U.S. High Schools Raise Grades, Don't Test Better
- Thread starter ALS
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2003
- Messages
- 23,587
The dawn of the illiterati is upon us.
Yeah, limited experience in the educational foeld but I have been substitute teaching for three years now and got me one of them fancy #@$%! thingys in education to accompany the udder #@$%! degree and that AS thing and that ever-so-fine certificate of Professional Sales (took 30 units to get it).
With all my cootish and shantyish experience I hereby forewith proclaim to one and all........
get yer spawn out of the public schools.
Why let the elite class and bureaucrats brainwash yer' munchkins?
Oh yeah, there are exceptions. There are some decent schools out there BUT.......
why do you think the wealthy elites almost exclusively ensure THEIR vile spawn attend private schools?
/end rant
With all my cootish and shantyish experience I hereby forewith proclaim to one and all........
get yer spawn out of the public schools.
Why let the elite class and bureaucrats brainwash yer' munchkins?
Oh yeah, there are exceptions. There are some decent schools out there BUT.......
why do you think the wealthy elites almost exclusively ensure THEIR vile spawn attend private schools?
/end rant
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2002
- Messages
- 39,793
I wonder what they've been doing all this time
Schools just can't offset the results of poor social hygiene. Social delinquency and dysfunction can't be solved in this manner.
I'm currently running an op-ed campaign against our local school board. One of them got some notion to leave some legacy behind after their tenure on the ruling/taxing body. There's a movement to destroy 2 city blocks and put in a $50M early education center. They've even hired retired scholars to conduct research on how beneficial this would be for the community.
I'm trying to point out that we put a man on the moon with antiquated and ill equipped education systems ..and the apparent result of adding money since the 60's appears to be increased levels of dysfunction.
This is in a relatively poorer (naturally compared to the surrounding suburbs) urban environment where they currently blame the poorer test scores on the high number of transient students that are shipped out to to escape the Phila school system. It's kinda a revolving door. I inquired how an early education system is going to fix that alleged "only flaw" in our city's public schools ..since we won't see the results for 10 years or more.
I guess by then we'll have forgotten of all the benefits that it promised ..we'll just be left with the bill for it.
Whenever a writer/critic/politician/educational system bureaucrat/whomever laments the poor "test scores" of USA students compared to students in other countries there's a couple things to consider.
Uno: The USA has a larger immigrant population than any other country I am aware of. Add in millions of illegals who bring kids and spit them out once here in large numbers and the USA has to contend with a student population that contains a fairly large percentage of non-English and limited proficiency in English students who bring down average test scores. Realize there are numerous studies showing "immigrant" households where a foreign language is the main language spoken at home and eben 2nd- and 3rd-generation "immigrants" can be limited in English ability.
Dos: Not all proficiency tests are equal. Neither is the method of testing used. Many foreign countries do not include the results of "special needs" kids and often omit the scores of those not proficient in the local language. The USA includes the scores of ALL test takers, thus bringing down the average score.
There are other factors, internal and external, in regards to test scores etc. that can make one wonder about the collusion between BIG government, politicians and our educational systems.
In this bloke's opinion the entire educational system is corrupt and drastic measures are needed to rectify the situation. Sadly, one factor, the most important one, can not be altered unless the USA devolves/evolves into a fascist police state....and that is the home environment.
I have observed "white trash" at close hand; their lifestyle, their beliefs, their basic way of living and it was not conducive to creating an educated child.
It all begins in the HOME!!!!!
Remember, the educational bureaucracy and the highly-paid bureaucrats within are likely more interested in their lofty paychecks and guarenteed pensions with many perks. The Omaha school superintendent scrapes by at one-quarter-million bucks per year. Is he gonna' rock the boat in any way?
Politicians pandering to the public can do no wrong by "supporting education." What do they know about education? You know they dare not offend voters by looking into the TV camera for a ten-second sound bite that lambasts the parents who do not do their part in educating the voter's vile spawn.
Ain't nuthin' gonna' change. The system itself is corrupt. Too many people with power have a vested interest in keeping things as they are.
Uno: The USA has a larger immigrant population than any other country I am aware of. Add in millions of illegals who bring kids and spit them out once here in large numbers and the USA has to contend with a student population that contains a fairly large percentage of non-English and limited proficiency in English students who bring down average test scores. Realize there are numerous studies showing "immigrant" households where a foreign language is the main language spoken at home and eben 2nd- and 3rd-generation "immigrants" can be limited in English ability.
