US Education system working well.

[DrLeftover]

18 Sept

Wednesday marked national Constitution Day, the 227th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. But only 36 percent of Americans can actually name the three branches of government the Constitution created.

That’s according to a new survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center, and it shows a huge percentage of Americans might need to take a civics refresher course.

Only 38 percent of Americans knew the Republican Party controls the U.S. House of Representatives, while 17 percent think Democrats are still in charge. The number of people who knew Republicans were in charge has dropped 17 percent since the last time Annenberg asked, back in 2011, right after Republicans reclaimed control.

An identical number, 38 percent, knows Democrats run the Senate, while 20 percent believe Republicans control the upper chamber. Only 27 percent knew it takes a two-thirds majority of the House and Senate to override a presidential veto.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/09/18/only-36-percent-of-americans-can-name-the-three-branches-of-government/

 

[Dee]

ROFL.

My ass it's working well. Maybe in some ways, but definitely not compared to the rest of the world. We are so behind in math, science, and reading that it's laughable.

 

[DrLeftover]

The liberals, as embodied in the very progressive NEA and AFT unions, have been working to turn out a generation incapable of independent thought who will vote for Democrats.

Like I said.

The System is working as intended.

 

[Webster]

I'm of two minds when it comes to the state of public education in America...on the one hand, it does need some major improvements: improvements to infrastructure, improvements in teacher training and support, protections for said teachers w/in the school system at-large, etc.,etc. On that part, I'd stand alongside those wanting to reform the system...

On the other hand, we've made the system so hidebound on short-term testing results as to effectively stifle teacher & school initiative that any long-term reforms essentially become meaningless....

*reads Doc's post above and adds in a decidedly deadpan snarkish tone* And, sir, if it weren't for those progressive unions as you so eloquently put it above, the schools would be in even worse shape than they are at present, all things being equal...

 

[DrLeftover]

*reads Doc's post above and adds in a decidedly deadpan snarkish tone* And, sir, if it weren't for those progressive unions as you so eloquently put it above, the schools would be in even worse shape than they are at present, all things being equal...

Maybe. I'll give you ... half .... of that one.

It is also the unions, with their demand of tenure, that made it damned near impossible to fire a teacher that should have been at that "you want fries with that" place instead of in the classroom, and contributed massively to the nationalization of the curriculum that has led directly to that nightmare that began with Outcome Based Education and moved on to "Common Core" from there.

What a leap forward that was.

 

[Dee]

NCLB didn't help much either. Bullshit standardized testing that evaluates rote learning instead of substance and mastery of skills. The few schools I managed to learn/teach in were implementing a different kind of grading system based on mastery of skills or this idea of the common core state standards. I get where they're going with it, but again, not going to work for every state, every district, every neighborhood and therefore completely ignoring aspects like socio-economics and whatnot. And don't get me started on implementing a system to evaluate teacher performances... >_>

 

[Webster]

NCLB didn't help much either. Bullshit standardized testing that evaluates rote learning instead of substance and mastery of skills. The few schools I managed to learn/teach in were implementing a different kind of grading system based on mastery of skills or this idea of the common core state standards. I get where they're going with it, but again, not going to work for every state, every district, every neighborhood and therefore completely ignoring aspects like socio-economics and whatnot. And don't get me started on implementing a system to evaluate teacher performances... >_>

No Child Left Behind was and remains an abysmal joke; to this day, I'm still wondering what the hell Ted Kennedy was thinking working with Dubya on that whole thing...

 

[Bluezone777]

I think it would be more correct to say people get educated in spite of our education system rather then because of it. You do not get the sort of country America has become due to a well regulated and set up education system. Passing a test and being able to spit out truth does not make you educated as it's when you comprehend why the truth is the truth is what makes you educated and many fail to achieve that hence the problems we face today.

 

[Dee]

I think it would be more correct to say people get educated in spite of our education system rather then because of it. You do not get the sort of country America has become due to a well regulated and set up education system. Passing a test and being able to spit out truth does not make you educated as it's when you comprehend why the truth is the truth is what makes you educated and many fail to achieve that hence the problems we face today.

Exactly. We're not focusing in teaching children why they're learning certain curriculum, or why they're not learning other things. And we're gyping then out of real world skills and facts that would benefit them in addition to the curriculum they're forced to memorize because the state wants you to in order to receive federal funding. SMH. I could go on all day about this.

 

[DrLeftover]

True story here.

Just a few years ago I was working part time at a Community Service Agency.

One of the things we did there was sign off on "community service volunteer hours" for both the court system and for various educational organizations such as a couple of local high schools and colleges that had a "service hours" obligation as part of their graduation requirement.

Here's the thing:

When the young people came in to do their hours, they had to fill out while in the office a basic form that stated things like who they were, which outfit had sent them there, what they wanted to do/ could do for their hours, and so on. One page. Basic, straightforward information for the agency's records.

I would be lying if I said that half of them could fill it out without significant help from staff.

It didn't matter if they were there from the court because they got in trouble, from the high school because they needed hours to graduate, or from the State College for the same reason.

They COULD NOT read the form, understand what was being asked, and fill in the blank with the correct information.

 

[Dee]

True story here.

Just a few years ago I was working part time at a Community Service Agency.

One of the things we did there was sign off on "community service volunteer hours" for both the court system and for various educational organizations such as a couple of local high schools and colleges that had a "service hours" obligation as part of their graduation requirement.

Here's the thing:

When the young people came in to do their hours, they had to fill out while in the office a basic form that stated things like who they were, which outfit had sent them there, what they wanted to do/ could do for their hours, and so on. One page. Basic, straightforward information for the agency's records.

I would be lying if I said that half of them could fill it out without significant help from staff.

