How to Improve the School System

[Duelist925]

Heh, considering I'm going back to school specifically to become a HS teacher, this thread scares the crap out of me. At least, the bits I didn't already know.

[Greenday]

Were the computers and shop classes required in High school? Those were requirements in jr high / middle school for me, but electives in HS.

All those that I listed there were required. Even though I was advanced enough that my friend was teaching me some basic programming, I was forced to take a class on learning how to use MS Word, Excel, and Power Point. What a waste of time.

The standard flow is Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 with an introduction to Trigonometry and Analytical Geometry and then full blown Trig and Analyt in your senior year if you decided to take math again.

However, your standarized test scores alter that. You could end up in pre-algebra, then algebra, then geometry or you can test out of algebra and start in Geometry giving you trig and analyt in your junior year and Calc in your senior year, if you wanted it.

In my middle school in 7th grade, you took a placement test. If you were a top scorer, you took Algebra I in 8th grade. Otherwise you took pre-algebra. I took Algebra I in 8th grade, Algebra II in 9th, Geometry Honors in 10th, Trig Honors in 11th, and Calc Honors in 12th. But that was the advanced pace.

[Andara Bledin]

In my middle school in 7th grade, you took a placement test. If you were a top scorer, you took Algebra I in 8th grade. Otherwise you took pre-algebra. I took Algebra I in 8th grade, Algebra II in 9th, Geometry Honors in 10th, Trig Honors in 11th, and Calc Honors in 12th. But that was the advanced pace.

I don't know how they figured it in my middle school, but there was definitely not a placement test. And they didn't seem to go by any aptitude in math, either, as I was consistently top in my class up to that point.

^-.-^

[Hyena Dandy]

1. Sports teams being tied to a school, rather than to a town. It gives me the impression that the players are all children rather than actual professionals.

That's 'cause the players ARE children. Those are the highschool or college teams. Where only highschool or college students at the highschool or college can play. We have professional teams, too.

[HYHYBT]

Bex: I don't know when you were in high school, or how things are now, but when I was in school (class of 1992) we didn't do all that much essay-writing in high school. There was some, but it wasn't a huge part of the course, mostly just a skill we were already supposed to have. The heavy emphasis on learning to write the things was in 7th and 8th grade.

[bex1218]

There was major emphasis on writing essays cause of standardized tests (FCATS). Only enlgish class we didn't write in was my 4th year in school. Main focus was literature.

[SongsOfDragons]

School sports teams are composed of students of that school. It gives the impression that they're not professionals because they're NOT professionals. This is true from when the programs start (around 10-12 years old, I think, though it varies by area and sport) on through college level.

I think I'm getting equally confused. O.o

In the UK we have football teams based on towns or areas. Manchester United, Tottenham, Southampton, etc.

My exposure to US sports has teams based on colleges? Or am I barking up the wrong tree (again)?

This one slightly confuses me. Specifically the bold part. This doesn't happen anywhere in the US that I know of. Everywhere you start with algebra, the most basic math and move up from there. And everyone uses algebra in life so it's kind of necessary. In fact, everyone I know who had taken calculus had already been forced to take algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.

More confusion XD

My maths lessons covered such-and-such a topic (permutations, algebra, graphs, shapes and geometry, angles, uhhhh...Sin-Cos-Tan...) for about six weeks at a time, taught us the basics on what it is and its real-world application, then we did lots of problems and sometimes a project. Then we moved on. We never focused on specific kinds of maths until A-Level, by which time I had dropped maths (though I was still using numbers in Product Design) but even then there was Statistics, Pure Maths, Advanced Maths...

Algebra to me was endless problems of 3x-4y=72 or similar. It seemed very specific...I think US Algebra has a different definition to what I'm remembering.

[evilfarmer]

The thing with funding is that the local school system asked for a budget of 34 million *its a large school system* because the County Commission supposedly would have to raise taxes to cover that they authorized 7 million instead.

The politicians are so afraid of not being reelected because they ran on the stand of no new taxes when most people are screaming for better schools. They didn't ask if anyone would mind a tax increase if it went to school. Nor was it put to a popular vote on what we want things done.

A friend of mine that is trying to get hired in that system is looking at making 15K a year to start and will probably have to buy their own supplies and teach from out of date school books.