Dos: Not all proficiency tests are equal. Neither is the method of testing used. Many foreign countries do not include the results of "special needs" kids and often omit the scores of those not proficient in the local language. The USA includes the scores of ALL test takers, thus bringing down the average score.
There are other factors, internal and external, in regards to test scores etc. that can make one wonder about the collusion between BIG government, politicians and our educational systems.
In this bloke's opinion the entire educational system is corrupt and drastic measures are needed to rectify the situation. Sadly, one factor, the most important one, can not be altered unless the USA devolves/evolves into a fascist police state....and that is the home environment.
I have observed "white trash" at close hand; their lifestyle, their beliefs, their basic way of living and it was not conducive to creating an educated child.
It all begins in the HOME!!!!!
Remember, the educational bureaucracy and the highly-paid bureaucrats within are likely more interested in their lofty paychecks and guarenteed pensions with many perks. The Omaha school superintendent scrapes by at one-quarter-million bucks per year. Is he gonna' rock the boat in any way?
Politicians pandering to the public can do no wrong by "supporting education." What do they know about education? You know they dare not offend voters by looking into the TV camera for a ten-second sound bite that lambasts the parents who do not do their part in educating the voter's vile spawn.
Ain't nuthin' gonna' change. The system itself is corrupt. Too many people with power have a vested interest in keeping things as they are.
It's best not to fix an old system. Build a new system alongside the defective one, and as the new one grows, it absorbs those students from the whithering old one, just like Honda and Toyota have absorbed customers from the big three. When the new system beomes corrupt, make another new one.
In school today it's more important for the student to feel good about themselves then to get flunked in a subject just because they don't do their homework or showup in class. After all they have their friends to think about. An 'F' would be too cruel. The teachers that care get that beat out of them sooner or later, after all they all get paid the same. Don't want to hurt one teacher's feelings either, by paying another teacher more just because they do a better job. And you've got to deal with all the illegals because the school gets paid by head count, not by graduations. And besides, students have to learn that unions are good and profits are bad. Who cares if kids can read or write. And why learn to speak english? The less english spoken the more the teachers get paid. Dual language cert is better than a masters degree. And don't worry, if kids don't graduate, have a birth certificate or a ssn, Bank of America is there to help. The important thing is to get started having babies so these kids can be a productive member of our society.
Tres: "Azarcon" and "Greta". Look 'em up. I'll save you the effort though: Lead salts used as a folk remedy for stomach upset.
It's just amazing to me that we've recognized the dangers of lead poisoning for years, and there are still places, even in this country, where it's being used as a folk remedy.
Also look up, while you're at it, recent FDA actions against imported candy from (where else?) Mexico containing excessive amounts of lead. Some of that stuff turned up in the DC area a couple of years ago. It isn't an isolated incidence, either--apparently the chilis used in these candies contain a lot of lead.
I'm starting to wonder if Mexico's problem might just be too much of their population is suffering from lead poisoning.
Anecdotally, I've heard that areas in the USA which were the site of large amounts of enviromental lead exposure (Superfund site?) where they test the children on a regular basis for lead poisoning are finding out that immigrant children from Mexico are testing positive at rates much higher than US-born children.
It's just amazing to me that we've recognized the dangers of lead poisoning for years, and there are still places, even in this country, where it's being used as a folk remedy.
Also look up, while you're at it, recent FDA actions against imported candy from (where else?) Mexico containing excessive amounts of lead. Some of that stuff turned up in the DC area a couple of years ago. It isn't an isolated incidence, either--apparently the chilis used in these candies contain a lot of lead.
I'm starting to wonder if Mexico's problem might just be too much of their population is suffering from lead poisoning.
Anecdotally, I've heard that areas in the USA which were the site of large amounts of enviromental lead exposure (Superfund site?) where they test the children on a regular basis for lead poisoning are finding out that immigrant children from Mexico are testing positive at rates much higher than US-born children.
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2002
- Messages
- 39,793
Ah - the paint chip theory.
There's a theory that Rome fell due to widespread lead poisoning.
teachers give failing students passing grades because if they gave failing grades it would reflect negatively on their teaching skills.