It didn't matter if they were there from the court because they got in trouble, from the high school because they needed hours to graduate, or from the State College for the same reason.

They COULD NOT read the form, understand what was being asked, and fill in the blank with the correct information.

I didn't learn how to fill out forms in school. My parents taught me that. I was taught how to write and address letters/postcards/envelopes and stuff in school, but never actually filling out a form.

One thing I will say is that schools shouldn't be responsible for teaching children everything. It is absolutely pertinent that parents get involved in their children's education because teachers only have so much time, and are under so much pressure from their administration to teach a certain curriculum that it's impossible to help students with everything. Part of the blame needs to fall on parents regardless of how busy they are with work or other life issues.

When you have a child, you damn well better take the time to raise them and teach them things about life they'll need to know when it's time to step out into the world. Otherwise, those people who just don't make the time don't need to have children.

 

[DrLeftover]

I guess reading directions, then reading a question and entering the required information in the space provided needs to be a separate course.

Maybe we could squeeze it in between "rain forest awareness" and "why republicans hate polar bears".

 

[Evil Eye]

Could we see one of those forms, Doc?

 

[+paradox]

Jeff Bliss a student from Duncanville owns his teacher [Original]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3h5jcI-MFI


Jeff Bliss official interview talking about what really went down at Duncanville Highschool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBpDswLlW9U

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Charter schools and vouchers would be a good start to fix the system. Competition is the answer to have the best teaches and schools.

 

[DrLeftover]

The forms were printed, not online. I have no access to them as they are now 850 miles <--- thataway.

 

[+paradox]

*WARNING* Explicit Language


The Reason Education Sucks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILQepXUhJ98

David Diamondheart via Google+ 2 months ago

What does it mean for America when the only people who are willing to tell the truth are comedians?

Scott Thornton 7 months ago

More truth jammed in five minutes and eight seconds than you could get from watching CNN, MSNBC and Fox News for a year.

Will Sync 5 months ago

I have independently come to the same basic conclusions as G.C.  Presidents come and go. Pawns in the game. The players change but the game doesn't. Here it is: Public debt/tax for private profit.   Bail out the casino banksters, screw U borrowers and taxpayers.  This is the red white and blue dick George is referring to. Detroit is just the beginning folks. We can do way better for our citizens. It takes showing up and voting. On the appointed day use your true red, white, and blue, political power and VOTE! Show up.  Lets show them the thing they fear, a blow out loss for all the millions spent. I smell fear.

IZn0g0uDatAll 2 months ago

Always thought it was interesting how with an essentially very left wing discourse, Carlin was approved in everything he said by the majority of Americans I have met, who happen to be extremely right wing in average. Take this video: he is essentially saying that private interests, corporations and lobbies are the problem in America, that the problem is the amount of power they hold on politics, and people are ok with that, but still, keep voting for a Republican party that basically advocates giving more money and power to the rich and the corporations, and demonize public interest as "communist" and "dictatorship" (Democrats are a bit, but not much, better).

My conclusion is that when presented in a way where they cannot rely on the propaganda and clichés they receive every single day (State = evil, private property = always good, rich = deserving etc...), a large portion of Americans actually happen to agree with left wing principles. They just don't know it.

zerothehero123 2 months ago

You people realize that the whole political scheme is a false paradigm right? You're not going to change this by voting because, as George said, it's there to give you the illusion of freedom of choice. Divide and conquer. We all know what happens to people who really want to change shit. Gadaffi, Hussein(mind you I don't see him as an innocent man, but the reason he was killed had more to do with him accepting euros for oil then being a dictator) , Kennedy, Lincoln and an example from my own country Pim Fortuyn etc get killed. Offed by the "big wealthy business interests". Who do you think he's talking about? McDonald's? They sure as hell don't mind McDonald's spreading their poisonous garbage around the world so that the pharmaceutical industrial complex can make big bucks of of all the disease that it causes, but the root cause is far more vile and sick. There's a pattern here and you can look for it yourselves. Their fingerprints are all over the last 200 years of history and still people think that they can vote or protest it all away. I grew up to believe the world was kinda shitty sometimes but that there were enough good things and hope for better times in the future. Then the ice cold hard realization that it's going to get bad. Like really really bad. When you're in denial you become vulnerable to delusions, which I am very much too. It feels soothing to think there's an easy way out of all of this, but in reality there isn't. So I try to enjoy myself and brace for the hell that they're going to unleash on all of us. To those who know what I'm talking about, you're not alone and people are waking up every day. Hopefully it will be enough to make a difference.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

And the schools are run by the left. Why should the left teach such things as the Constitution when they hate everything about it.

 

[+paradox]

And the schools are run by the left. Why should the left teach such things as the Constitution when they hate everything about it.

wow, what an uneducated guess there @liberty... maybe that's why you're always wrong on things...

Who runs our schools? Is it the principal? The unions? The superintendent? The school board? The state secretary of education?

Or is it the state school board? The governor? The state legislature?

Perhaps it's the U.S. secretary of education? Or Congress?

Answer: All of the above.

Maybe that is our problem.

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/opinion/2014/05/28/really-runs-schools/9563247/

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

And the schools are run by the left. Why should the left teach such things as the Constitution when they hate everything about it.

wow, what an uneducated guess there @liberty... maybe that's why you're always wrong on things...

Who runs our schools? Is it the principal? The unions? The superintendent? The school board? The state secretary of education?

Or is it the state school board? The governor? The state legislature?

Perhaps it's the U.S. secretary of education? Or Congress?

Answer: All of the above.

Maybe that is our problem.

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/opinion/2014/05/28/really-runs-schools/9563247/

No it is perfectly right answer on the ideology of most of the people who are at the heart of our education system. And keep your personal opinions about the subject not me. Stay on topic for once.