What would you suggest is the best recourse for revamping our schools?

Question

Do you even think there's a problem with our schools?

Please share any exceptional success or failure stories about our school systems you have come across.

Thanks.

Great answers, everyone, please keep them coming!

Answer 1

I went to public schools, so I know what you are talking about. Right off the bat, I think that the "revamping" should be locally or state-wide reforms, not national intervention. However, the curriculum should be a national standard.

No more money should be initially put into the schools. No matter how many people claim it is true, throwing money at the school boards will not fix a THING.

Teacher salaries: They should be a base salary, with bonuses based on performance of the student/other criteria that suggest successful teaching, not just showing up.

Standardized tests: National standard. We are one country, splitting off each individual state, then county, then school district, then school just doesn't work. The SAT should be enough of an indication of successful schooling. You don't need to WASL (for Washington state, where I live).

More course selection: Kids need to be interested in school! It's a stretch, but offer interesting courses that they would be more interested in (this includes funding more arts, more government/civics courses, interesting English courses)

Math programs: Banish reform math from the face of the earth. This is a tried and false method that fails kids miserably. The process of problem solving is important, being able to do it is more important. Focus on critical thinking, but emphasize getting the right answer/basic math skills as much as possible. If possible, eliminate all use of calculators in courses such as Geometry and Precalculus (by hand math is good practice, and becomes easier than calculators once you get good at it).

Discipline: I never swear, but with the cheek these kids nowadays have, I would suspend their a**** (I don't know if this is reportable or not, let me know if it is) for a long time. They swear AT the teachers, don't listen, do whatever they want. Bring back detention, brink back punishment for bad behaviour, not rewards for good behaviour. Good behaviour should be expected, not rewarded.

Other things: Have tutoring programs, good PE classes, and stringent guidelines. Kids should not be mediocre, but mediocrity is accepted. It shouldn't be.


Success stories? I went through a wonderful gifted program with a brute-force math program that served me well, I have done very well in math competitions and problem solving. The teachers were fun and the kids learned more because of it. Gifted and art programs should be heavily encouraged, as some people fit into one of the two categories.

Answer 2

The problem of revamping our schools will not be accomplished by the liberal philosophy of throwing money at it, nor is glorifying the occupation of educator. The problem with schools is the same as society's. There is no discipline, no pride in doing whats right, not cool. Everything that goes wrong is some one else's fault not their own. The solution relies of the family unit. We need a return to a time where actions have consequences, rude behavior punished and distractions not tolerated.

Answer 3

I have been a teacher at the college, elementary, middle and high school level.

First - you really need to place accountability where it belongs - with the principals and vice principals first. How many times have you heard of a vice principal or principal being evaluated in the context of school performance and actually being FIRED oe even demoted? Why is accountability at the lowest level the school teacher and not with the Board of Education, or the Superintendent or worse the people in the state . Why is leadership being paid contracts in the hundreds of thousands when they fail to perform and worse when they fail to inform or improve atrocious conditions.

Second- remove the emphasis from the quality of the buildings, computers , football stadiums, basketball gyms etc. where money is being bilked from parents, community and the nation and put it back on the quality of learning concepts and principles. I don't remember if ever a failing school deciding to forego building a gym or a 'new building' and instead began investing in better books for the library, tutors (if Universities, Community Colleges, and Colleges can hire 'adjuncts' at minimum wage - I am sure the schools could surely use them and give them better pay. Or actually saving all the money on wasted field trips to the science museum, proms, pep rally's when there is a fifty percent failure rate and foregoing these things until atleast an 80 percent rate of graduation was achieved. I mean whats the message here? Don't worry that half of your community doesn't make it - just enjoy yourelf and move onto a community college or low level college?

I mean seriously do students who are going to HAVE to compete with the top 10 percent of the India, China, Russia foreign H1 workers really need to spend time more time on proms, bands for a school spirit that consists of multi-million dollar buildings with no accountability of the money or leadership? Does an elementary/middle/high school really need 68 MILIION dollars for a new building - instead of hiring tutors, getting better books and re-inforcing core concepts thru better teachers, equipment, and better teaching?!?!?!? I mean teachers anyway - average 60K a year - I am sure you it may be better to hire MS in Mathematics rather someone with a degree in education? I mean what does a degree in education mean? If you don't know math, physics, chemistry, literature what are you going to teach?

