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Inequality in schools threatens US prosperity


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It's a shame parenting can't be regulated and qualified in such ways. In my opinion, the #1 problem with the educational system is a whole bunch of parents who don't care enough to instill an interest or respect for learning in their children.

I began homeschooling my boys with nothing but a free library card - no fancy building, no computer, no curriculum, no "materials" other than dollar store pencils and paper. And they both - even the one with moderate autism - could read, write, count and do addition before they were 6. And their self esteem is fine, despite the fact that they never got a blue ribbon or plastic gold cup for anything.

Unfortunately, it seems impossible to make people actually care enough to act on it.

Edited by Purplos
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Once everything is equal, the way you get good teachers into rubbish schools is to follow the Australian system.

You work for the Department. Not the school. You go where the Department says or you don't work. Voila. You get sent to a seven person, 12 sheep school, you get sent to the school Satan withdrew his children from because it was too rough, you get sent to the school too good for the saints.

It's all at the whim of pencil pushing, number crunching soulless automatons with a spreadsheet ahem the Department.

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Federal Goverment controlled programs are a huge problem. I think the poster was expressing their opinion about this. But yeah we got the extra money to spare so lets keep pouring into something that yet again isnt working. States should be in control of there school systems not the Federal Government.

The local school boards control their school systems already. This is a red herring. The Dept of Ed provides loans for college students and promotes education and education standards. As usual, not knowing that the US Dept of Ed does. Stop parroting the conservative babble and actually learn what it does. A lot of people would not go to college without it. The real question is why are you for against these things?!

It is by far the smallest Cabinet-level department

The primary functions of the Department of Education are to "establish policy for, administer and coordinate most federal assistance to education, collect data on US schools, and to enforce federal educational laws regarding privacy and civil rights."[10] The Department of Education does not establish schools or colleges.[11]

The Office of the Inspector General has a unit of enforcement agents who conduct investigations and raids in connection to student loan defaults and fraud.[12

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Education Edited by ninjadude
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The federal government has no business in education. Common currency...common defense...those are really the only reasons to have a federal government.

I'm really sorry but the people of the United States of America disagree and have done so for many many decades.

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Let's do an experiment. List the test scores of the least-funded school and the most-funded school in the USA. You might be surprised by the results. Maybe money isn't the answer to the problem.

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Let's do an experiment. List the test scores of the least-funded school and the most-funded school in the USA. You might be surprised by the results. Maybe money isn't the answer to the problem.

Lets do an experiment that'll give you something worthwhile to consider - lets look at the classroom conditions (including resourcing and "extra-curricular" activities and material) of the lowest and highest funded schools. Maybe money's not the solution to SCORES but it's the damn solution to CONDITIONS.

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Kids from the poorest areas generally have less community and family resources (as well as school resources). Seems rather obvious that any child growing up in such an environment already has a disadvantage, add to that school conditions that are sub-par...recipe for learning problems IMO.

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Lets do an experiment that'll give you something worthwhile to consider - lets look at the classroom conditions (including resourcing and "extra-curricular" activities and material) of the lowest and highest funded schools. Maybe money's not the solution to SCORES but it's the damn solution to CONDITIONS.

I'll be more specific. Washington (our capital) schools get much more aid than Iowa schools. They once were the most aided and least aided schools in the country, respectively. Now, compare their scores in all academic categories.

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I'll be more specific.

I abhor standardised testing, all it leads to is teaching to the test.

I abhor linking financing to test scores, it disadvantages schools.

The problem is the obsesseion with scores and how they look on a spreadsheet.

the solution is giving schools enough money to not have leaky roofs, enough computers for the class, books, carpet, ideally a digital whiteboard (they're dirt cheap when you buy in bulk, and they're an amazing teaching tool), teachers paaid a good enough wage that they enjoy going to wrk (a grumpy teacher makes for an atmosphere of discontent in the classroom, the more discontented the less work done, the lower the achievement).

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Minorities are pretty much given free rides based on guilt. Most minorities I run into are extremely lazy, wants to live a gangster style, and they are using the race card to get away with anything. They don't aspire to rise up and become something, because they are used to living on social security welfare. There are some I see who is struggle to make something of themselves, these the types of people I rather hang with. It is not racist, I have no respect for someone who doesn't want to better himself, who will use degrading terms to get what they want, and rely on everyone else to keep them going.

Easiest fix would be to treat problem areas in to basically Job Corps. Where you get paid depending on an individuals success. Which is gasp a federal program and works very well for that problem demographic. I'd take money out of the defense budget to pay for it =D

You get fed housed and taught then rewarded for your success. If you screw up you are out. Most often prison because let's face it most of the students who went there were basically one step away from prison already. It could easily be reworked for a k - 12 program for lower income areas.

I went to job corps, because it was the only option left to get high school diploma. My parents moved around lots, so I lost tons of schooling time because of. Basically chose that options to get my high school diploma and degree in a certain course, since it was uncertain if I would get moved again or not.

