SNIP
For example, spending $0.50 for every $1.00 of my taxes on building the
military does not represent balance when our (K-12) schools don't come close
in comparison to most of those in the industrialized world.
SNIP
You hit one of my really hot buttons. One of the most expensive schools in
the nation, when breaking out the cost per pupil, has the lowest scores on
any standardized test given. That should clarify that fact that money is
not the problem, but it gets ignored as most would prefer to simply accept
the easy way out. I have several relatives who teach at college level and
they espouse the same unwashed garbage without using their fine minds to
analyze what the problem really is.
No need to be rude, especially when it's far from certain that you're right.
What most folks ignore is the simple fact that throwing more money at the
school system is NOT going to begin to address the problem as long as
PARENTS use the schools as parking places with baby sitters for their
offspring. That is one of the reasons that most schools are unwilling or
not permitted to provide any punishment to miscreants. Hence we see
pre-teens in handcuffs for temper tantrums or worse.
The teachers unions are not going to say money is not the answer because it
removes the reason for their fight to get more pay and reduces their
political leverage. The taxing folks are not going to say that because then
the people will want to lower taxes and politicians are against you having
your own money and choices because then government won't be providing
everything. Clearly the students are not going to say that because they
don't know.
Unfortunately for many, the intelligentsia has sold the idea of more money
to the schools rather than parental involvement and interest. When was the
last time YOU went to your kid's school to visit with a teacher? Even a bad
teacher can be lead to the path of educating kids rather than babysitting,
but someone who cares has to do the work. When was the last time you
reviewed your kid's test results good AND bad with an eye to teaching the
corrective information? When did you look at your kids homework to make
sure they are getting the message? A little outside help goes a very long
way towards making an education effective, and that is the parents JOB. In
addition that is the sort of thing it will take to change the paradigm in
our education system rather than more money.
Let's put it on a more direct basis. How many of you discuss biofuels with
your kids?
Please see, for instance:
http://journeytoforever.org/edu.html#biofuel
Schools participation > Biofuels
And:
http://journeytoforever.org/edu_resource.html
Education resources for teachers, students and parents > Home schooling
Popular resources.
There are quite a number of students and schoolkids on the list, and
we're always helping them when they write to us after visiting our
website seeking assistance with biofuels projects. I'm sure we're not
the only ones. Some list members joined because they were helping
their children with science fair projects on biofuels. There are also
quite a number of people here who're working on biofuels projects
with schools, colleges, youth and community programs and so on. List
members do a lot of advocacy and education work, always have done.
Best wishes
Keith Addison
Journey to Forever
KYOTO Pref., Japan
http://journeytoforever.org/
That is educational, if someone explains some of the technical
and financial issues that are hidden from view. I do. We cannot move
towards biofuel usage without educating people with more than the
intelligentsia allows in schools.
Jim
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