What should the U.S. do to improve our education system?

Question

In the past, those involved in teaching keep saying they need more money. But the U.S. already spends more money than any other country on education and we are not in the top five. Therefore, throwing more money is not working. What else can be done?

Answer 1

Privatize and let communities run schools at the lowest levels. Get the federal government and teachers' unions out of schools!

Answer 2

As a former teacher, I can tell you what needs to happen--stop changing academic requirements every other year, start letting the states have control back. Since Mrs. Bush has entered the oval office, education has done flips like an olympic gymnist. She pushed reading, and got it........it does not start there. If pay were raised above poverty level, maybe a greater interest would be shown by more intelligent, patient, etc individual would be interested. Getting back to the basic Reading, Writing, and Math would be a great place to start. Kids in kindergarten are learning their letters from this giant purple thing, and when the teacher shows the letter, well they forgot what it was--the teacher wasn't dressed like a dinosaur. In high school, do not make it mandatory for disruptive teens to stay there in school--send them to boot camp and then maybe they'd appreciate the classroom and freedoms that accompany many teens. Focus on the children not the policy.

MOST IMPORTANTLY ENFORCE YEAR ROUND SCHOOLING. I realize this would put a strain on many families who depend on that summer break or whatever, need a babysitter--give the kids a break, they will be your caretaker one day along with the decisions to make. When children are out for 12-14 weeks, retention is lost.

We are never going to beat China, Japan in education--those children are forced into education and excited about it--learning. Our youth is worried about ipods, why Brittany shaved her head, and if their clothes are too "revealing" for school.......not learning. This brings the point home, our children need to be shown learning is an every day part of their lives and will be until they die. Media rules our country...I am guilty as the next.....Education needs an overhaul bad--Trick my School, Pimp my Class, whatever it takes--this should worry every American--this is our future,

Answer 3

The subjects and method of teaching need to be changed....
Most subjects taught in school are not used by the average person after they graduate from school..Reading, writing and basic math are essential.. Schools don't teach about social interaction, how to get along with others, how to be professional and quick decision making..
Reading is not the most effective way of learning. Most people don't like to read... With kids, educational television and video games will get their attention.. The whole idea is for kids to learn.
Books were the conventional way to teach before technololy evolved.. It is time for schools to change with the times...
Giving kids infinite amount homework is a bad idea.. Overloading their minds with too much useless information is a waste of everyone's time.

Answer 4

Eliminate all of this testing madness!! Since graduation rates are on the decline, it would be safe to say that standardized tests have been counterproductive. Also, more programs like music, art, and PE are being cut so funding can go to the ever increasing bilingual classes. Do something to attract and keep certified teachers in the classrooms.

Answer 5

Stop letting the teacher's union marginalize good teachers and reward poor teachers.

The fact that compensation is set by seniority and not performance is a crock; and it has led our education system down this spiraling path.

But one party continues to support and strengthen this union. Guess which one.

Answer 6

Fire all the eggheads and idiots that promote feelgood stuff and political correctness. Next, start weeding out all the ones that don't even try to learn. Maybe those young helathy organs can be harvested for tax payers.

Answer 7

Return the control of education to the states and localities. K-3, in my opinion, should be drilled in math and reading.

Answer 8

Get teachers that actually give a crap about teaching and not just think of it as a job!

Answer 9

Dispence with this bi-lingual education. Dispence with "new" methods and get back to what worked. I was a poor bi-product of the "new math" back in the 60's. My kids are a poor bi-product of the "writing to read" generation. They are better in technology but they are so far behind in everything else it's not funny. There's no need for 1st and 2nd graders to be using calculators. They can't figure anything out without a machine telling them the answers. My daughters in college and god forbid the computers go down because they can't figure out what to do then. Technology is a great addition...not a substitution for basic skills.

They need to start kicking out the disruptors that are making school a war zone instead of a place to learn. They need to pull out that red pen and start making people earn the grades instead of dumming down everyone so they all "make it through". I know they do need money. Unfortunatly it's not going to where they need it. We have schools here that 4 kids have to share a book. My youngest is in high-school and they aren't allowed to take books home because there's one book at each desk to be shared by all the classes taking that class. How can you study or try to pick up your grades when you can't take home a book? Practically all through grade-school they had photo-copies.....bad ones at that. I added up money one year and it cost me more for all the things I had to buy personally for my kids to go to public school than it cost my friend for homeschooling. I spent more time with my kids working on homework than they spent on that work in class. I sat in on their classes a couple times and most of the teachers time was spent dealing with some seriously disturbed kids that should have been thrown out of those classes. These weren't children who were having difficulty learning....they were trouble makers that needed their butts whomped. But it was more important to "study" the teachers reactions with these kids on the video than it was to teach the kids who were there to learn. While they're wasting their time making sure a couple aren't "left behind" they are loosing the rest. Some need to be left behind and maybe have their fragile psyches damaged a touch because it's unfair and holds back those who want to learn and it obviously doesn't improve their lot in life when they never pay the consequences of their actions. The same kid who caused all the problems in her kindergarten class still ended up dropping out of school and is in jail now. So all the extra attention didn't "pay off" for him either. It makes me sick when I hear of an "anchor baby" who went through our public school system and still needs a translator in their 20's. Special classes, special training, extra attention the "good kids" didn't get and still ends up killing 5 kids for driving drunk.

There's no NEED for expensive computers for every kid in kindergarten to play on, while Middle schoolers and High School kids have no books. My 2nd grader shouldn't be having to turn in typed work using spell check when they should be spelling the words themselves and developing penmenship skills. It's hard to expect new families to be able to afford a computer and internet access when they're struggling with pencils and paper. There's not enough computers at the library to handle all the students who need access. Heck it's limited to 15 minutes here and a research paper takes more than 15 minutes to do. Submitting homework by e-mail in grade school? Please. It's not necessary considering how poorly our schools are doing. If that's what's more important now-days....then lets just forget funding public school and we can whing it at home on the computer.

Answer 10

VOUCHERS
Charter schools
End teachers unions