Edited by Uncle Sam
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I knew there was a reason I liked you. A Job Corps like school would solve the problem for the worst off areas though.

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I'll be more specific.

I abhor standardised testing, all it leads to is teaching to the test.

I abhor linking financing to test scores, it disadvantages schools.

The problem is the obsesseion with scores and how they look on a spreadsheet.

the solution is giving schools enough money to not have leaky roofs, enough computers for the class, books, carpet, ideally a digital whiteboard (they're dirt cheap when you buy in bulk, and they're an amazing teaching tool), teachers paaid a good enough wage that they enjoy going to wrk (a grumpy teacher makes for an atmosphere of discontent in the classroom, the more discontented the less work done, the lower the achievement).

I don't disagree with you. The fact that Iowa schools topped Washington schools shows that we should look at a wide range of solutions that aren't limited to just financing. Some of the problems come from the students and the teachers, themselves. All of the money in the world is useless if people refuse to learn. The tragedy is that some promising and talented boys and girls are surrounded by peers who mock them for their willingness to learn, and they are ridiculed when they are disciplined and studious. Add mediocre teachers to the detrimental students, and you see why many gifted children, especially in poor inner cities, are trapped in unfair circumstances. This is why charter schools have such long, strict waiting lists. It's a shame that all students can't be educated in Finnish schools with dedicated teachers.

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I don't disagree with you. The fact that Iowa schools topped Washington schools shows that we should look at a wide range of solutions that aren't limited to just financing. Some of the problems come from the students and the teachers, themselves. All of the money in the world is useless if people refuse to learn. The tragedy is that some promising and talented boys and girls are surrounded by peers who mock them for their willingness to learn, and they are ridiculed when they are disciplined and studious. Add mediocre teachers to the detrimental students, and you see why many gifted children, especially in poor inner cities, are trapped in unfair circumstances. This is why charter schools have such long, strict waiting lists. It's a shame that all students can't be educated in Finnish schools with dedicated teachers.

So is leveling the funding of the schools really going to fix any of that?

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So is leveling the funding of the schools really going to fix any of that?

Nope. As long as there is peers who are willing to look down on those who are willing to exceed in their studies, we are faced with an problem that in fact derives from pure pressure to fit in. The best way to fix this problem in the school is to change the atmosphere, to raise our children to succeed and feel comfortable with pushing themselves to exceed the expectations. Manipulating the children's environment, by making those who are the smartest and the brightest to become the most popular will actually make people strive to become a better student. We need popularity and status to be connected with grades instead of looks and sports, it is a very bad path we are going down with our school.

Students that want to focus on sports should be offered scholarships at all, because it is unfair and most teachers falsely give grades to those who lead them to championships. I hate seeing this and it is a mockery to those who obtain their scholarships without playing sports. This then unjustly allows most popular jackasses to attend any college they want, ending up with the same atmosphere that needs to be fixed. These people end up throwing parties and making it harder for those who come to succeed. The grade system also needs to be reworked to better suit the situation at hand, to help students obtain better grades and to see where they are failing, this allows students to correct their mistakes and become better. As for funding. It should be given to schools who show promise, but not before there is a internal investigation to determine their isn't any misuse of school money. We want to best for the children, to make them want to better themselves and to increase their knowledge across the board. To aspire and dream to be in college should be high on their lists, instead of getting laid or becoming popular if you understand where I am coming from.

Edited by Uncle Sam
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Manipulating the children's environment, by making those who are the smartest and the brightest to become the most popular will actually make people strive to become a better student. We need popularity and status to be connected with grades instead of looks and sports, it is a very bad path we are going down with our school.

That will never happen in this country. Athletes are worshiped like gods. When was the last time you saw a pep rally for a spelling bee, or sat in a stadium full of season ticket holders to watch the Debate Club?

Students that want to focus on sports should be offered scholarships at all, because it is unfair and most teachers falsely give grades to those who lead them to championships.
...because there are unwritten rules in the system: you do not fail an athlete; they must pass so they can play. Edited by J. K.
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So is leveling the funding of the schools really going to fix any of that?

I doubt it. The problems go way beyond funding. That's not to say that it's acceptable for any public school to lack things like books and supplies. It's just that most solutions for educational woes aren't financial.

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My husband is a liberal and that is the last thing he would want, so you can keep that inflammatory nonsense out of the dicussion. Though I do agree that money is not the answer and what do you know, so does he.

Well then he's in the minority. It's talked about all of the time here in New York as the libs bow to the altar of "social justice".

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lol, the autor has no friggin idea what is going on in schools taday. he is pbly old fart that went to schools decades ago.

minority and poors are not treated any differently than richer majority.

they underperform, becouse they are lazy, dumb f..ks, and have no interest in stdying, teachers have their hands tied behind the back, they can't do anyting to students, for missbehaving. detention, lol, they laugh at detention, and if you say something to minority student, they wil scream racist, and teacher gets in trobble.

anyone that thinks i'm wrong, feel free to talk to teachers that work in such schools today.

