On July 1st, 2008 at 12:51 am, vatodio said:

I agree that our Public Education is not the best.

But that is not the sole reason our kids are failing in Math and Science.

Lack of Parental involvement is equally to blame.

I grew up within the education system. My family and almost all of my friends families were principals ,VPs, teachers counselors, aides, etc. in our local school system. Parental Non-Involvement was always the biggest complaint, followed up by “My little Johnny/Susie is an angel”,

My teenage daughter just came to live with me, so she is getting an accelerated education at the moment. I go up to the school to talk with the teachers, counselors, vice principals all the time TRYING to get them to assign her extra work and additional research topics. Yes, I do that on my own at home, but I want to integrate what they are teaching every week.

They will not hold one-on-one parent teacher conferences with me. If I have a group meeting they try and rush me out the door, I have yet for ANY of her teachers to assign extra work.

At one group conference the two teachers just stared at me and one said “We are not worried about her passing this grade, we’re more concerned that you are going to survive.”

She told me one of her teachers yesterday was in a bad mood, because she thinks the teacher was out of weed….

Money talks, and until schools are threatened with the loss of a child and their money, no change will take place.

I live in a neighborhood where a high percentage of children are homeschooled. The principal at the elementary school our children would be attending was willing to do almost anything to get our kids into his school. Letting them go half days through sixth grade, attending certain parts of their class, etc. It wasn’t quite enough for us and we chose to homeschool, but it is affecting the schools slowly.

On June 30th, 2008 at 9:44 am, Danceswithdachshunds said:

One of the biggest mistakes in grade school math and science education today is requiring the use of calculators and computers. … Al Gore’s ‘computer on every desktop’ is sucking away precious education dollars for what? To learn how to use MS software that most of us oldsters all learned to use on our own? To go on internet to post crap in my-space? Teaching how to use calculators and computers in grade school has totally obliterated what they are supposed to be used FOR.

One of the biggest scandals going are black kids wheedling their parents to purchase $$ laptops “for school” when in reality over 90% of them are using them exclusively at libraries to download rap videos. I’ve witnessed this at one of the nation’s largest library systems — the Queens Borough library in Queens NY. Go take a stroll any day at any black community branch (as I) and that’s all you see in the wifi laptop section and the librarians aren’t only clueless about it — they’re scared to stopping it and getting beat up! What makes me gnash teeth that the total opposite is true in the Asian community branches. Dell is making a mint on “black coordinated” styled laptops (like sneakers) on the ignorance of black children. It’s such a sham!

James Greenidge
Queens NY

This AP story does not surprise me: Teachers’ schools flunk math prep WASHINGTON (AP) — For kids to do better in math, their teachers might have to go back to school. Elementary-school teachers are poorly prepared by education schools to……

What we need is vouchers, and about 10 years for the free market to fill the gap. Otherwise, as P said, we are sliding deeper into the Third World.

I agree also, and to me Carter’s veto of the voucher system is enough by itself to call him the worse president in US history.

Look around at many of the US University and college campuses and you will find very high numbers of Asians and Orientals, many of whom graduated from Public Schools.

Wasn’t it an Asian student who killed 37 kids at Virginia tech? The public schools in the cities graduate about 50 percent of their students. Many do well despite the school system, rather than because of it.

But that is not the sole reason our kids are failing in Math and Science.

Lack of Parental involvement is equally to blame.

Look around at many of the US University and college campuses and you will find very high numbers of Asians and Orientals, many of whom graduated from Public Schools.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,374141,00.html

mom2jack said:
How on earth does someone like that move through the “system?”

It’s not about an education, it’s about money and statistics.

Example: My daughter had 4 half days the last 4 days of school.

jamesgreenidge said:
Yet when you see how much school and education (and tests!!) plays a respectful central figure in Japanese anime and manga, you can’t but wonder at the quality of their kids!

Yes james there is a big difference in the values portrayed in Japanese anime and manga compared to American animation, I would personally rather her watch Japanese anime, manga, believe me I know my daughter currently has 26 Japanese anime lined up for us to watch from netflix.(someone help please)

MM said:
1 + 1 = I feel good about math, so who cares?

On June 30th, 2008 at 11:56 am, maurelius said:

Come on Michelle,

Everyone knows 1+1 = 10!

You’re both wrong.

1+1= Whatever the Supreme Court says it equals.