Obama and Forced Community Service

[jayel]

What does everyone think of this forced community service issue that is posted on his website?

Keep in mind, it's a fact that the original wording did say 'required'.

[Lachrymose]

They've been doing this for the past 15 years in schools in my county.

To be honest though, I don't really know how I feel about it.

[smileyeagle1021]

I'm mixed on this. I do think that we need more people to volunteer in their communities and perform such vital services... but I don't think making it mandatory is the way to go... it kind of ruins the spirit of volunteer work.

[Saydrah]

We require high school students to do a number of things in order to graduate, designed to make them more likely to succeed in college and adult life: For example, we require them to take math classes, and in my state high schoolers are now required to take a foreign language in order to get into state colleges. My high school also required 50 hours of community service.

I would love to see this required and incentivized with $4,000 for college, as Obama suggested throughout his campaign and will likely propose within his first year in office. Heck, replace some of the useless standardized testing with time dedicated for students to perform community service together.

My 50 hours required community service in high school ended up leading to several years of twice-weekly volunteering, a position on the organization's board of directors, and many great job skills and people willing to give references that I otherwise would not have had.

I think it's a shame that people are so eager for Obama to make a mistake that they're nitpicking at every word on his website before he's even sworn in, by the way. It's really kind of pathetic how little there actually is to legitimately attack him with, so instead we have stuff like this. I doubt Obama himself enters every bit of information word by word on change.gov.

[DrT]

Mandatory community service is the one thing that I liked about US schooling.

We don't have that around here, and I feel it hurts the community and the sense of belonging of the youth. It would do a whole lot towards kids empathy and sense of worth if they were pushed towards community service. 50 hours is just not that much, and as Saydrah says it can actually do a ton of good in the long run.

[Boozy]

It's a shame that more young people do not recognize the duty they have to their country. It's a shame that more don't volunteer.

I have no problem with a community service "draft". Many nations have something of the sort, and 50 hours (is that correct?) is getting off lightly in comparison.

[BlaqueKatt]

sadly many parents would balk-I remember reading a news story about some kids that had their diplomas denied because their family made a scene at graduation(were previously warned not to do that in a letter sent to the parents), in order to receive them they were told to volunteer at the school for 8 hours and they'd be given their diplomas-the parents SUED rather than have their little pweshis do *gasp* volunteer work answering phones or filing.

[Dreamstalker]

I would love to see this required and incentivized with $4,000 for college, as Obama suggested throughout his campaign and will likely propose within his first year in office. Heck, replace some of the useless standardized testing with time dedicated for students to perform community service together.

Exactly. I don't even know what some of those standardized tests are supposed to prove...that you can sit still for a few hours? (MCAS I'm glaring at you). Some, like me, just don't do well in that format (one-size-fits-all general test). I think requiring such a task for graduation is just insane.

My HS had (probably still has) a "senior paper" as a graduation requirement, subject had to be compare/contrast two books. I'm still not sure what that had to do with graduating, I was actually held back a year because I wasn't able to take said required course in the normal timeframe (due to all other required classes).

[smileyeagle1021]

My HS had (probably still has) a "senior paper" as a graduation requirement, subject had to be compare/contrast two books. I'm still not sure what that had to do with graduating, .

the same thing that gen eds have to do with a career when going to college... nothing you learn in school will ever be relevant except learning how to learn. Especially if you are going into a career like engineering/IT/medical where technology is changing so fast or accounting/legal where laws change practically every year. The theories and concepts will stay the same, but how to do your job will change so rapidly that by the time you graduate college the courses you took your freshman year will be useless with the exception of basic concepts... which is why schools require gen ed, to prove that you know how to learn, not just mimic what the professor is doing.

sorry for going so far off topic

[daleduke17]

How about the nation worry about educating students (get rid of NCLB) and then once American children aren't dumb as shit,then worry about making them do some sort of service?

Plus, I'd rather see people actually volunteer to do stuff, as they would actually want to be there. Obama's idea is fucking stupid.

[AdminAssistant]

I worry about all of this stuff they're trying to cram into one school day. What all do kids need? English (grammar and literature), Foreign Languages, Business, History (US and World), Art, Civics, Science, Math....the list goes on and on. And now schools have to institute PE in high school. Many schools allow atheletes to practice during class periods. Not to mention all the extra clubs and activities that go on after....

I mean, how are schools finding time to actually, I don't know....TEACH! There is less and less emphasis on grades and more on activities and social skills and it irritates me, frankly. And now I hear that people with a 4.0 GPA on their resume are actually getting passed up by employers because they feel it shows an overemphasis on academic work and a lack of social activities. WTF.

Standardized tests are a necessary evil of the modern world. I think they are overused, but there needs to be some national standard. You can't use grade points, because every school has a different scale.

I don't have a problem with mandating community service - as long as it takes place outside school hours.

[DrT]

Well, actually volunteer work may entice them to work harder. Hand out enough meal to the poor and homeless, you'll want to do your best not to be among them.
that is only an example.
A nice counter to that theory is to point out the absence of community work requirement in france and underline the higher level of education (although this is starting to falter a bit)

Ideally, you need both a restructuration of the teaching, and some way to entice the youth to get interested in their community.
granted, forced community work is far from perfect. But humans aren't perfect.

[SimplyAnother]

And now schools have to institute PE in high school.

This is a new thing? In my state, there has been a phys ed. requirement for at least the past 20 years, in order to graduate.

[AdminAssistant]

In some places, I think it's new. My high school never had a PE requirement. At 15-18, the schools shouldn't be responsible for getting kids off their rears.

[Amethyst Hunter]

I think it's a shame that people are so eager for Obama to make a mistake that they're nitpicking at every word on his website before he's even sworn in, by the way. It's really kind of pathetic how little there actually is to legitimately attack him with, so instead we have stuff like this. I doubt Obama himself enters every bit of information word by word on change.gov.

Took the words right outta my mouth there, Saydrah.

Odds are this idea is still in the planning stages, so I'm sure things will be changed around quite a bit before anything concrete is implemented (and that's assuming the idea does go through in whatever final form it takes). Personally, I like the idea of a set number of hours being required of particular groups (like high school students) - it will teach them to broaden their view of life somewhat and possibly give them valuable future job skills.