Thoughts on school reform?

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Utah recently voted down a school voucher bill. I was disappointed.

I'm sure I'm not the only aspie here who was miserable in school, so I'm wondering if you've ever thought about how school could be improved. How would you do it?

I think we should ditch the Department of Education, and let state and local governments decide on their cirriculum.

Make it available for people of all ages all mixed up , for as long as they like.
Allow people to study whatever interests them.

That would be a start.

Also stop running education as if people need to be taught in order to learn.
And encourage everybody, whatever age, and that means children too, to join in in workplaces, get hands on experience.

See John Taylor Gatto's site at:

http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/underground/prologue.htm

Through some means I would privatize schooling and reduce the restrictions on it.

Gatto's Underground History is about 400 pages so there is a quick history tour as well.

http://johntaylorgatto.com/historytour/history1.htm

Also it seems that Gatto's model for school reform is quite compelling for Aspies because it includes a disdain for the superficial consumerism and the need to focus on individual interests. However, he digresses the notion of technology and suggests a "simpler" state. Though if there is any testimony to the success of going on interests instead of schooling, it would be the computer hackers and other geeks. Most CEO's made Cs in High School, and most flunking hackers obtained high level computer jobs, despite the "need" for scholastic excellence.

sinse we are stuck with the public schools the younger kids should stay with the same teacher for 3 or 4 years and than get another one for 3 or 4 years and have to earn their way into high school after that which would be more like pre-college and set up the same way where people would be throw out for failing to achieve or behave themselves.

Yes throw them out or flunk them out after the 6th or 8th grade if they can't behave and do the work and lower the age people can start working Over 50% of the jobs in the country don't require anything close to a high school education, so it's just a waste of resources and manpower to continue the farce that everyone needs a high school education.

I lean towards 6th grade being it for the slugs and people who have no interest in staying in school and want to enter the work force.

Consider this: Divide all the government money normally given to public schools in a year equally among the student population in the form of vouchers, each with one student's name on it. The voucher would be given to the parents and could only be used to pay "tuition" to a public or private school for the student it's named for. Schools would have to use the money wisely and prove to the parents that they are doing their job to stay in business. Let market forces do the rest. What do you think?

I'd be ok with a reform like that.

ditch the department of education they messed up high school for me by making the state increase graduation requirements so know I have no chance of graduting because of the department of education and bush and his stupid no child left behind crap.