America's Public School System

[Viktorkrum77]

To switch it up from the religious topics recently, let's talk politics. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's very clear America's public school system isn't top notch. Actually, it's quite low, and many many students aren't reaching the average grades on tests, etc... But we can't just blaim the students, the facilities are terrible sometimes, the food is unhealthy, the government mis grades repetitive tests, the funding is low, and I could go on for hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I made this thread to discuss our school system in America, how it has prepared students for college, how it ranks, how well it teaches, who is to blaim. And also, to discuss improvements that could be made, and how they could be done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a suggestion that we do what they do in Belgium, where the schools are the best in the world. And have the school's be like a buisness, where it will shut down if it doesn't meet certain curriculum standards.

[Guest GhostRanger]

Someone verify, but Belgium sort of has a voucher program, correct? They have some sort of way to guarantee competition within schools so that public schools HAVE to be competitive or they lose funding. THAT is what needs to happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And it isn't really fair to say our school system is low. It is just a lot lower than and it has been. Compared to the entire world though we aren't that bad off (could easily be tons better though).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before anyone says it, money will not solve this problem.

[Gamemonster]

To switch it up from the religious topics recently, let's talk politics. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's very clear America's public school system isn't top notch. Actually, it's quite low, and many many students aren't reaching the average grades on tests, etc... But we can't just blaim the students, the facilities are terrible sometimes, the food is unhealthy, the government mis grades repetitive tests, the funding is low, and I could go on for hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I made this thread to discuss our school system in America, how it has prepared students for college, how it ranks, how well it teaches, who is to blaim. And also, to discuss improvements that could be made, and how they could be done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a suggestion that we do what they do in Belgium, where the schools are the best in the world. And have the school's be like a buisness, where it will shut down if it doesn't meet certain curriculum standards.

 

 

 

everything true I hate school but the olny reason i'm in school is that it's my last year

[crimsonking]

Yeah, I remember in my Sophmore year I had an English teacher that failed pretty much everyone in her class, she even stood up one day and said that 21/23 of us were failing and its all our fault, she even called me mentally ill in front of my mother and me during a parent teacher confrence just because I never talked in class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also had a first grade teacher who threatened students, she quit the next year because parents were getting mad at the principle, who was a very good friend of hers apparently and was always protecting her and saying we were all just making things up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So yeah, we have a very messed up school system if they hire people like this to teach us.

[Viktorkrum77]

Someone verify, but Belgium sort of has a voucher program, correct? They have some sort of way to guarantee competition within schools so that public schools HAVE to be competitive or they lose funding. THAT is what needs to happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And it isn't really fair to say our school system is low. It is just a lot lower than and it has been. Compared to the entire world though we aren't that bad off (could easily be tons better though).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before anyone says it, money will not solve this problem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yea, money is not the only variable here, we also need a lot more ambition. Lot's of kids are dropping out, because of work, family issues, etc... And the majority of this is in the lower middle class and upper lower class, which need education the most to get a good job, and make something of themselves.

[Viktorkrum77]

Yeah, I remember in my Sophmore year I had an English teacher that failed pretty much everyone in her class, she even stood up one day and said that 21/23 of us were failing and its all our fault, she even called me mentally ill in front of my mother and me during a parent teacher confrence just because I never talked in class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also had a first grade teacher who threatened students, she quit the next year because parents were getting mad at the principle, who was a very good friend of hers apparently and was always protecting her and saying we were all just making things up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So yeah, we have a very messed up school system if they hire people like this to teach us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yea, my Global Studies teacher just sits in the back of class all day working on other school stuff, instead of teaching all of us. He doesn't even have us turn anything in, it's just a quick check that means nothing, you could BS the whole assignment.

[foolgool]

Not only the points that you guys have mentioned, but also the fact that there isn't one grading system for the whole country. Where I live, in northern Virginia, its 94+ for an A, but I'm sure there's 90+ or even lower. Also, it seems that the school systems are getting desperate for teachers. I'm sure there are a few teachers that only teach so that they can coach a sport, my geometry teacher for example. There are probably hundreds of ways the system could be improved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~Foolgool

[Faux]

Schools are political now? Always thought that they were educational...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One thing I've read about is that in most cases, principals don't have the power to fire a teacher because s/he is on a contract. Give the principals the ability to fire incompetent teachers and that will help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What happened with the No Child Left Behind thing btw?

