Almost 70% of 8th Grader are Stupid...

originally posted by: grey580
a reply to: Edumakated

How is this possible with all the money we spend on education locally and the billions of dollars the fed steals from us every year to fund the Dept of Education?

Well, of course, that money has to go in someones pocket. Lately that education funding is going in to the pockets of charter schools.

coloradopolitics.com...

And that's a good thing. At least THOSE kids will get a proper education.

Step 1: Abolish the DOE. It's the only federal department that actually rivals the U.N. in absolute uselessness, and besides that, the federal government has no business dictating education policy to the states.

Step 2: Take the portion of the federal budget that the DOE would've controlled, then add it to the money that would've been used to actually RUN the former DOE, and then divide all that money up and block-grant in to the states.

Step 3: Do away with teacher's unions, and add that money back to teacher's salaries.

Step 4: Abolish that absolute disaster called the tenure system, for reasons that should be obvious to anyone. Think of it just like Term-Limits in Congress, except with Education majors. Teachers are great people, most of the time, at least. I even married one. Teachers should be hired and fired on merit alone, just like every other employee in the country. A school system should be able to hire and fire teachers based on the needs of the STUDENTS. Not the teacher's union.

Eventually we'll weed out all the non-hackers, and start to employ a least a FEW teachers that are DON'T suffer from liberal bias induced brain damage. After that it's only a matter of time before we'll start to see the creme rise to the top.


Discuss...
Then start from the beginning.

The only other alternative I can suggest is that we take off, and nuke the entire site from orbit.
It's the only way to be sure.

originally posted by: Edumakated

How is this possible with all the money we spend on education locally and the billions of dollars the fed steals from us every year to fund the Dept of Education?

While I am no friend of the teacher's unions, I believe results like this are a reflection of how some segments of our society are just failing at parenting. Schools reflect the communities they serve. Good public schools aren't good because of the teachers, but because the majority of students come from homes that expect academic excellence. In many areas, public schools have become glorified day care and social service programs, not places of higher learning.

Discuss...

We think all of America is the same, and what drives this is we see the same stores, restaurant, businesses, language etc, so it all looks generally the same unlike lets say London compared to Moscow. The deal is we are so big and so different too. There are some real crappy areas to live in and the people there are a big reason why it is that way. I always say that if you see crappy cops, education, government etc they are a direct reflection to what the population is like.

Where I live the schools are good, parents are highly involved, cops are great etc and my son finished AP Calculus in 11 grade, so I'm pretty sure results are much different here.

originally posted by: Starhooker
a reply to: scraedtosleep
Or have uneducated brown people do it for them

Not sure what point your trying to make here.

a reply to: MteWamp

good stuff.

You should email it to trump. Though my guess is once he got rid of the DOE he will just use the money for his wall.

Our government wants us to be dumb.

originally posted by: Xtrozero

originally posted by: Edumakated

How is this possible with all the money we spend on education locally and the billions of dollars the fed steals from us every year to fund the Dept of Education?

While I am no friend of the teacher's unions, I believe results like this are a reflection of how some segments of our society are just failing at parenting. Schools reflect the communities they serve. Good public schools aren't good because of the teachers, but because the majority of students come from homes that expect academic excellence. In many areas, public schools have become glorified day care and social service programs, not places of higher learning.

Discuss...

We think all of America is the same, and what drives this is we see the same stores, restaurant, businesses, language etc, so it all looks generally the same unlike lets say London compared to Moscow. The deal is we are so big and so different too. There are some real crappy areas to live and the people there are a big reason why it is that way. I always say that if you see crappy cops, education government etc they are a direct reflection to what the population is like.

Where I live the schools are good, parents are highly involved, cops are great etc and my son finished AP Calculus in 11 grade, so I'm pretty sure results are much different here.

shhhhhh, we don't allow informed responses here at ats.

Kids need hopes and aspirations, many never get that for various reasons. Money won't fix it... Unless the money goes to parenting classes.

I make no qualms about my own past, I didn't even finish school and I had to double down in college just to get my knowledge on the basics sanctified with little pieces of paper. I was lucky and I know many people my age who still can't add up or write properly.

The mind of a youth is a horrible thing to waste.

Kids need to be engaged with a useful skill at an early age, somewhere between 12-14 I'd say. I know I'd have stuck in if I wasn't learning the same crap day in day out. When one teacher has 30 students it's no wonder that basic education takes priority and nobody holds a real interest in the higher education of the youth.

That's why a burden lays with parents... It's easy to blame parents though but ultimately many kids are being raised by slightly bigger kids whom went through the exact same failing system.

I can only surmise that it's an issue with society as a whole. Little ambition exists because many kids see parents struggling, their own options being limited and the lust for knowledge being eroded.

Instead of asking kids what they want to be when they are older we should be asking what they want to do now, then see about how we can facilitate that.

