Re: A serious question -- Adilbrand Noblesword's Hall of Warriors

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Date Posted: 08:12:12 08/06/03 Wed
Author: Mt. Healthy Mountaineer
Subject: Re: A serious question
In reply to: mvd 's message, "A serious question" on 09:49:25 08/05/03 Tue

Such a broad question.

I know I cannot fully answer it, for I will think of other improvements as soon as I'm done but here are some starters:

My overall theme as an educator has been to strive "to do what's besk for kids". I put that in quotes because that was the mantra of one of my former principals. He was not a very good principal, but he was right about that. So many times the adults in the building get distracted by scheduling, petty turf fights, etc. that they forget why they are there in the first place.

1. Massively beef up our technical education, such as automotive, building trades, computer, cooking, etc. Too many teachers think that that is where we should send our dumb students, but these are fantastic careers and, ironically, usually the same teacher that thinks all mechanics are stupid cannot change their own tire without the help of a paid professional. You cannot be dumb and be able to assemble a modern automobile.

I would like to see students be able to leave these programs with marketable skills and perhaps beginning credits towards an IVY Tech-type degree.

2. I would like to re-do our entire math curriculum. We currently require every student to pass algebra, but require no one to pass a basic survival math course. As a consequence, we can find the slope, but we cannot balance our checkbooks or figure out the best bargain on cheese at Kroger's if they have one price per pound and the other per ounce. Algebra has little practical use for 99% of the population in our daily lives, but we insist on demanding that all students take it (for the intellectual exercise, I suppose).

3. I would curtail the sports programs - they are a massive financial drain on most school systems. School money is used for coaches, athletic director(s) and facilities.

4. I would drop the minimum age for dropping out of school. This is based on my experience with the Indianapolis Public Schools. many of your worst trouble makers are just waitig around until they can drop at age 16 and are doing nothing but causing trouble until then, no matter what.Better to have them remove themselves than to drag down the rest of their classes. In lieu of that, more alternative schools.

5. vouchers for the amount of public money that would have been spent on a student in their public school district for parents to send their students to any school, no matter religious affiliation. (We already do this with the GI Bill and Pell Grants for college-age students).

6. I would eliminate the Indiana Dept. of Education - I've been a teacher for 13 years and I can't really tell you what they do. The federal Dept. of Ed doesn't do a whole lot more.

7. Make it law that no school system may "pass on" a child-molesting teacher to another school system without informing them. Many school systems are very hush-hush about molestation and just want to get rid of the molestor without having bad publicity. Jail time for principals and superintendents who knowingly let a child molestor go to another school system without tellng the truth.

So, here's 7 steps - I'm sure I could think up many more if I weren't just coming off of the night shift and falling asleep in my chair...

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Replies:

Re: A serious question -- mvd, 10:04:25 08/06/03 Wed
- Thank you -- Mt. Healthy Mountaineer, 22:04:18 08/07/03 Thu