[deloriagod]

A big problem I've seen around my school is that people have made up their mind on what they want to do whether it be to finish off high school and head for the military, go to college and find a nice job, etc. I have decided that I want to attend the University of Iowa and get my bachelors degree in photography. So with that I'm forced to take classes that have nothing to do with my career choice. I spend a lot of time during biology wondering when I'm ever going to need to know how fungi reproduce when I plan on taking pictures of models for a living.

 

 

 

The food.. In my school it's not so bad. Maybe not the most healthy but it's better than some of the stuff I've heard other schools serve. Today we had Subway for lunch.

 

 

 

And I'm not going to discuss the No Child Left Behind thing until I understand it better..

[Adam007]

I think some competition is necessary for any type of success. Without it, public schools have no goals really, and end up being pretty bad. At one point I could write out a lot more about it, but the one key thing I remember is the emphasis on schools needing direct competition.

[Guest GhostRanger]

Schools are political now? Always thought that they were educational...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One thing I've read about is that in most cases, principals don't have the power to fire a teacher because s/he is on a contract. Give the principals the ability to fire incompetent teachers and that will help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What happened with the No Child Left Behind thing btw?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teachers generally get tenured at around 4-6 years of teaching. Once they are tenured, it is impossible to fire a teacher solely for incompetence.

[killersushipunk]

To switch it up from the religious topics recently, let's talk politics. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's very clear America's public school system isn't top notch. Actually, it's quite low, and many many students aren't reaching the average grades on tests, etc... But we can't just blaim the students, the facilities are terrible sometimes, the food is unhealthy, the government mis grades repetitive tests, the funding is low, and I could go on for hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I made this thread to discuss our school system in America, how it has prepared students for college, how it ranks, how well it teaches, who is to blaim. And also, to discuss improvements that could be made, and how they could be done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a suggestion that we do what they do in Belgium, where the schools are the best in the world. And have the school's be like a buisness, where it will shut down if it doesn't meet certain curriculum standards.

 

 

 

OMG!! Many many? Like, about 50% :roll: ?

[unknownmasterofnothing]

America's public schools vary. Theres some good ones and a lot of bad ones. It's up to the students to get their grades up to be admitted to those good schools. But still, theres not enough good schools. Competition should definitley be applied to public schools.

[pro28]

 

To switch it up from the religious topics recently, let's talk politics. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's very clear America's public school system isn't top notch. Actually, it's quite low, and many many students aren't reaching the average grades on tests, etc... But we can't just blaim the students, the facilities are terrible sometimes, the food is unhealthy, the government mis grades repetitive tests, the funding is low, and I could go on for hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I made this thread to discuss our school system in America, how it has prepared students for college, how it ranks, how well it teaches, who is to blaim. And also, to discuss improvements that could be made, and how they could be done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a suggestion that we do what they do in Belgium, where the schools are the best in the world. And have the school's be like a buisness, where it will shut down if it doesn't meet certain curriculum standards.

 

 

 

OMG!! Many many? Like, about 50% :roll: ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Too bad the average isn't necessarily the median, which makes you look like an idiotic jerk.

[runesmithie]

America's public schools vary. Theres some good ones and a lot of bad ones. It's up to the students to get their grades up to be admitted to those good schools. But still, theres not enough good schools. Competition should definitley be applied to public schools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's especially a problem in rural areas where there's generally only one school in the area without spending a ton of money on gas to go to a different one.