Third- stop giving hand outs to private schools. They can pay for their own school nurses, they can pay property tax - if they are in the 'business of education'. There are too many 'private' institutions that receive government support - while not giving their fair share of the tax burden and if they don't pay taxes fine - but PAY for the government services used at market rates and not backdoor rates.

Last- parents must be consistently told that schools are not babysitters, pyschotherapists or social services centers. They are schools - not clinics, hospitals, family conseling centers etc. Children of all ages must understand that just as they behave themselves and are responsible for their actions at a mall (so if your caight stealing, fighting) the same thing happens in a school. I think people have forgotten that as in any public place - parks, police stations, stadiums - there are rules of conduct and parents must realize that it is THEIR responsibility to discipline their kids so they receive a FREE education.

Answer 4

My Grandsons have had problems with college work, and made A's in high school. their parents did not do so well in high school, but had no problem with college work. After 20 years I went back and had no problems. There probably is a reason, I know they [grandkids] have had mountains of busy work neither their parents or I ever had in high school. YES I"ve seen and helped reserch homework, and it is just so much busy work. Some they were suppose to learn on their own, When I was in school never had extra work to do that had not been taught in class. There are many arguements, there is also a problem, and educators don't seem open to critizism.or change.

Answer 5

Up until about the middle of the 70's kids went to school because they wanted to. Now days most of them go because they have to. I loved school all the way through and so did everyone else of my generation (graduated High school 1960) we were proud of it. Back then there was an old fashioned goodness build on trust and prayers in schools were permitted. Seems to me that if you want to imporve the schools, the students should be offered something that gets them emotionally involved so that they want to be a part of the school. three things.. dress code, decipline, and pride. with all the liberals out there.. you can forget putting God back into the system

Answer 6

grumpy hit the head dead on. there is no recourse anymore. the kids of today think they can do whatever they want from being able to do that to their parents so it flowed over into schools. As somebody else stated the wrong people are running the asylum. Then people think vouchers are the right way to do it... this will do nothing to fix the problem and in fact just spread the problem around. Its not the system its the kids. But we could never tell the kids they are a problem we have to coddle them to not make them "feel bad"

we are creating generation after generation of weak, lazy, self absorbed, miscreants which will only lessen our ability to grow as a society...

Answer 7

I agree with Carpanone Kid. Oh, and reintroduce the "board of education."

We were able to get the principal at my son's school fired for stealing from the PTA fund for 7 years. It only took 2 years, and me dealing with her trying to punish my son by sticking him in a class without a teacher.

Btw: My experience with teachers has been great for the most part. Teachers will communicate with parents if they know they are being supported at home. I've only had one that would not communicate with me. And teachers have complaints about the NEA, also.

Answer 8

Abolish tenure and inject competition into the mix. The public schools will be forced to compete, or the ones that choose to lag will die a slow (and worthy) death.

Public school education, generally speaking, is an abomination.

Oh, I almost forgot; money will solve all the problems that plague the system. Believe that one and you are beyond any hope.

Answer 9

Public schools in Florida are exceptional and if not they have been improving greatly with Governor Bush's implementation of "No Child Left Behind" My kids are getting a phenomenal education.
Drawbacks 1. Teachers and their powerful unions complain about the testing supercedes teaching etc.
Not true - Yes, the testing is a pain in the butt , yet it makes teachers work hard at teaching instead of long recesses and casual teaching methods, etc. Now teachers are accountable.
2.Kids complain about tests. Yes, they are hard. But you won't see anymore of pushing non readers grade to grade because of their age. No more athletes going to college reading at first, second, or third grade reading levels.

Answer 10

So....you've faith that minority little ones aren't to any extent further able to appearing academically? How very racist of you. i'm in opt for of any college that would want to do a extra efficient job of instructing little ones (any little ones) at the same time as being financially responsible. the regular public colleges are both intense priced and ineffective. i opt for college vouchers, so any parent can opt for suited for his/her new child, even with income.