The educational system here in Illinois was giving GED certificates to just about every high school dropout that took a test. In 99 the system said enough and made the GED harder. Well fast forward to 06 and the same teachers who teach at high and grade school level decided that the test they took for their teaching certificate was to HARD (GO FIGURE), so they petition the school board to lower the passing grade from 70% pass to 66%pass because the majority of these teachers were FAILING. Now with the city elections coming up Jesse Jackson Jr's. wife is running for 7th ward alderman, now she has publically admitted that their children does not attend any school in Chicago or Illinois for that matter, their kids attend a private school for the wealthy some where on the east coast. My twins attend a private school here in Chi-town and certains kids tease them because they speak proper. So I taught them this chant that I learned when I played against North Western's football team in the mid to late 70's.
That's allright it's o'k someday we'll be your boss anyway...
That's allright it's o'k someday we'll be your boss anyway...
It's amazing that everyone sees the social aspect of the educational system's failure, but not one "leader" has the onions to say it.
One way that grades have been improved is to lower the scores required. A "C" use to require something like a 70, and now that it's been lowerd to 50 in some cases, the grades go up. A more important part of the grade is making the student feel good about trying. In the real world that's important, as told to us by educators. Those people have their hand on the pulse of the work place and know that employeers want employees to feel good, reguardless of wheather they acomplish anything or not. After all, profits are a bad thing, and everyone should get paid the same and get full benefits, just like the teachers. We must have schools to raise our children. Otherwise how could working parents afford daycare. We need to also start pre-pre-school that preceeds pre-school that preceeds kindergarten. Oh, and more summer school programs, too. The school system has become a babysitter and we need to take advantage of that. That way students will be better prepared for high school and can pass the tests and get good grades. And now to hijack the thread and ask ALS a question. Do you think that school vouchers would help students perform better or would it just be the end of the school welfare system as we know it?
Ever notice how the school board elections are held at different times than the general election? This helps insure low turnout so those feeding off the education system can get the election results they want.
Also, don't forget the teacher's union has a strong grip on many politicians.
Also, don't forget the teacher's union has a strong grip on many politicians.
My wife works as a translator for a district, and it's amazing that they require people who don't speak English well to take tests that grade how well schools do for the 'no child left behind' requirements. Commons sense would suggest that the scores would count once the English is at a certain level, but we don't seem to dealing with that.
Looking at the system it seems that a key activty that is contributing to the problem is 'social promotion', where kids are allowed to move the next grade regardless of subject mastery. In my opinion by merely requiring some level of mastery before being allowed to advance would address a lot of issues, as school resources would have to be used where kids are bunching up at grades and/or classess.
I think that it would make sense to break out subject mastery from grade level, and let kids advance in different subjects as they are able to. With the current system we pass them on without having mastered a subject, and somehow expect them to do better at a more advanced level.
Looking at the system it seems that a key activty that is contributing to the problem is 'social promotion', where kids are allowed to move the next grade regardless of subject mastery. In my opinion by merely requiring some level of mastery before being allowed to advance would address a lot of issues, as school resources would have to be used where kids are bunching up at grades and/or classess.
I think that it would make sense to break out subject mastery from grade level, and let kids advance in different subjects as they are able to. With the current system we pass them on without having mastered a subject, and somehow expect them to do better at a more advanced level.
I feel I got a great education in the 50's and early 60's. I graduated in '64. Suburban school district and no-nonsense teachers. Rulers and paddles were used when necessary. In addition..there were expectations by my parents and teachers that I work hard and get good grades.
I am thankful every day for my good education and lament thate that the system has run amuck.
As Gary pointed out..the social fabric unraveling is part of the mess. But even so a student can be motivated by his family to do well. It just doesn't seem to occur as much and it drags the entire system down when fewer students are motivated. The Bell Shaped curve has shifted towards the "dumber" end of the scale.
I am thankful every day for my good education and lament thate that the system has run amuck.
As Gary pointed out..the social fabric unraveling is part of the mess. But even so a student can be motivated by his family to do well. It just doesn't seem to occur as much and it drags the entire system down when fewer students are motivated. The Bell Shaped curve has shifted towards the "dumber" end of the scale.
It's hard to take high school seriously when a student can pass a math test by just trying every question with no correct answers, just proof of an attempt and that 50% can be a 'C' grade. This kind of scoring makes a student feel good about themselves. I wonder if on a college entrance exam you can put down that you feel good about yourself. In college it's a bit tougher.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
