Demographically, when ranked by wealth I live in the 40th wealthiest county in the USA. Inside this county I live with the confines of the number 1 school district. Why am I underwhelmed by the quality of education my child is receiving? Does anyone have any thoughts as to America's long term economic competitiveness with this obviously substandard education system? I was recently told by a school administrator that it was unreasonable to expect a child to read by first grade (my child could read at four) and in addition it was unreasonable to expect a child to have full command of a second language by sixth grade. Why the overall lack of ambition?
2007-07-12 06:45:23 · 12 answers · asked by CHARITY G 7 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
Umm, maybe it's the fact that most mommies and daddies think schools push their kids too hard. It's called denial and it's called low expectations. It's not just mommy and daddy that do it, but our entire culture. In Europe the standards are 100 times as high. You have to remember, this country is very anti-intellectual. This includes the government and the electorate overall. But yes, the education system in this country is woefully underwhelming. Send him to private school. My niece and nephew go to a private school where they are learning Shakespeare by the 2nd grade and producing his plays for the public. They are also taking Spanish, Science, Art, Political Science and current events, Music and other classes from the time they are in 1st grade.
2007-07-12 06:56:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Public education doesn't work because it cannot accommodate special needs, cater to the individual, be flexible or try innovative techniques.
Nor should public education be expected to do all those things. Public education is the equivalent of a factory assembly line. You put in five-year-old kids and it's supposed to bend 'em and mold 'em and shape 'em until they roll down the conveyor belt at age eighteen knowing how to read, write, and recite a few lines of Shakespeare, if you're lucky. Public education is one-size-fits-all because it has to be. Whenever the government is involved, there's a bureaucracy, a process, a procedure that needs to be followed and strictly adhered to in uniform fashion. If you want to implement a new reading list, you probably have to go through ten different people, several councils, and a mountain of paperwork first.
There are great teachers and great schools in the public-school system, but largely the system encourages mediocrity. But that's okay, because as a parent you can fill in the gaps. That's what my mother did. She helped me with my homework, explained unclear concepts, and exposed me to ideas and information that I probably should have been learning in school.
2007-07-12 06:56:56 · answer #2 · answered by TheOrange Evil 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
There are several reasons, the American education system is the product of more than one problem.
Parents- Parents stick up for their kids way to much. Few parents will believe a teacher over their kids. Next most parents will fight not to have their kid stay behind. Also many parents do not get involved in the kids education. Parents who care, and parents who take time to be involved in the childs education make all the difference.
The teachers union- The teachers union goes out of its way to protect bad teachers. Most schools have such a long procedure to fire poor teachers they refuse to follow it. Also the teachers union is against charter schools, or any kind of competion for traditional education they can not have a say in.
THE STUDENTS- and the biggest problem in most schools. If a kid does not want to learn they can not be forced. Many kids go to school due to the fact it is the law. These kids are like leeches, they suck resources from other students.
2007-07-12 07:01:29 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Feel sorry for it? I'm not sure if it's feeling sorry for it as much as it is being ashamed of it. I was talking with a friend earlier today about how it's 'funny' (in a sad way) that we're the richest country in the world... and that for some reason we can justify sending trillions of dollars overseas to help other countries... and spend a billion dollars a week on a war nobody here wants to be in....... but we can't turn around and do anything it would appear to solve our own poverty and welfare system.... and also our lack of proper education. Honestly it's like a vast majority of people in this country (including the middle class) just close their eyes to problems that we have as though they don't exist... because we don't want to admit they exist here. Our education system is horrible. One of the worst in the free world. It is something we should 'feel sorry' and ashamed for... and the longer it goes on without being fixed, the further this country will fall behind others in just about any and all job skills.
2016-05-20 22:16:23 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why don't you volunteer at the school and get other parents to join you? They would like the help and you may come up with ideas they could use.
You might be surprised to see that public schools are not only supposed to educated the students, they are also supposed to feed them, pass out mind altering medication, handle criminals that no private school will take and babysit those that are so handicapped they have no idea of where they are. My friend spends her day changing diapers and taking disruptive students to the office. School administrators stay just long enough to work up to a better paying school. Our schools are no longer about education and parents, administrators and lawmakers are all to blame.
2007-07-12 06:58:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Public education is geared to the "lowest common denominator", which is actually pretty low. Most children can learn faster and absorb more information than educators realize.
The school administrators must not know much about multi-language households, either. Children who grow up in bilingual homes usually speak both languages by the time they are 6 years old.
2007-07-12 06:56:20 · answer #6 · answered by Mathsorcerer 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hopefully, We can fix that, when the President re-visits the 'No child left behind' act, and hopefully we will reach the standard for good education!
Jeremy
2007-07-12 06:49:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
too many parents think public education is just free daycare
you need to be directly involved in your childs education
2007-07-12 06:55:32 · answer #8 · answered by Nick F 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
You can thank george bush for that.
He has completely re-routed the focus in schools from LEARNING to "learning how to take a test."
And you are RIGHT. The level of education in this country is not competitive with other nations.
2007-07-12 06:49:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
Public enemy #1
Our public school system and the continued dumbing down of America.
2007-07-12 06:49:32 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