Well, we disagree.
It's clear that the solution that you were part of (and, apparently, still
subscribe to) just (hopefully-maybe) keeps students in building, but to
who's ultimate benefit? Not the students, they're still uneducated. They're
still unprepared for life. Not our society, it's not getting it's young
competent for adult life.
Further, students know when what they're getting is crap. They'll never
value crap! The school system philosophy you describe, regardless of the
reasons or intentions, has abdicated it's responsibility which is to offer a
competent and useful education to our young. If it doesn't, it's no more
than very high priced day care for students who don't value education and
have no reason to. Apparently, our public schools, having failed their first
responsibility, have taken on some other responsibility that I, personally
don't wish to pay for.
I attended public elementary school in Rutland VT. and public high school in
New York. In those days (I'm 61) my grade school was (apparently) excellent,
as I, with only average grades, had no problem entering and competing at
university for bachelors and advanced degrees. My children and all my grand
children attend private school. I scraped and my children scrape to do this.
We do this because your thinking is rampant in public school systems and
would cheat them. Now, many - if not most - of the students you may be
describing may not be blessed with parents who care, or if they do they
can't afford to get out of school you describe. Well then, it's up to you,
the education professional to at least not cheapen their education and waste
our money in the process.
Day care workers are cheaper than educators.
Regards
Bob...
---------------------------------------------------------------
"I don't mind if you don't like my manners.
I don't like them myself. They're pretty bad.
I grieve over them long winter evenings."
-- Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart)
----- Original Message -----
That's all well in good in theory. But there are times when pragmatic
decisions must be made. I taught ninth grade in a Chicago inner city high
school. If I had taught the curriculum as provided by the board of
education and failed anyone who didn't achieve 70%, NO ONE would have
made it beyond ninth grace, and the school would have become non-
functional. Sometimes you have to deal with the reality of the situation
you're confronted with.
Paul
On Sep 25, 2008, at 2:44 PM, Bob Blakely wrote:
1. The mandate of any school system, public or private, is to
EDUCATE our children.
2. The level of education MUST be such that our children have
what is necessary to compete in the REAL world.
3. It is NOT the job of ANY school system, public or private,
to "adjust the truth" concerning student performance to meet some
local curve chosen using rather dubious assumptions.
The standard is the REAL world.
3. After the students graduate, they will automatically be
- in the community, - in their search for higher
education, - in their school of higher education - if they can
get in,
- in their competition for employment, - in their
performance on their job
by a curve that represents not just their community, but the
entire country and also the best of many other countries.
4. It's just not ethical to cheat students, their parents and their
community out of a realistic assessment of their preparedness for
adult life.
5. FYI, the REAL curve is often bimodal.
The result of cheating students out of a real assessment of their
preparedness for life is to fill the world with dependent fools. The
just desert for those who cheat them and for those who abet in this
process is to later be governed by the fools they've created.
Regards
Bob...
---------------------------------------------------------------
"I don't mind if you don't like my manners.
I don't like them myself. They're pretty bad.
I grieve over them long winter evenings."
-- Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart)
From: "Paul Stenquist" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Based on my ten years of experience teaching in inner city Chicago
high schools, I'd say it's a realistic policy. Percentages alone mean
nothing. The curriculum should be based on real needs, and the success
ratio has to come close to resembling a bell curve. The alternative is
little or no success for any student. It's a fact of life. Doesn't
make me puke.
Paul
On Sep 24, 2008, at 10:11 AM, Scott Loveless wrote:
OK, so this isn't photo related at all. Try not to puke.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08266/914029-298.stm
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