Platt and others, Platt, Unfortunately U.S. public schools do not rank well compared to the rest of the industrialized world. See the 2006 OECD report at:
Mati: I understand the need to consult these types of articles, but they themselves do not offer much in the way of real data or information as to what is working in schools and what local, cultural and governmental factor influences make a difference. My grandmother used to dislike people that were critical of their lives in the US, in the wake of losing everything to the Russians during WWII. She would say if you think it is so bad pack your bags and move. Now I also understand that to do better is not forbidden. I think we are constantly looking for ways to improve our schools in the wake of greater expectations and greater challenges. If you would like to suggest that our schools collectively are failing our kids I would like to suggest that it might be more than schools that are failing our kids. If you wish to think globally that is ok, but I am reminded that one can think globally and act locally. I would strongly suggest (I am under the assumption that you are one of many retired aged fellows with time on their hands.) that you volunteer at a local school. This would serve two purposes, first it would be a potentially invaluable opportunity to make a difference. And secondly I suspect you haven't been in a school for a really long time. This type of experience would bring you up to the reality of schools of today. I posed the same challenge to my father and he never took me up on it. Perhaps you could do better. It is one thing to play the blame game of failure it is quite another provide a solution or make a difference. Platt: In the past, "difficult to handle" kids were sent to reform school. Mati: Reform School???? Man, you might be older than I thought. The fact is reform school (if they still exist) do little in the way of reforming. Reforming is a fancy way of saying change. I would suggest that if we want to change the lives of students then perhaps we should think about how we can change our world that can give kids a chance to change. Platt: As for "special needs" children, it depends on the meaning of "special needs." If a child is incapable of learning (snip...) Mati: All children are capable of learning. In fifteen plus years of education I have not met a student that can't learn. Platt: ...it seems unfair to put them in a class with normal kids. Mati: Ahhhhhhh the fair word. Fair to whom?????? Platt: In other words, there are other solutions to the problems you present. It seems to me the "rules" need changing. For example, how do other countries address these problems? Mati: I think we are not short of rules and for the most part many have been scrutinized up to our Supreme Court if there is a need for change I would be interested in what rules you think need changing. What really needs to be changed is the belief that our kids' education is the sole responsibility of schools. As far as what other countries are doing, well there are so many differences in the nuances in how their educational systems work that to try to apply them as a whole is impractical. But as I said in my last post we know what good schools do, how we make that happen is as unique as the individuals that attend these schools. Platt: Yes, all this is important to a school's success. Equally important is a culture that stimulates and rewards a work ethic as was prevalent in the Victorian era and is today still strong in certain ethnic groups like Asians and Jews. Mati: Work ethic is a learned feature or value. I was raised on a farm and learned it the hard way. I was lucky. Many kids live in homes where parents and grandparents for that matter don't invest the time and effort to show the value of work and I am not talking about the value of money, but the personal satisfaction of work accomplished. I remember the day I plowed a 14 acre field from sunrise to dark on an old ford tractor and a three bottom plow. I look back from my experience and recognize that I needed to plow that field so it could be planted and harvested and the cows got fed. I can't tell you the amount patience my parent had for the year prior of being a lazy pre-teen who hated the farm it took a lot to finally learn that very important lesson. If not maybe I would have ended up in reform school. ;-) I take my hat off to all the "Asian and Jews" who as a family work together and collectively understand the value of work and teach it to their kids. Platt: Our culture to its detriment has become "compassionate" in this regard, considering it "fair" to reward everyone equally regardless of achievement and beating up on the "rich" as being undeserved of their wealth. The phenomena of "grade inflation" is an indicator of this attitude. We've all heard the phrase, "dumbing down." Mati: Ahhh dear Platt there are times I can hear the echoes of my father in your voice. If you want to make collective statement then so can I. If our society has been become overly "compassionate" to be fair, then I would suggest that perhaps he collectively have failed care about kids in such a way that compassion is the only form of hope these kids might have. If kids have learned that wealth means being rich then where did they learn that. Remember we as school are reflective of the society needs demands. And if there is a practice of "grade inflation" then I would suggest a "recession" in the caring or valuing kids. Do I believe in the need for grade inflation or dumbing down, absolutely not. But don't start kicking kids that already down for any number of reasons, that won't get them up (they haven't learned how that works either). Anyone can be critical but it takes someone special to make a difference and offer a "Quality" helping hand. Platt: A society (culture) that values the individual and supports her effort to be all she can be is one that fits the MOQ to a T. (IMHO) Mati: Bravo, go out and offer some meaningful "Quality" support to that individual, she needs YOU!!!!! Ok I will dismount the soapbox. My own kids need help with their homework. Mati moq_discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