[daleduke17]

I think I'm getting equally confused. O.o

In the UK we have football teams based on towns or areas. Manchester United, Tottenham, Southampton, etc.

My exposure to US sports has teams based on colleges? Or am I barking up the wrong tree (again)?

The soccer teams you mentioned would be "professional" teams here akin to the Sporting KC, New England Revolution, or Los Angeles Galaxy.

In the US there is school sports at all levels: Junior High School (grades 6-8), High School (9-12) and University/College. Then you have the different levels of "professional" (minor league/major league).

The town I am moving to (for example) has multiple junior high schools each with their own teams, all three high schools have their own teams. The community college has sports, as well as the two universities. In addition, there is a minor league teams as well for baseball, basketball and hockey. Definitely confusing if you're looking from the outside.

[SongsOfDragons]

Ahh I think I see. I think the crux of the difference may be that the US focuses a lot more on the amateur, as while we have amateur teams (St. Barts vs Park House at Cricket was something I remember from school) it's not...entirely publicised or celebrated as much as I see over the pond.

[Greenday]

Ahh I think I see. I think the crux of the difference may be that the US focuses a lot more on the amateur, as while we have amateur teams (St. Barts vs Park House at Cricket was something I remember from school) it's not...entirely publicised or celebrated as much as I see over the pond.

It might also be confusing that our major teams use college teams as their main focus of recruiting. So I could see how they seem like minor leagues which in a way, that's not really too far off.

[Hyena Dandy]

Ahh I think I see. I think the crux of the difference may be that the US focuses a lot more on the amateur, as while we have amateur teams (St. Barts vs Park House at Cricket was something I remember from school) it's not...entirely publicised or celebrated as much as I see over the pond.

We certainly have areas that focus a lot more on the amateur. But we also have places that focus a lot more on the professional teams.

I'm a New England Revolution fan (soccer) for example. I also like the Arizona Cardinals (football)

Those are both professional teams. We have areas that prefer their college teams, though. Alabama, for instance, is big on their college football.

It all depends on the area. Part of the reason we have all the celebration of college ball is, like GD pointed out, college bar is seen like a farm league to some. I think it's not a coincidence that we don't see much college baseball coverage (baseball players usually spend a few years in minor leagues.)

[mikoyan29]

If you want to improve the school system, improve the parents. My mom is an art teacher and you wouldn't believe all the problems she talks to me about. Kids not wanting to do the assignments and later arguing when they get bad grades because of that. Then the parents bitch to the principal and the principal tells her to basically back down. She had high intentions when she started to teach at her current school...now she's basically if they do the assignment, they get an A on it. This is art...I can't imagine how they deal with subjects like math or english.

If you're going to pay school management the kind of money they get, then they should have the backbone to stand up to parents who want teachers lower their standards.

As for all the fluff classes at a university...It has something to do with the classical education model of wanting a well rounded person. As an engineer, I really didn't need to take literature classes to help in my career but it gave me a base level so that someone could say I was educated.

[fireheart17]

If you want to improve the school system, improve the parents.

This. 100% this.

With the comments on most news articles bashing the teachers, there seems to now be a swing towards people defending the teachers and putting the blame on parents. (THANK GOD). There are still slack teachers out there, but the bulk of the problems seem to come from the parents. It's not always just that little Suzie got an F, it's also that they don't want to help the child with his/her homework, they aren't encouraging a good strong education and they aren't helping the child at home i.e. reading, practicing writing, maths skills. Listen to your child read at home, read to them, get them to practice counting by letting them help with cooking dinner, practice colours when out at the shops, things like that.

And people still argue that "I can't do it because I work 9-5 and my wife is sick and I have a mortgage" and all that. Guess what: reading to your kid takes 10 minutes. Getting them to read to you takes 5 minutes. Seriously. If you cannot take at least an hour out of your day to help your child with his/her homework, then why are you having kids?

[Fire_on_High]

Catching a child's interest can even be as simple as making all of the materials match the student's favorite color. It's all about teaching by meeting the child's individual interests and needs.

Because the world is going to do this, right?

Get real!

They need to learn very early on the world doesn't give a crap what they think or like or are interested by; they need to apply themselves with studious discipline regardless.