsuits. He/she belittled my child right in front of the whole class! He made my child sit in the corner, how humiliating!!! He used corporal punishment! Kching!!!!
First, we need to give back the power to discipline. Then, we need to support teachers when they use it. Contrary to popular belief, your child won't be scarred for life. And, they may even become better people. Surprize!
Teachers shouldn't have to spend a single minute tying to get the little darlings to shut up before every class.

No, you can't have my constitutional rights, I'm still using them!
One Nation- Under Surveillance, With Liberty and Justice for None.

Mr Con: A lot of Generals bought into the plan and the plan to remove Saddam Hussein was handled flawlessly. It is the aftermath that didn't go well at all.

jennh223

I couldn't agree more that discipline is a must, unfortunatly it is not only at the schools, parents are letting their children walk all over them. It's disgusting to see how some kids talk to their parents and mummy and daddy do absolutely nothing or make excuses for them, no wonder things are so out of hand at the schools.

Freedom for All

There should be a standard code of conduct for teachers that should include some recognition of the harm done by disrespect from the teacher. They're only teachers, fairly low on the totem pole of society, and they're educating people who are most likely going to be more important than they are, you know, plumbers, garbagemen, and the like.

At the same time, the little brats have a code they should follow, also. If they can't keep their yaps shut, if they continually disrupt the class, if they're too stupid to keep up and thus harm others by slowing the class down, they should be placed in the class suited for them, or they can learn that public schooling is a privelege, not a right.

And parents? If they want the free-day-care gravy train to keep rolling for them, they need to keep their brats in line. It may not be cheaper to keep their brats in jail once they're older, but so what? The prison guards unions are powerful political influences, too.

(bigger than the teachers, in California)

INTELLIGENT PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THAT GOVERNMENT IS A DANGEROUS SERVANT AND A CRUEL MASTER.

LIKE FIRE, INTELLIGENT PEOPLE DON'T LET THE TINY CANDLE OF WHAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE TO BURN UNWATCHED AND UNCONTROLLED.

jkaxeplayer

This is the thing. I go to a private college prep school in Wheaton IL. I drive 20 minutes out of my way to avoid Waubonsie Valley. Why? Gangs own certain hallways. That's right, there are not only gangs but as soon as they play the race card, teachers let them off the hook. My freshmen year (last year) there was a fight between gangs at lunch, police had to come in and use mace to stop it.

Dress codes should be more strict. No one wants to see your back pockets towards your knees. Ladies do you like it when you can see a guys boxers? And I mean to the extent that you feel like their pants are off. Guys, I know most of the decent guys wear belts, I do too, yeah I take my belt off at home but in public, I'd rather not display my underwear.

Ladies, don't dress like whores, this is school not a street corner. There is no need for a bunch of make-up, short skirts (I'm a fan of a little leg, but if I feel it's a 1/4 inch away from your butt, I think you're a whore), low cut shirts it depends to what extent, to your sternum is fine, to the point where you show major clevage nope.

Guys, you probably thinking I'm a homo for the last paragraph. But think, would you seriously want your daughters acting like that, or your sons paying attention to the classroom whore and fail class. When role models become athletes who do not have enough brains to fill a soccer cleat or whores (Parist Hilton) who have never worked a day and contribue nothing to society, there is something vastly wrong with that.

Athletes, it's ok to be passionate about your sport. Me, I play soccer and I'm very passionate mainly cause I have a shot at a scholarship (looking at full ride to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa). This is the problem, last year I didn't care about school. I flat out didn't. I got a 2.2 GPA and i was 135/199 in my class. That is embarassing. This year, I've taken alittle more care in my studies and I am pulling a 4.6 GPA (unofficial, semester isnt over) and my rank should improve vastly.

The main thing we need to fix with public schools. Attitude, thugs, jocks, preps etc. Mainly, get rid of the thugs that will do nobody a lick of good. Jocks should look to add on to their sports scholarship should they get one with academic scholarships. Preps should spend a little less time being perfect and popular and looking good and spend a little more time working. No definate shot you will be a Hollister model. If you were to categorize me, I would be jock/prep and personally, I think my attitude is fine. I don't feel I deserve to be a Hollister model, I certainly don't feel I'm entitled to professional soccer. But I do owe it to my parents who are paying 7,000 a year to get into a good college.

I don't like this man. I must get to know him better.

-Abraham Lincoln

namvet69

Welcome to the group. Do not EVER apologize for being reasonable and having moral standards. I really think you are terrific! You have just helped ME to feel good about American youth again. I salute you and your ideals!!

No, you can't have my constitutional rights, I'm still using them!
One Nation- Under Surveillance, With Liberty and Justice for None.

Mr Con: A lot of Generals bought into the plan and the plan to remove Saddam Hussein was handled flawlessly. It is the aftermath that didn't go well at all.