smaller schools.......please
(& yes, perhaps: " Education is not so much about: ~ filling a bucket (aka-schools) ~ as lighting a fire. " — William Butler Yeats)
i'm thinking we need smaller schools;
in any/all activites...hoping that he/she so chooses.
1) ain't it curious we treat the "honor-student" as a special class of student...as if they need extra help to succeed ?
2) ain't it curious we treat "student-athletes" as a special class of student ?
3) isn't every student / child special...(some perhaps more difficult than others)...........hmmm.....?
STACY MITCHELL, INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL SELF-RELIANCE: In 1930, one-room schoolhouses accounted for nearly 70 percent of the nation's public educational facilities. Between 1940 and 1990, the number of elementary and secondary schools decreased from 200,000 to 62,000, despite a 70 percent rise in US population. Average enrollments skyrocketed from 127 to 653.
The trend toward giantism continues. The number of high schools with more than 1,500 students doubled in the last decade. Two-fifths of the nation's secondary schools now enroll more than 1,000 students. Some schools have as many as 5,000 students and enrollments of 2,000 or 3,000 are common.
i'm thinking we need smaller schools; where each/every kid is important & could / would be able to particpate in any/all activites...if he/she so chooses.
1) ain't it curious we treat the "honor-student" as a special class of student...as if they need extra help to suceed ?
2) ain't it curious we treat "student-athletes" as a special class of student ?
3) i'm thinking "every" student should be special..............hmmm.....?
STACY MITCHELL, INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL SELF-RELIANCE: In 1930, one-room schoolhouses accounted for nearly 70 percent of the nation's public educational facilities. Between 1940 and 1990, the number of elementary and secondary schools decreased from 200,000 to 62,000, despite a 70 percent rise in US population. Average enrollments skyrocketed from 127 to 653.
The trend toward giantism continues. The number of high schools with more than 1,500 students doubled in the last decade. Two-fifths of the nation's secondary schools now enroll more than 1,000 students. Some schools have as many as 5,000 students and enrollments of 2,000 or 3,000 are common.
Check out KIPP school program. You will definitly be surprised. The bigger problem is too many fluff subjects instead of basics. The three R's are falling by the wayside. We have a serious problem when high school gradutes can't read at a 8th grade level, can't make change of a five dollar bill, spell basic words or basic grammar.
The funny thing is, people here in America seem to get exactly what they want. For example, they want to buy loads of low-priced low-quality Chinese consumer goods, so they get a new Walmart in every community over 25,000 popultaion. Americans really look forward to Friday night High School football and basketball games, so the publically funded schools must build stadia and gymnasia. Most Americans prefer to be disracted rather than educated, so we look forward to the new $5000 bigscreenhighdefinitionpurchasedoncredit in our living room, but complain inceasantly about any increase in school funding (aka property tax) as "more waste".
So, if you want smaller schools, you might want to make other smaller choices.
As one who teaches in a "smaller learning community", I'd offer that smaller is way better. More accountablity, higher quality. But, then again, I think small hardware stores and small grocers are better to.
Yeah, I know, how naive can I be?
your local Middle School Science Teacher.
I drive through a town on my way to work each day that has erected a sign stating how many state championship football teams the school district has produced. Could this be the reason for larger schools as every athletic director knows that the more boys you have to choose from the better chances you have of filling a roster with prime athletes?
Are incompetent teachers at the root of our public school problems. No. The problem is, more likely, unscrupulously ambitious superintendents.
--Think also of the comfort and rights of others
I think the major reason for large schools has as much to do with athletics as economy of numbers. You can only tax small towns so much before there is a revolt. By combining populations they are able to build bigger and better schools. It is also much easier to justify raping the taxpayer. When you pack 1000 kids into one school any incompetence is magnified one hundred times. It only takes one bad teacher in an elementary grade to screw up hundreds of students for the rest of their lives. Competition is a major component of any plan to fix the problem.
yes, perhaps:"Education is not so much about: filling a bucket (aka-schools) as lighting a fire." — William Butler Yeats
That is a much more tempered idea, Stumpy. I can agree with you on these ideas. Before we tear down the public school system that was established before the Constitution was written (the Ordinance of 1785), we should give them a chance to be successful by reducing class size and then holding them accountable. To put educators in a situation set up for failure and then castigating them when they fulfill that prophesy is inherently unjust. I know you wanted to share with me some depressing numbers concerning NYC teachers and their failures on the Regents exams, but you have to consider who would possibly want to teach in that environment of over-crowded classrooms and a myriad of discipline problems. The educators did not create the problems that are most egregious. Moreover, I don’t think the sample of NYC teachers is indicative of teachers on average. We have many teachers in the system that do incredible things to inspires students to reach their potential. We shouldn’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. Privatization is not a panacea. KIPP schools may be successful, but many charter school projects have failed and not all private schools do a good job. In an exclusively private industry the best education would still go to those who were able to pay the most for it. The problem would persist. When we can solve that inequity, we will have something.
--Think also of the comfort and rights of others
Seems we are in some agreement after all Dylan. I like smaller schools. Kind of like that theme from "Cheers" "Everybody knows your name". Personal attention is much more important when trying to teach. FYI I was a trade school teacher in a former life.