[ThurinEthir]

In Massachusetts, some schools are good, some schools are bad. I don't mean only in grades, but in what is taught, environment, etv. There's very little bullying at my school, and I doubt there's really that much anywhere else. The main concern is something called the MCAS. The Massachusetts Comprehensive A... S... is a test that is required for every student in a public school between the grades of 3 and 10. Math and English Language Arts are taken every year, with some Science and History thrown in sometimes. When I started, it was just ELA every year, and math every other year. Rarely any Science or history either. Pretty much, the MCAS people are deciding "Bah, I think they need to learn this. Let's make an MCAS about it." Like my math teacher says, soon enough, there'll be a Phys. Ed. MCAS. And the crazy thing is that MCAS has no affect on your grade. No affect on college applications. No affect on pretty much anything. So it's pretty much pointless. And di I mention that once a day in 4th, 7th and 10th grade, you spend the whole 6 and a half hours of school writing an essay on some strange topic, like "Who's your best friend? Why?"

[cyco]

Funding is a big thing at my school right now. Also no one is doing great on our state test.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The thing I hate the most are the teachers. Right now I have one of the best teachers I've ever had for my US History class. Usually we come into class and he does current events for like 10 minutes then. He will talk and teach the lesson, but he will make it really funny or at least relate it to something we know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All my core classes such as Math and English are BS. My math teachers does not teach. And when he does its straight from the Text books which are like 100 times more difficult than it has to be and they make no sense. Usually he'll go over one problem on the bored then tell us to read the chapter. None of the Math or English teachers make their own assignments or tests. They all get them copied from like a leader teacher I guess you could say. It really pisses me off because I can never learn from text books.

[Bmms]

the government doesnt fund all the public schools its the states job to fund public schools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but the government does give some funding, and in the no child left behind act thing, its says that any school that receives government funding is required to give a list of all its students personal info like name,address, phone numbers

 

 

 

which used used for the draft, if it would ever happen

[Viktorkrum77]

the government doesnt fund all the public schools its the states job to fund public schools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but the government does give some funding, and in the no child left behind act thing, its says that any school that receives government funding is required to give a list of all its students personal info like name,address, phone numbers

 

 

 

which used used for the draft, if it would ever happen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The draft? Elaborate. It doesn't seem fitting what I'm thinking.

[darkmage099]

Oh come on, it isn't that bad. It's mostly the rural areas (I think). I mean my school is like in the top 100 in the state (I think). I think schools are either really good or really bad. So it depends on where you are.

[Guest GhostRanger]

the government doesnt fund all the public schools its the states job to fund public schools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but the government does give some funding, and in the no child left behind act thing, its says that any school that receives government funding is required to give a list of all its students personal info like name,address, phone numbers

 

 

 

which used used for the draft, if it would ever happen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The government doesn't need information from schools to draft people. Every male has to register for the draft when they turn 18. I don't understand what you're trying to say.

[blade995]

It's not only about funding, it's what teachers they hire. It seems that anybody that has a teaching degree can just walk off the street and teach a class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These moron teachers don't know a thing about what their doing and then expect us to learn the material that they don't know themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My school has excellent funding from the state. My high school is for about 10 different towns and they each pay money per student to go there. It's a Vocational school. I have stupid teachers but good funding for the materials to teach, such as new books, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guess what the Mcas scores are still not that high! Granted they are a little higher than the normal public school, but not enough to show a huge difference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If they kept the funding the same but hired teachers that could actually teach something we would have a better overall school system.

[Nenga]

American schools prepare us for american collages. Why do you care if it's not up to standereds across the globe, who realy cares?

[ridered150]

dont want to do the slective service act thing move to canada or say your gay and make sure you show it

[Viktorkrum77]

Oh come on, it isn't that bad. It's mostly the rural areas (I think). I mean my school is like in the top 100 in the state (I think). I think schools are either really good or really bad. So it depends on where you are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, my school is one of the top in my state as well. But our facility sucks! My school used to be a department store, it has no gym, a flat auditorium with a small stage. Walls made out of dry wall, a small cafeteria, a confusing layout, no grass outside, just a broken up parking lot, the list goes on. And I don't even live in a rural city for the most part anyways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am happy however, they passed a grant(?) to get somewhere around 25 million or so, maybe more, can't remember, to fix up all the schools in our district. But guess what, our school, the worst of them all, is last on the list. :shock: