Men are the new "women"

Post Reply New Topic

Agreed. As I've previously mentioned, US education is in need of serious reform, starting with the administration.

What is your opinion on standardized tests?

Take money from the rich to fund the poorer school districts? Texas actually tried that, not long ago, and called it Robin Hood. Anyone interested can easily find a source they like on it.

To summarize, it didn't work very well, or last very long. It didn't exactly fail on its merits, though, imo.

That's an incredibly open-ended question. Can you be more specific?

I don't think more money is the solution. America spendsna lot per student and doesn't get much. I think cutting unnecessary expenses is a good idea. I think textbooks and raises are a good starting point.

Well first some say that passing a standardized test doesn't prove a knowledge of the subject. I have also heard people say that we should focus more life skills. What is your opinion? Is it a waste of money? Does it prove anything? Should it be mandatory?

Okay, so that's still a fairly open-ended question, so I'll give you the shorthand answer and perhaps pick it up in more detail at a later point, if I feel inclined.

Standardised tests, when used appropriately, are useful for all manner of reasons, including comparing the relative effectiveness of different teaching institutions and when assessing the abilities of younger students - say 7-13 years. As students get older, and learning priorities diversify, only the hard sciences (and mathematics) benefit from uniformity of examinations.

Where they become a problem is when they're used in any form of accreditation (e.g. when it constitutes part of a high school diploma), and the onus in the classroom shifts from teaching a subject to coaching students on how to sit a standardised test.

I do think many kids would benefit from having a parallel system to high school, wherein they could receive focused training in a profession, but there would always be a perception that it was a two tier system and that the skills-based schooling was the inferior choice.

In terms of significance, I don't think standardised tests are a relevant factor in the problems with education in the US (don't get me started on the current state of affairs in the UK). The problem is with delivery, with the bloated and heavily unionised administrators who receive better remuneration and benefits than teachers, and with coddling of parents with problem children, as well as the children themselves. You've got more than 10 million kids on stimulants and psychotropics who would benefit from better discipline and greater involvement from adults, both at home and at school.

These are just some of the footnotes describing part of a monumental problem that nobody in power is taking genuine steps to resolve.

Getting much more specific will open you up to more criticism, but at some point I'll start to wonder if there really is a comprehensive plan, or just objections to what other people are trying. That's way too easy, and also practically useless.

Why did it fail?

Rich people objected to spending a little less on their NFL-quality high school football stadiums in order to buy desks and books for kids who didn't have desks or books. Look at Midland, TX, for examples of the people who objected.

People had clever suggestions for how the poorest people in Texas could fund their schools: bake sales came up often within my hearing.

One of the problems with my county is they are terrible at spending. They are facing debt, but spent a million dollars on a new bus schedule. They don't give teachers raises, but spend huge amounts on sports. My school itself has three football teams. I think other schools are facing similar problems.

How large a raise do the administrators receive?

I am unaware of that, but know that the board in charge does get raises. There's have been some complaints by teachers and some have moved to teach at other areas. A lot of teachers cannot afford to live near the school.

We can make some progress by cutting down on administration. If you look at the ratios, and the way they have changed over the last 20 years, the growth in administrators massively exceeds the growth in educators. I think we need to have a conversation about goals and how we achieve them, so that there is less of an excuse for administrators to hire more help on their end at the expense of taxpayers and students.

I would also force integration. If people stay separated, they will stay prejudiced.

Taxpayers frequently have to vote on bonds to build more facilities, and they often vote no. You can't get completely around the money issues involving population growth, and aging buildings.

No one is the new women. I mean, women are the new women, despite the internal arguments about membership in that class. Your full-bore patriarchy is not coming back. Boo-hoo. No one cares that god said men rule.

Let's have custom gender tags on WP. Blow up the gender system. I am fully on board, and totally ready to fall back on my autism if I can't immediately memorize all 108 new labels.

Same here in in Aus