Do we need more funding for public schools?
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2
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Yes, we do need more money to fund education and the teachers who bring that invaluable information to our future....the children. I also believe the curriculum for students must reflect the world we live in and the world they will find themselves in upon graduation. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that we also go back in time a bit in order to provide the services to children and teens THEY will be most suited to when the day comes for them to join the ranks of workers in America. Many of you probably have not noticed but we have virtually lost an entire category of people that were once "In The Trades." They included carpenters, electricians, plumbers, bricklayers and artisans of all types. Today everyone wants to further their education by going to college, university and community colleges for associates degrees. There is something very right about wishing to further one's education, however, not everyone is suited to achieving that goal. Through the years colleges have lowered their standards to such a degree that almost anyone can attend and get through! I do not see this as a positive thing in many cases. Some of those people should have been tested at various levels in school in order to ascertain their abilities and mental capacity for further education. Please do not misunderstand. I am absolutely an advocate of higher education but I am also keenly aware of many college students who would have been much better suited to something else. It is my belief that we should consider turning the clock a bit backward in order to have our colleges places of further education and not a further opportunity to learn what should have been learned in High School. We need artisans of all types in the world and we need the funding in order to accomplish that goal within our school systems. Before I moved to Connecticut and was still living very close to New York City, I had made a decision to attend John Jay College in Manhattan to take classes majoring in Forensic Psychology. I had been a Private Investigator Operative for several years in my spare time and the forensic field interested me. As I sat in student orientation that day to fill out a plethora of paperwork and listen to school entrance speeches, we were then split up into groups of about a dozen people with the same major in mind. There was a portion of that time devoted to a go around of each person explaining their desire to enter the field and what motivated them to do so. Out of 12 people only one could fully explain it, only two could put a sentence or two together that most could understand and only one could explain their motivation! When it came to filling out yet another form, people suddenly dragged their chairs near me to ask what 50% of the questions meant and these were not difficult queries. These people belonged in that major like an alligator belongs in the desert! I don't know how they made it through high school let alone be smart enough to even begin to fill out the paperwork for college! Side: It's a must
3
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Many of you probably have not noticed but we have virtually lost an entire category of people that were once "In The Trades." They included carpenters, electricians, plumbers, bricklayers and artisans of all types. Today everyone wants to further their education by going to college, university and community colleges for associates degrees. There is something very right about wishing to further one's education, however, not everyone is suited to achieving that goal. Through the years colleges have lowered their standards to such a degree that almost anyone can attend and get through! I agree that not every one is suited for college education, and that there is nothing wrong with it!!! We need all types of people in this world to do all sorts of jobs, and as some one with 9 years of college education I have NEVER thought that I was better than those with out it! We need the security guards, the maintenance people, the cleaning staff, and others at the Hospital I work at in order for the research and patient care to happen. We all interact with each other and no one is more important than another person based on the job they have or the college education they have. I think that the show "Dirty Jobs" really highlights this point! Some of those people should have been tested at various levels in school in order to ascertain their abilities and mental capacity for further education. I am not sure when this testing should be done... I was some one with average grades in high school, good at science but not in math, and even got some Cs. I was NOT some one that people considered smart and PhD qualified. But then when I got to college and found a major that I loved and was really passionate about, I was on the Dean's list getting As, and even went on to get my PhD. This testing at a young age might have hurt me, and not allowed me to go to college in a science field or even get my PhD. So some people "bloom" at different ages or in different topics of education, and these tests don't show that always. Side: It's a must
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I agree with your assessment that kids being tested at a young age is really not the way to go and I'm certainly not an advocate of something like that. Children and teens develop patterns in learning from middle school throughout high school and once that pattern is noticed through grades and general study habits it may be time to pay attention to what's happening. I suppose they still have guidance counselors in school that can also help is this. I think that what I'm saying is what you said so succinctly in your response. No person should ever be made to feel 'less than' if college is not their path...but I also see and feel the push from parents that their children are GOING to college come hook or crook. You're absolutely on target with children blooming at different ages and they do...they always have. When I was in school we were tested every couple of years to ascertain the good and the bad in our personal education level. If someone continually falls below standards, which I find much too lax today anyway, someone needs to notice this and direct them further and see what the problems are. Many times there are problems outside of the school house that need tending to. What to do in that case should be taken up at parent-teacher conferences I think. Side: It's a must
The Fund for Educational Excellence (FFEE) is a non profit organization located in Baltimore, Maryland. The program's promary focus is to increase academic achievement with students apart of the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS) by creating programs and writing grants by partnering with local businesses and community members. Side: It's a must
Although I never vote against funding for education, I feel that our educational system is fundamentally flawed. We need to throw it out an start from scratch. Since that will never happen, all we can do is patch the system and make do. Part of the educational funding must include support for the families. Studies show that kids whose parents are involved do far better. We need to help single parents (and those working over 40 hrs a week) find the time to play a role in their children's education. Side: Parental role
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The key to an effective democracy is an educated public. In addition, for America to stay competitive in fields such as engineering and sciences education is a must. Nations such as China, Japan and other European nations are quickly overtaking Americans in these areas. If you look at most American Universities you will see large numbers of foreign students, more then there have been in previous years. This is simply because the U.S. has an inadequate public education system. In order for us to stay economically dominate, we need to continue to make education a priority. Side: It's a must
FFEE began through mini-grants to teachers, helping them by getting them to purchase books or equipment, design new lesson plans, and other individual or small group projects. FFEE saw that while mini-grants were beneficial to individual classrooms, over time the Fund saw the need for a more substantial school reform program that could make a lasting impact on teaching and learning in BCPSS. Side: It's a must
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Just throwing money at it isn't going to work, but I think funding combined with a rethinking of the whole system will definitely solve the problem. If you can pay your teachers more money then more people will want to become teachers. Also giving money for schools to have current books, and current equipment and technology is certainly important. Plus, schools should never have to cut art or drama programs from lack of funds, as is the case at some public high schools. Side: It's a must
Flocke is a polar bear cub who was born in captivity at the Nuremberg Zoo in 2007. A few weeks after her birth, she was removed from her mother's care after concerns were raised for her safety. Although the zoo had established a strict non-interference policy with its animals, officials chose to raise the cub by hand. Side: It's a must
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I personally don't believe that money has to do with quality education. I think it is time to take cues from the poorest nations in the world as far as our educational system. Places brick & mortar schools are falling in and children that have no text books far out preform the US. We need to re-think how we teach. Side: It's a must
In 1998, the Fund introduced the Achievement First whole school reform model which emphasizes literacy. FFEE uses on-site professional development to model and encourage teachers to adopt better practices in literacy instruction and work with principals to become better instructional leaders of their schools. Side: It's a must
I ran this idea by Joe in a two person debate (me and him.) So I'll try it here in hopes someone has real opinions (not to belittle Joe's one liners and glue like attachment to points I'd obviously discredited.) 1. Pay teachers a starting salary of 60k a year, with substantial raises every year. (cheaper than any war we've ever waged) 2. Watch as teaching becomes a profession sought after by the best and the brightest, instead of a fall back for the dumb or lazy (yeah there are good teachers, I had 2 K-12, you get the point though.) I know it sounds almost like a conservative free market idea. But trust me, no conservative would go for that until we start calling teachers CEO's. Side: teacher CEO
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