Hey kids, I've got some great news for you. Mr. Obama says you need to go to school more. In a story ran in The Tennessean (** see link below) on September 28, 2009, Obama and his Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan (pictured right), believe kids don't spend enough time in school and are therefore "disadvantaged" compared to kids in other countries. They believe schools need to add more time to classes, stay open late, and even be open on weekends.
Surely they're kidding. When is it enough ?? When are they gonna let kids be kids ?? When I started school, classes started after Labor Day and we got out for the summer the first week of June. Basically, we had nine months of school and then a three month summer break. We got a two week break at Christmas and then another week in the spring. Almost everyone graduated, parents were involved and worked with the teachers to get us the best education possible. Sometimes kids got in fights but they didn't take guns to school to maim and kill classmates. Teachers were respected.
Now, classes start the first week of August and end in late May with the same break at Christmas and in the spring that we had. The kids are now in school nearly ten months and out for only two in the summer. Graduation rates are lower and the parent-teacher relationship is not as strong as it used to be. In fact, many times the parents blame the teachers if their kid doesn't do well and kids are taking guns to school and killing and maiming teachers and classmates.
Where did it all go wrong ?? Maybe kids are spending too much time in school. I don't believe more class time is the answer. Kids not only need to get an education, but they also have to have time to be kids. Let me ask you a question. Think back to when you were in school. Do you remember how kids were out playing in the afternoons after school let out ?? Do you see that happening as much now ?? I doubt it. I know I don't. We need to focus on getting kids a quality education instead of more quantity. They need quality facilities, quality books, and for parents and teachers to work together during the educational process instead of being adversaries. If the teachers don't have all the resources they need to teach, no amount of extra class time is gonna make a difference. The answer is simple - quality not quantity.
** article link - http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090928/NEWS04/909280334/1970/Longer+school+year+could+give+kids+an+edge++Obama+says
P.S. Attention parents - In a few weeks, I'm gonna tell you more about Arne Duncan and his political affiliations and some things he may indoctrinate your kids with. Stay tuned for that.
1 comment:
You got that right. The problem is when they compare American schools to other countries it is comparing apples to oranges. They operate differently. For example, in the Philippines they only hve 10 years of school and only allow the best and the brightest into highschool. In most systems only the best and brightest are allowed in the college track. These are the ones tested. Our future drop-outs are tested here. We are one of the few countries that require educatoin for all children.
Question -- if our schools have been "historically" so lousy why was it that a bunch of Tennessee hillbilles from Tennessee schools, graduating from a Tennesse Technical collage (now TTU) were the ones most responsible for putting the man on the moon/
da ole biker Dale -- enjoying a Recycled Life -- Thanks Taylor
BE AN ORGAN DONOR: www.tndonorregistry.org
Recycle Life - Eliminate death waiting for an organ.
Post a Comment