Education Reform

Hard Times at Douglass High: Anybody see this documentary?

I'm watching it now. It's about No Child Left Behind and how it's failing miserably, most notably in urban HS. One of the teachers noted that when testing incoming 9th graders, most of them scored at a 4th grade reading level.

In my girlfriend's Northern Illinois University English class, there are about 3/4 black students coincidentally, most from the South Side of Chicago. She notes that when reading aloud, they can barely get through a short passage without stammering and asking for help (and I've read it - it's NOT hard stuff).

Aside from this being a really sad reality for the people who suffer from this lack of education, it also pisses me off that these individuals make it through past HS and into college. My girlfriend's degree is being devalued by these individuals who graduate despite not being competent enough to do so. Realistically, students who come from these areas (as illustrated in the documentary) have no interest in education and don't take it seriously... Why would that change in college? It's not like they're paying for it. They get a free ride; free tuition, free books, free money to live (i.e. waste their money), etc.

From what I see, they barely attend class. I mean, if these kids are reading at a 4th grade level, why are they receiving money to go to college? Where's my money? I have to take years off because I have no money and no way to get a loan to get back into Rutgers and finish up graduating (I'm taking cheap-o online classes now, which are pretty much irrelevant to my degree). This is BS. I actually care about my education, yet I suffer because I'm white and middle class.

Everyone is racially conscious, extremely PC, and implementing policies like the Second Chance Program which tends to only be applicable to minorities, etc. This is unfair. I guess my question is what do you think should be done to fix this situation? All over TV you hear people talking about how there needs to be massive education reform. What would that reform entail in your opinion?

Fill in the bubbles as a requirement college is a sure indicator of massive overhaul needed. Copy European systems for proper effect.

I'm 67 years old. For as long as I can remember people have complained about public education and have called for reform. And there have been reforms - continually!

The focus needs to be changed. Now the schools GIVE an education.

The focus needs to be on the student to educate himself. Any student who can't read well ought not to be promoted.

At 10/16/2009 11:15:19 AM, I-am-a-panda wrote:
Fill in the bubbles as a requirement college is a sure indicator of massive overhaul needed. Copy European systems for proper effect.

You fail as you have no idea what you are talking about. Why don't you take the SATs and then post your score on here -- High school curricula does not prepare you for the SATs, it requires aptitude and reasoning.

At 10/16/2009 9:31:23 AM, theLwerd wrote:
I guess my question is what do you think should be done to fix this situation? All over TV you hear people talking about how there needs to be massive education reform. What would that reform entail in your opinion?

1. Increased teacher salaries.
2. Increased qualification requirements for employment as a teacher.
3. School Vouchers.

At 10/16/2009 1:13:40 PM, Nags wrote:

At 10/16/2009 11:15:19 AM, I-am-a-panda wrote:
Fill in the bubbles as a requirement college is a sure indicator of massive overhaul needed. Copy European systems for proper effect.

You fail as you have no idea what you are talking about. Why don't you take the SATs and then post your score on here -- High school curricula does not prepare you for the SATs, it requires aptitude and reasoning.

Why do Americans use the Bac, but we don't use the SATS?

At 10/16/2009 1:15:27 PM, JBlake wrote:

At 10/16/2009 9:31:23 AM, theLwerd wrote:
I guess my question is what do you think should be done to fix this situation? All over TV you hear people talking about how there needs to be massive education reform. What would that reform entail in your opinion?

1. Increased teacher salaries.

Meh. I'm skeptical if that will work.

2. Increased qualification requirements for employment as a teacher.

Agreed. You should required to have at least a Bachelors degree and teaching certificate to be a middle school teacher. You should be required to have at least a Masters degree for high school.

3. School Vouchers.

No. Too much $$$ and it only helps the students who get the voucher, rather than the system as a whole.

At 10/16/2009 1:21:23 PM, I-am-a-panda wrote:

At 10/16/2009 1:13:40 PM, Nags wrote:

At 10/16/2009 11:15:19 AM, I-am-a-panda wrote:
Fill in the bubbles as a requirement college is a sure indicator of massive overhaul needed. Copy European systems for proper effect.

You fail as you have no idea what you are talking about. Why don't you take the SATs and then post your score on here -- High school curricula does not prepare you for the SATs, it requires aptitude and reasoning.

Why do Americans use the Bac, but we don't use the SATS?

Huh?

At 10/16/2009 1:22:50 PM, Nags wrote:

At 10/16/2009 1:21:23 PM, I-am-a-panda wrote:

At 10/16/2009 1:13:40 PM, Nags wrote:

At 10/16/2009 11:15:19 AM, I-am-a-panda wrote:
Fill in the bubbles as a requirement college is a sure indicator of massive overhaul needed. Copy European systems for proper effect.

You fail as you have no idea what you are talking about. Why don't you take the SATs and then post your score on here -- High school curricula does not prepare you for the SATs, it requires aptitude and reasoning.

Why do Americans use the Bac, but we don't use the SATS?

Huh?

Baccalaureate - French Test , taken by some Americans. SATS, American test, taken by no Europeans.

Besides, what's the point of having a 10 odd year education and then sitting a test which doesn't examine that?

At 10/16/2009 1:24:47 PM, I-am-a-panda wrote:
Baccalaureate - French Test , taken by some Americans. SATS, American test, taken by no Europeans.

Never heard of it, have never heard of any Americans taking it either. However, I know the SATs have an international branch with a specific French branch. I also have cousins in England who know what the SATs are. I guarantee that barely anyone in America has ever heard of the Baccalaureate.

Besides, what's the point of having a 10 odd year education and then sitting a test which doesn't examine that?

There are standards-based assessment tests (for public schools) that are different for each state which determine whether or not you get to graduate high school. It seems silly to give tests on high school curricula to determine college admissions, as obviously not every school has the same curricula.