Why are U.S. kids so incredibly poorly educated?

Question

Kids today don't know the difference b/w there, they're and their. Two, to, and too. They can't point to Ohio on a map and forget about foreign countries. Our kids are being taught that the jury is still out on evolution! Huh? No it's not. Not in the majority of the educated world. Is the shocking ignorance and shoddy education of our youth going to be our downfall?

Answer 1

They have become this way for many reasons, but here are a few of my ideas as to why:

--the 'theory and concept' of whole language, which failed to teach kids, of the age you are talking about, to read

--the 'teaching to the test' mentality many teachers have and that principals, parents and school boards condone and allow

--as a result of the 2 items above, things like sentence diagramming, spelling, grammar, phonics, the study of Latin, basic math literacy, etc, have gone by the wayside and we have not rectified that

--the failure of the teachers unions to police their own and the fasilure of schools/principals and districts/boards to root out and dismiss poor teachers

--lack of parental involvement in the education of their children and lack of discipline on the part of parents, who fail to act as parents and do what is best for their children

Many kids can overcome all that, given positive encouragement from home or above average intelligence. Unfortunately, many do not have those advantages and cannot overcome these problems without a lot of help---help that was not there for them when they needed it. You now see the end result.

We spend more per student than any nation in the world, yet we have more poorly educated students than many poorer nations. More money per student obviously isn't the answer.

It's pretty well known that the best and the brightest these days do not go into teaching. They become doctors, lawyers, stockbrokers, real estate agents, marketing professionals, scientists, engineers, etc, instead.

I don't know the reasons why they don't want to teach. Unless maybe it's that you can't make $100,000 after ten years? And that teachers aren't heroes to kids----as star athletes or TV stars are?

I do believe that, if things go on as they are, by as early as the next generation, America will become a third rate nation.

Education has unions and lobbyists behind them, helping to keep the statis quo. The union for teachers gives its endorsement to political candidates in local districts and nationally that help them do just that. They are a powerful force in politics. Forcing change upon the system will not be easy.

What do you think we should do about it? You sound like someone who cares enough to want to help make a difference.

Answer 2

1) School attendance is compulsory. How many people perform at their best when forced? If education were something you had to fight for, as it is in developing countries, students would take it more seriously- or skip it, try to get a job, fail, and THEN take it seriously.

2) Schools use a "bulemic" method of education: cram it in as fast as you can, then regurgitate it onto the test. If you do this well, you pass on to the next grade where you can do it some more!

3) It doesn't matter, and kids know it. Everywhere you look today there are examples of bad grammar, poor punctuation, and rotten spelling in newspapers, books, and magazines. Even the professionals are beginning sentences with conjunctions, for heaven's sake! Lindsay Lohan apparently can't write, and she's doing just fine, right?
Then there's college- you enter a "hot," promising field of study, and by the time you've graduated, there are no jobs available because everybody else entered the same program and now the market's flooded.

I worked in the public school system for a few years... just long enough to seriously consider homeschooling my own son.

Answer 3

I don't understand why there isn't more debate about this, it is our children's and our country's future at stake. Most countries are leaving us behind in their emphasis on education. The statistics are shocking. Now all the kid's do is get ready for tests, to show fake numbers on a report. The infrastructure of our schools is a disgrace and when they do put money into the problems, it get's stolen by payoffs and shoddy work that no one is responsible for. All they do is throw around slogans and sound bites. The only good educational plan I've heard, is from John Edwards, he wants to give college tuition for service, domestic or military, to anyone who wants to work for it. The popular thing is to blame the teachers, that doesn't help anyone. I know many teachers who are sick about the apathy over the educational system. Thank you for the question, I hope more people will get involved.

Answer 4

Schools have had to assume the role of the parent, in many instances. If a kid doesn't learn at home to take advantage of receiving a free education and to respect the people trying to teach, no school in the world is going to teach that kid. In the old days, if someone got in trouble at school, they were afraid to go home because they knew they'd be in even more trouble there. Now the parent asks what the TEACHER did to make their child say or do whatever. Face it, parents use schools as babysitters, and instead of instilling the importance of an education, they hope the people at the school will do it for them before the kid gets old enough to drop out.

Answer 5

The United States is the only country in the world that educates all children. We don't discriminate between children bound for college or McDonald's. This makes it tough for all teachers. Some children have very little interest in school to begin with but when they are not interested and forced to attend makes it rough on everyone. The debate has raged for years; what do we do with these children? I don't think the teachers in the United states are not dedicated and hard working I just think we can only deal with the children and the attitudes we are given.

Answer 6

When I was in high school our social studies teacher asked if Africa were one nation or more like fifty. I was was one of only two people who knew the answer. The rest confidently said it was one nation. The teacher looked scared.

I hate to say it since I am an optimist, but yes, this situation is very dangerous. Why are we in this position? One reason is that too many education professionals do not want merit-based pay, only high salaries for nothing on the vague notion that "it will attract quality people who would go into other professions." Will it attract people who care???

Answer 7

I can tell you this, what lacks most in the US education system is, "SCIENCE" teaching. We are by far the most behind the rest of the educated world in this area, more so then any other subject/field. Above all else this WILL be our downfall. Knowledge in the sciences and math fields is what keeps one ahead of the game. Unfortunately heavy religious beliefs in the US will not allow us to fully embrace real (true) science.
~A~

Answer 8

At least in the state I live in, they don't want to put a lot of money into education. Florida is about 41st in funding and 41st in quality and 50th in number of high school graduations. Only about 50% actually graduate in our state. Education remains a low priority in our state, but also pretty much in our nation. Look at all the money going to the military. Look at how much teachers get compared to CEO salaries.

If you have a grandparent, they had a different attitude towards education than people do today I think, much more respecful. Education meant something to them. I don't think kids today think much about education because their parents don't value it, prioritize it, put money into it. Teachers aren't as respected, etc. Personally I think we should put less money into the military and prisons and more into the schools!

Answer 9

That is all inclusive don't you think? I think it all falls back on the government. (In addition to other factors also.) It is because of the government that we can’t punish our children without fear of going to jail. I got ‘spankings’ as a child and I was not on drugs, I was not a high school drop out, I graduated from high school, I know that A LOT is two words, and I turned out to be a good person.

I was loved by both of my parents…and I also feared them. As I knew that if I got into trouble there would be hell to pay at home. For what ever it is worth I feel that it is because of the government that we as parents cannot punish our kids which is giving them free reign.

Just my two cents…

Answer 10

Three reasons.

Their parents are too self indulged as a whole to care about their childrens education...they make it a burden and a chore rather than exploit the fun of learning.

Their teachers are too self indulged in their pursuit of time away from school their union rights.

Their administrators are looking for the next trendy teaching fad, especially if it reduces cost... instead of insisting on the basics.

The student suffers when they don;t work together.