Because many waste years away until they realise the necessity of a good education and that is sad.

originally posted by: scraedtosleep


shhhhhh, we don't allow informed responses here at ats.

Ya I'm sorry I'll try and not do that again...

originally posted by: RAY1990


Because many waste years away until they realise the necessity of a good education and that is sad.

I'm married to an Asian...my kids were reading and spelling flash cards by the age of 3...need I say more...lol

a reply to: grey580

I think you meant to say, "public school administrators."

originally posted by: Edumakated

originally posted by: StallionDuck
Title irony! Wanna go back and fix that?

Only if you fix your "Wanna". I knew the grammar and punctuation Nazis would come out.

Not all of us.

Some of us are familiar with your other posts and gave you the benefit of the doubt.

a reply to: Aazadan

When I was in 8th grade, I knew all of that stuff. I had learned long division in 3rd grade and was being exposed to fractions by then as well. My 8th grade years *was* algebra.

a reply to: scraedtosleep

WooHoo?

Know what my kid is doing this summer?

He's spending 6 weeks at science camp at his own request. Then he's spending 3 days/2 nights at a sleepaway camp for martial arts, again at his request. In between there, he's likely going to attend a LEGO Engineering class on one of his free weeks ... again, because he wants to.

On his own time, he will likely use our computers to do stuff because he knows how, but I bet he'll learn more then a kid scrolling through YouTube videos sitting on his or her butt no matter how smart that appears.

He is also 7 and learned how to use the computers several years ago. He simply prefers being an active learner.

originally posted by: Edumakated
According to the National Assessment of Education Progress test, 67% of public school 8th graders are not proficient in Math and 65% are not proficient in English. W to the T to the F!

Time to make those tests easier to pass, again.

Does anyone here still really think that the school system is about edcucation?
Do schools teach young folks to use critical thinking, balance a budget, etc?
Or do schools merely prepare workers, to do jobs?

originally posted by: Xtrozero

originally posted by: RAY1990


Because many waste years away until they realise the necessity of a good education and that is sad.

I'm married to an Asian...my kids were reading and spelling flash cards by the age of 3...need I say more...lol

That's interaction though.

Many kids are being raised on computer games, which in itself isn't bad since it encourages other skills and reading, depending on the games.

A lot of parents work 40-60 hours a week, it can be hard striking the balance or finding the time.

a reply to: Edumakated

not long ago one of my nieces asked me to help her with her math homework. i sat down and reviewed the chapter then began to show her what they wanted the student to know and how to work out the problems. she stopped me. she said, "no, i just want to know how to put it in my calculator. i don't need to know how to do it on paper."

this is the basic mindset of today's youth.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: Nickn3

This problem spans generations.

I agree. The most important thing is to be a good example for your kids.

originally posted by: Edumakated
A big issue is that these kids will still need to learn how to write with a pen and paper. Handle basic math without a calculator. I see so many kids these days who can't seem to write a complete sentence without using some sort of twitter shorthand.

I'm not convinced that's an issue though, language evolves over time and adapts to the circumstances. The written word is currently evolving very quickly. That doesn't necessarily mean the kids are doing it wrong.

originally posted by: scraedtosleep
a reply to: Nickn3

and the parents have to be involved in their children's lives and education

Hard to do when both parents have to work just to pay the bills.

What we need is a system that allows more free time for parents to spend with their children.
8 hour work days is as much to blame for this as anything else.

That's an excuse, the kids are far more important than a days pay. And anyone working an 8 hour day has 16 hours a day, through the week and another 48 on weekends to influence their kids. I bet a lot of parents party with friends on weekends and dump the kids on grandparents or tv, or the mall. I think that's the problem. Kid are a natural resource worth more than gold that get dumped on anyone conventionally available for the most part.

It's time to grow a pair and spend time with you prodigy.

originally posted by: scraedtosleep
a reply to: DBCowboy

Arn't you the one that said their kid impressed them with some piano skills?


I think this generation coming up will prove to be one of the smartest that has ever been.


Now if only they can hurry up and invent cold fusion before I die.

That's just the modern day version of kids knowing how to use a remote control better than their parents. When you grow up with something it's second nature, it doesn't involve the process of building analogies to existing information, but rather creates new information. That's not really smarts.

originally posted by: rickymouse
The fact that kids have access to computers to do the math means they do not think they need to memorize the principles. When you do math in school without the aid of a calculator, it conditions you to learn to think and to organize your thoughts and practices. The new system is not working, it can't unless they get rid of computers and calculators. We could not even use a slide rule to do our math when we went to school, and look at what our generation created. We were smart enough to employ those who had ideas and could build the technology that has been created, technology that is coming back to haunt us lately. Maybe we really were not that smart to create that stuff afterall. My generation could not fathom how technology could destroy our kids and grandkids.

Imagine if someone said that because their generation invented the pocket lighter, which lead to a decline in peoples ability to start fire by rubbing sticks together.