Has anybody else seen this?!

[Wildsky]

what really frustrates me, is the amount of time and energy this country spends on sports, kids that do well in sports at school are given awards and fancy ceremony's shown on TV and bits in the paper - what about kids that do well in Math or Reading or whatever... nothing is done to pat them on the back, or not nearly as much as the dude who scored a touchdown last week.

 

[me&thegals]

That's what I mean. Our culture is so into glamour and sports. I hear there were some amazing meetings between our ambassador and the UN? Did I get this right? Apparently it was barely covered since it happened during Michael Jackson's funeral.

Anyway, people like Bill Gates will help nerdy become sexy!

I hate dissing parents, because I really don't know all the parents in America, but I wonder how much better our students would be doing if parents turned off the media a bit more and did a lot more reading with their kids, talking about things and just exploring this amazing world we live in. What my kids' teachers have mentioned is that often there really is not support at home to back up what they are learning in school.

And.... hugely... let's throw some real money at education!! I don't mind fund raisers, but seriously why am I baking mega cookies each year to raise money so my kids' schools can get playground equipment and basic school supplies? If we care that much about education, maybe we can cut a bit of our defense budget and stick it in our future and our kids' futures.

 

[xpc]

I elected to take summer school during my high school years to give me a leg up in credits and standing. All my courses were college prep advanced placement and it was a good move. Kept me focused and out of mischief.
I understand the concept and approve of it.

I have now listed you as one of my people of high regards, I too busted my butt and to my chagrin held back for two months in 2nd year college chemistry because half the class didn't know 6th grade scientific notation. They had to re-teach the powers of ten.

I think that instead of having longer hours they should have after school programs instead. If both parents work till late their kids stay after and get help with homework or do a group project.

Though I may agree that it takes a community to raise a child - I am not responsible for your baby sitting costs.

What happens to after school jobs and sports?

Sports are superfluous and not the responsibility of the state or taxpayers, same goes for extracurricular music and art. First and foremost is the teaching of general knowledge, anything more can be addressed in another sponsored venue.

The inner city kids could really use some thing like that. You can't be out doing drugs if your butt is doing homework under a watchful eye. You cut the program the cops drag your butt back.

You make a good argument for conscription, Germany did it before world war two, many other eastern nations still do.

As for year round well I don't think id have a big problem with it if they let the schools pick when they had they breaks. And could give the poor schools (like mine) ac. Nothing like studying history with sweat rolling down your back. Gross!

This is true and easily taken care of at no cost to the taxpayers.

Ok this dont really make sence.
I mean the schools dont have enough money now to run. How are they going to run it all year like that. As it is most schools around here have had to cut a day a week to just survive.

The schools get more than enough money, they could even send a man to Mars with the surplus but the bulk of it is misspent by the wayward cretins that run the system.

Obama is a great man. I support him whole-heartedly with every issue except for this one. Children should be aloud to be children for as long as possible.

Obama is a nice man, not great - he has not done anything to achieved that yet, and yes children need more time to be just them.

I'd have to hear an actual proposal to decide how I feel. I wouldn't mind the kids having less summer break and more other breaks. I would mind my kids being required to be in school until 6 or 7 especially since I pick them up on my way home (we live 42 miles from school and work) and I get off at 5. I think there is a lot of "I'd like to do . . . . " going around about a lot of things and there is no way they can do all of them. just my opinion

This would never happen, you can not force feed info to children for 12 hours without recourse - did you ever watch "Children of the Corn"

I heartily agree that something needs to be done for our education system. I doubt that more school is the answer, though. I'd like to see schools go back to teaching History, Civics and English, and less Social Studies, Alternate Lifestyle Choices, and such. But that is just me.

You sir are absolutely correct but rather than less social studies i would meld it with civics. The except for that "Alt Life Choice" thing (can you be any more obvious) is a bit over the top for a public school - teach our children how to think then move on to how mortgage rates and checkbooks work and why 70% off is not always a good deal.

I am glad that someone is actually trying to come up with a solution to our school system but I am not certain if longer hours is the answer. We need to look more closer at HOW these schools teach and incoporate some of their methods.

Longer hours is not the solution, less mollycoddling is though.

I say, don't reinvent the wheel. See how other countries with the best scores are teaching their students. I suspect--as in so many other things--it might be that education is revered in their culture far more than it is here. I mean, really. Here, the really smart kids are considered nerds.

You hit the nail on the head.

what really frustrates me, is the amount of time and energy this country spends on sports, kids that do well in sports at school are given awards and fancy ceremony's shown on TV and bits in the paper - what about kids that do well in Math or Reading or whatever... nothing is done to pat them on the back, or not nearly as much as the dude who scored a touchdown last week.

This is probably the most succinct post of all. Public and private, all schools should concentrate on academics and nothing else. Sports and such can be on a voluntary basis after everything else is said and done when the new shorter school day is over.

 

[reinbeau]

Maybe it's because they emphasize academics instead of social engineering.

 

[xpc]

Maybe it's because they emphasize academics instead of social engineering.

Now you just may be onto something, a very good point.

Just noticed your signature line and like the quote - here is one I leaned 30 years ago from the same era.

'Euripides these pants Eumenides these pants'' , Ha! still funny after all these years.

 

[Big Daddy]

Kids in the U.S. spend more hours in school (1,146 instructional hours per year) than do kids in the Asian countries that persistently outscore the U.S. on math and science tests Singapore (903), Taiwan (1,050), Japan (1,005) and Hong Kong (1,013). That is despite the fact that Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong have longer school years (190 to 201 days) than does the U.S. (180 days).


How do the Asian countries have longer school years but shorter hours in class? Do they get out earlier then our schools?

.

It's because they are on the metric time system. They have 10 hour days.

 

[Wifezilla]

Where do I go to get my laminated XPC fan club membership card?

 

[sylvie]

Where do I go to get my laminated XPC fan club membership card?

I want one, too!

 

[deb1]

I say, don't reinvent the wheel. See how other countries with the best scores are teaching their students. I suspect--as in so many other things--it might be that education is revered in their culture far more than it is here. I mean, really. Here, the really smart kids are considered nerds.

It is almost as if our culture teaches kids to be embarrassed if they are too smart.