Millions of American parents and voters hated school as children, now their children hate school. So tell me why all these parents and voters aren’t doing something about the situation besides making snarky comments on comics reminding us of how hateful school is? How many of you have attended a local school board meeting? How many of you have attended a school’s parents visiting day? How many of you have indicated to your local, state and federal representatives that this or that needs to be fixed?
Knowledge is meant to set the soul free. What it usually does is chain the body and spirit to a 9-5 corporate job with a mediocre salary and a 45 year sentence…
Run Nerwin… Become a hippie, the soul is more important than 3 square (or other shaped) meals per day.
@sottwell… I imagine it’s got something to do with a warped sense of justice… If I had to go through it, then you sure as heck are, why should you get get off Scott free? Besides I turned out all right didn’t I? Now hand me my bottle of whiskey.
Oh and I’m sure it’s not just Americans, broaden your outlook, it is the Internet after all.
If we taxpayers would ante up so that class sizes could be in the 20s rather than high 30s the students might just enjoy school!
The other main issue is “not my child” when it comes to behavioral issues. So little “johnny” who can do no wrong in momma’s eyes goes to school and terrorizes little “billy & sally & etc…. Then little “billy & sally & etc…” hate school, even though they are good and might even want to learn!
Extend the school year, but shorten the weeks. Three months of summer vacation is too long; too much is forgotten, and it makes the other nine months too oppressive by contrast.
Four days of classes and then three days off, with two weeks of vacation in the summer and two weeks in the winter…
(And yeah, I fully agree about class sizes, as well.)
@sottwell, the public schools can’t be fixed until we get rid of the NEA. We homeschooled for 10 years, and enlisted a Classical school for the last few years of high school.
Even FDR, who patiently packed the court until he could get his unconstitutional programs passed under the mantra of “it regulates interstate commerce”, and was a huge supporter of private sector unions, denounced public sector unions.
There are good schools and bad. There are good teachers and bad. There is no simple, easy solution. However, if you can read and write and do math, YOU KNOW WHO TO THANK!
Charles Evans Premium Member over 13 years ago
He obviously DID get that backward.
margueritem over 13 years ago
Nerwin, such treasures await through that door…
Llewellenbruce over 13 years ago
Behave yourself today Nerwin in school.
Yukoner over 13 years ago
Is he saying that prisons make the best schools?
sottwell over 13 years ago
Millions of American parents and voters hated school as children, now their children hate school. So tell me why all these parents and voters aren’t doing something about the situation besides making snarky comments on comics reminding us of how hateful school is? How many of you have attended a local school board meeting? How many of you have attended a school’s parents visiting day? How many of you have indicated to your local, state and federal representatives that this or that needs to be fixed?
GROG Premium Member over 13 years ago
A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
tirnaaisling over 13 years ago
Knowledge is meant to set the soul free. What it usually does is chain the body and spirit to a 9-5 corporate job with a mediocre salary and a 45 year sentence…
Run Nerwin… Become a hippie, the soul is more important than 3 square (or other shaped) meals per day.
@sottwell… I imagine it’s got something to do with a warped sense of justice… If I had to go through it, then you sure as heck are, why should you get get off Scott free? Besides I turned out all right didn’t I? Now hand me my bottle of whiskey.
Oh and I’m sure it’s not just Americans, broaden your outlook, it is the Internet after all.
lewisbower over 13 years ago
With a 65% dropout rate in my town, the correction’s union has a bigger stranglehold on us taxpayers than the teacher’s union.
Allison Nunn Premium Member over 13 years ago
If we taxpayers would ante up so that class sizes could be in the 20s rather than high 30s the students might just enjoy school! The other main issue is “not my child” when it comes to behavioral issues. So little “johnny” who can do no wrong in momma’s eyes goes to school and terrorizes little “billy & sally & etc…. Then little “billy & sally & etc…” hate school, even though they are good and might even want to learn!
RinaFarina over 13 years ago
How about class sizes in the teens? That’s supposed to be the ideal size. The teacher can give attention to each child individually.
fritzoid Premium Member over 13 years ago
Extend the school year, but shorten the weeks. Three months of summer vacation is too long; too much is forgotten, and it makes the other nine months too oppressive by contrast.
Four days of classes and then three days off, with two weeks of vacation in the summer and two weeks in the winter…
(And yeah, I fully agree about class sizes, as well.)
stuart over 13 years ago
@sottwell, the public schools can’t be fixed until we get rid of the NEA. We homeschooled for 10 years, and enlisted a Classical school for the last few years of high school.
Even FDR, who patiently packed the court until he could get his unconstitutional programs passed under the mantra of “it regulates interstate commerce”, and was a huge supporter of private sector unions, denounced public sector unions.
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/02/18/the-first-blow-against-public-employees/fdr-warned-us-about-public-sector-unions
Yakety Sax over 13 years ago
There are good schools and bad. There are good teachers and bad. There is no simple, easy solution. However, if you can read and write and do math, YOU KNOW WHO TO THANK!
Thanks to all educators everywhere.
lewisbower over 13 years ago
Get rid of tenure. Might make sense to unions but not to anyone with an ounce of intelligence.