[Winona Online Democracy]
"People like you"?
Not to be hostile, but if your children didn't work at McDonald's you aren't
any more of an authority on the subject than I am, so comments about "people
like you" aren't warranted. I remain concvinced there are much better ways
to develop personal skils than by working in fast food.
>From: "Tom Severson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: "andrew thompson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>CC: "MaryAnn Severson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "Josh J.R.
>Severson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "Jon Severson"
><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: RE: [Winona] Teen Employment
>Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2001 11:46:16 -0600
>
>The problem is that people like you do not understand the value young
>people
>gain by working at McDonalds... I personally would be willing to pay
>McDonalds for the training my kids would have received from them had they
>worked for them.. Tom Severson
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of andrew
>thompson
>Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 4:40 AM
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Re: [Winona] Teen Employment
>
>
>[Winona Online Democracy]
>
>But my point was that while a few students get jobs as nursing aides or
>work
>in a family business, most are not doing anything particularly educational
>beyond the realm of basic life skills, which I won't minimize. The
>majority
>of my working peers work basic, part-time, very simple jobs, some of which
>seem to actually contribute to the loss of skills through atrophy. Working
>the counter at McDonald's consists of entering simple information into a
>computer that calculates prices and change due, and giving back the
>appropriate currency. Certainly this doesn't help the employee's math
>skills, and most of the counterpersons I encounter don't seem to be
>learning
>communications skills very well. In some places, the registers' keys even
>have pictures on them, not written words--God forbid we demand the kids be
>able to read. yes, they have to be there on time, but there are lots of
>things that require punctuality. (like high school) I worked very briefly
>in a retail job and was told to stop calculating prices and change in my
>head, because the register kept records based on the items assigned
>price-lookup keys. This seems to be the way many student-held jobs run,
>and
>the routine of not using one's mental skills can't help in the development
>of young minds.
>As for sports, I will make the comment that at least a student can hold a
>job and still come to school and encounter an environment designed around
>intellectual development, but athletic distractions are implicitly promoted
>even while the student is in school. Student athletes regularly leave
>classes to go to events, and I've had more than one teacher devote
>classtime
>to discussion of school sports and "school spirit" activities. Several
>times every year I am pulled out of my classes for the purpose of
>celebrating the school's sports teams. What does this say is important?
>Interestingly enough, most of my classmates who confuse Cambodia with
>Colombia, associate Thomas Jefferson with the Civil War, or don't know how
>to read a periodic table are major participants in school-sponsored
>athletics. (All of these actually happened in classes I've been in.) It's
>because football (or track, or dance team) is more important to them, and
>no
>one tells them othwerwise.
>
>
> >From: "Joliene Olson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >To: "andrew thompson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Subject: Re: [Winona] Teen Employment
> >Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 21:35:32 -0600
> >
> >Again Andrew, it all depends on what you mean by "educational" and what
>you
> >mean by "valuable". All of the points I made in my first response to
>your
> >letter would/should be considered "part of a person's education and
> >valuable". If an individual doesn't know something, learns about it,
> >masters a skill around it etc etc then you are being educated. (example:
> >importance of being to work when scheduled, and on time, seeing 'other
> >work', besides assigned work, to do)
> >
> >I agree however, that in some cases, students devote time to work or
> >curricular activities at the expense of their education. That should be
> >the
> >responsible parents job to watch and see that there is a balance.
> >Joliene Olson
> >507-454-1236
> >[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "andrew thompson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 2:51 AM
> >Subject: Re: [Winona] Teen Employment
> >
> >
> > > [Winona Online Democracy]
> > >
> > > I was by no means implying that these jobs are valueless. Indeed, we
> >would
> > > be nowhere without the people who cook and clean up for us. My point
> >was
> > > that the picture some may have of teenagers going out into the
>community
> >for
> > > hands-on educational experience to acquire skills for life is not
> >accurate
> > > in many cases I have seen. Computer technology has eliminated the
>need,
> >and
> > > therewith the training, for intellectual aptitude in the jobs
>teenagers
> > > typically hold. I was not implying that these jobs are not valuable,
> >only
> > > that they not be viewed as educational, meaning many adolescents
>should
> >be
> > > encouraged to take some time off of work (and sports, and shopping,
>and
> >drug
> > > use) and devote it to their education.
> > >
> > >
> > > >From: "Jerome Christenson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > >To: "Winona Online Democracy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > >Subject: Re: [Winona] Teen Employment
> > > >Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 09:00:24 -0600
> > > >
> > > >[Winona Online Democracy]
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >Let's be careful about equating "menial" with "valueless." We all
>enjoy
> >the
> > > >clean toilets, hauled trash, and uncluttered floors "menial" workers
> > > >provide
> > > >us with.
> > > >I daresay, a good trash man, cook and janitor contributes more to the
> > > >common
> > > >good than the average school administrator, store manager or
>newspaper
> > > >pundit.
> > > >Our kids are out there doing some of the most important work there
> >is...too
> > > >bad they don't get paid in proportion to its true social
>significance.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
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