Decision Time

It's been month's since my last post - and most of my posting's have been tame and boring.  Maybe I'm just cranky, maybe I just don't care, but that stops NOW.  Let's be honest - most of us avoid confrontation, most of us avoid speaking our minds for fear of being seen as rude or bitchy.  That too stops NOW.

Here goes............................

The state of our education system is appalling!  Every parent, teacher, student, grandparent, human being should be horrified of what we are teaching our kids (or more importantly what we are NOT teaching them).  This is the future of our country, where we go from here, how prosperous we are, how technologically advanced we are, how safe we are will be in the hands of our children before we know it.

We (parents & schools) are not teaching our children

• respect
• common courtesy
• giving
• caring
• honesty

We (parents & schools) are teaching our children

• don't worry if you fail, you get a re-do
• you have no money? no problem - just borrow it, then claim bankruptcy and you'll never have to pay it back
• if you want something someone else has, just take it 
• don't give money to panhandlers - they could get a job if they really wanted to

I have two children in the public education system - one is a Junior in High School and one is an 8th grader in middle school. 

Until the schools STOP teaching to the test and start educating our youth - and until the government STARTS investing in our future it all looks very very bleak from where I am standing. 

  A long time ago I learned that when you discuss a problem you should have some idea for a solution.  My idea (call it revolutionary)

1. GET RID OF ALL STANDARDIZED TESTS (I know, just bare with me)
2. GET RID OF ALL BAD TEACHERS (you know who you are)
3. Classes are taught & graded on homework, tests and classwork - if you fail the class you have to retake it.
4. After elementary school - the model should be
1. if you pass the class you move on, if not you retake it
2. you need X number of credits to graduate from high school
3. once you reach X number of credits you graduate (PARTY)

 Make Middle and High School resemble college - no more retaking test if you fail them, no more getting 50% credit on homework even if you didn't turn it in! 

Now I have no illusions that this "plan" would in any form ever be implemented, there are too many people with the mindset "we've always done it this way" - which proves that educators are out of touch with the business that their students will soon be entering.