I havent read the rest of this thread, but im sure you already took a few hits for this post. I just want to say that the reason minorities are worse off in public schools is cause of a lack of parenting. And thats not even in every case, but it is in most cases, so even the few who have tried to raise thier families right, the neighborhood drags them down. Leaving only a small % of kids who make it out. I have a very clear view of this. I live inbetween one of the worst, and one of the best towns in NY. The school my son goes to is litteraly the best school district in the state. 75% of the kids who graduate attend some type of college after high school. On the other hand there is a getto just 10 mins away from that school district. High crime, fatherless kids, drugs, violence, ect ect ect. And that school district has a way bigger budget then the one my son attends. They have been trying to solve the problem with more and more money, only to see things get worse every year. Thier problems will all go away when thier fathers decide they love thier children more then they love, well, what ever it is that makes them abandon them.

And the federal government doesnt help anything. I was watching a show called gangland the other day. It was talking about gangs in Chicago. Once the jobs left the area back in the late 70's 95% of minorities ended up on federal welfare. One of the rules to get it was the fathers couldnt live with the family receiving it. There were litteraly fathers leaving who wanted to stay, just so thier kids could eat.

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This has been going on for 30+ years in America that there ready to announce its ineffectiveness means they accomplished the agenda of an uneducated America. What will be replacing standardized testing. I predict indoctrination.

This is already taking place. In Utah when teachers go on strike, some of the teachers take their students to the meetings. Education needs to be returned the local people.

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The defense budget is one of the few legitimate expenditures for federal tax dollars.

What??? The very term "defense budget" is a joke. Its more like empire budget. We spend nearly as much on military as the entire world combined does. That is a tragic waste of money. We are most likely just months away from a deserved economic collapse, and military spending is in the top 2 of reasons why.

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This has been going on for 30+ years in America that there ready to announce its ineffectiveness means they accomplished the agenda of an uneducated America. What will be replacing standardized testing. I predict indoctrination.

This is already taking place. In Utah when teachers go on strike, some of the teachers take their students to the meetings. Education needs to be returned the local people.

lol, the autor has no friggin idea what is going on in schools taday. he is pbly old fart that went to schools decades ago.

minority and poors are not treated any differently than richer majority.

they underperform, becouse they are lazy, dumb f..ks, and have no interest in stdying, teachers have their hands tied behind the back, they can't do anyting to students, for missbehaving. detention, lol, they laugh at detention, and if you say something to minority student, they wil scream racist, and teacher gets in trobble.

anyone that thinks i'm wrong, feel free to talk to teachers that work in such schools today.

I disagree with this don't blame the kids, for what the government and unions are doing. The teachers are no longer teachng, except to teach the kids to pss a test.

Our founding fathers didn't want the government, state or federial nolved in teaching the kids.

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I'm really sorry but the people of the United States of America disagree and have done so for many many decades.

Im really sorry to. Cause its a major reason we are raising a bunch of idiots. Its also the reason our college students owe over a trillion dollars in student loans that they cant pay for. Wait till that bubble bursts.

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Im really sorry to. Cause its a major reason we are raising a bunch of idiots. Its also the reason our college students owe over a trillion dollars in student loans that they cant pay for. Wait till that bubble bursts.

It always cracks me up when you see an interview with one of these people on TV, who majored in Drama, or Fine Arts, or Literature, or Foreign Language... and ran up 100,000+ dollars in student loans. And then when they get out into the "Real World" and have to work at WalMart for 8 dollars and hour, part time, because no one told them that there are 100 jobs out of 5000 graduates for French Language experts. Or that there are only ten thousand positions nationwide they are qualified for and they are all already filled. And then they have to default on their loans and then they end up bitter and angry because they studied for 4, 6 or 8 years and are making minimum wage. THINK PEOPLE! Before you chose a Major, THINK! What would I do with this degree and how would I pay for these loans?? Getting a Masters in Art is fine if you can afford it, but not if you have 100,000 dollars of debt piled on top of it.

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Or better yet why are invalid degrees being offered ? If there is a quota of jobs then enrollment should be adjusted accordingly. If you want to avoid problems like you mention DieChecker. Or does it just keep professors employed. Is there no counselors or career guides that may help explain this to enrolling students or when you declare a major. I mean really if were being monitored everytime we take a **** why cant they itleast monitor things that help people out in making smarter choices instead of letting them fail at the game of life.

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My youngest Sister-In-Law(SIL) is in high school and her Advisor (They don't call them Councilors anymore apparently), told her to go after a general diploma, and so stuck her in Algebra 1, though she had never taken any algebra before. The school offers Pre-Algebra, but they said that to take that is not in the general diploma program. So, my SIL failed the class. When asked what to do, the Advisor said that it was OK, because she can just keep taking that class over and over till she passes. But, taking pre-algebra is strickly prohibited.

So she is expecting to fail again. This is idiotic....

Pre-Algebra + Alegebra = Success => NOT Allowed for general diploma.

Algebra (Fail) + Algebra (Fail) + Algebra (Fail) + Algebra (Pass) => Allowed.

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