On 2010-05-20 09:52:29 -0400, Swingman said:

It is exactly as I said ... just remove the huge football/sports
program mindset, which directly benefits less than 10% of the student
body, and see how much "funding" you have to spend on educational
basics and the teaching of life skills.

Wouldn't that be nice -- ain't gonna happen. Local school system has
floated the idea of "pay for play"; you want your kid to go out for
sports, you cough up some bucks. That was met with a resounded "thud."
Kind of odd, because the same parents fork out some fairly substantial
dough for youth soccer leagues and such. But apparently, the feeling is
that you aren't getting full value for school taxes unless there is a
sports program.

So I stand by my equivocal answer: yes... and no. To some, there will
always be a lack of funding, specifically funding applied to what some
of us find more important than sports.

Now, there is a payback at the college level. Any school with a winning
team will find alumni contributions increase. And not just a little
bit. That's why a college coach for a state school may be the
highest-paid employee IN the state. Some of those salaries are truly
obscene.

As a last sidenote, year-round school will never happen at the high
school level because, my wife the teacher says, it would interfere with
sports schedules.

"Han" wrote
The answer is not throw money at it. I realize you're not supporting
that notion. The answer is more parent involvement and some way to
encourage the kids to learn. Of course the current economy doesn't
really encourage learning much, but somehow the alternative of going on
the dole needs to be discouraged for those who can work/learn. Of course
also, teachers need to transfer enthousiasm to the kids, and those who do
that need to be rewarded, not fired.

I have a theory and I'm blaming some of my generation for the problems. I
was in high school in the early 60's. There was an unpopular war going on
at the time and a lot of kids did not want to go. They went on to college
and got deferments. They went on to teaching and got more deferments. Now
you have a lot of draft dodging teachers coming into the school system
diluting the good teachers of the past. Over time, some of them went on to
become school administrators. That hurt the system even more.

Sadly, a portion of my generation did not do such a great job of raising
children. They just want to be "free spirits" and allow the kids to be the
same, as long as we don't hurt their self esteem.

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote:

I have a theory and I'm blaming some of my generation for the
problems. I was in high school in the early 60's.
snip

rant on

IMHO, American public education today finds itself in a similar
position to the steel and automotive industries of the 60s.

The teacher's associations and the public service employee unions have
for the most part, gained defacto control of the public school
systems, much the same as the steel and auto industries found
themselves in the 60s with their union contracts.

I say this as an observation of reality rather than an attack on
organized labor.

There is no question organized labor serves a valid function; however,
it is obvious the situation has gotten out of hand as it applies to
public education.

Something has to be done to resolve the situation, I only hope the
"medicine" doesn't kill the patient.

After all, the basic steel and automotive industries don't offer a
usable model.

rant off

Lew

Glen wrote:

Gentlemen,

As the school year is coming to an end, I thought I would share a few
pictures of my students' work. For those who don't know, I teach HS
woodshop in an urban school just outside Los Angeles.

Very good. You are doing some good work there.


--

There is never a situation where having more rounds is a disadvantage

Rob Leatham

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in
:


"Han" wrote
The answer is not throw money at it. I realize you're not supporting
that notion. The answer is more parent involvement and some way to
encourage the kids to learn. Of course the current economy doesn't
really encourage learning much, but somehow the alternative of going
on the dole needs to be discouraged for those who can work/learn. Of
course also, teachers need to transfer enthousiasm to the kids, and
those who do that need to be rewarded, not fired.

I have a theory and I'm blaming some of my generation for the
problems. I was in high school in the early 60's. There was an
unpopular war going on at the time and a lot of kids did not want to
go. They went on to college and got deferments. They went on to
teaching and got more deferments. Now you have a lot of draft
dodging teachers coming into the school system diluting the good
teachers of the past. Over time, some of them went on to become
school administrators. That hurt the system even more.

Sadly, a portion of my generation did not do such a great job of
raising children. They just want to be "free spirits" and allow the
kids to be the same, as long as we don't hurt their self esteem.

I went off to college in 1963. Because that was always the plan.
Holland had a compulsory draft system at the time that a very large
majority of people of all ages didn't care for, but it was considered a
necessary evil. It has now already for a long time been replaced by an
all volunteer military. My draft "evasion" consisted of accepting
graduate work abroad. I consider myself a not so bad parent, although I
am, in contrast to my daughter and son-in-law, not a high school teacher.

While there may be potheads and slackers who just sponge of the system
among the teachers, I wouldn't blame draft evaders. Parts of the US
educational system stink, but why that is so is probably not easy to
define.

--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:4bf6147b$0$24276
:

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote:

I have a theory and I'm blaming some of my generation for the
problems. I was in high school in the early 60's.
snip

rant on

IMHO, American public education today finds itself in a similar
position to the steel and automotive industries of the 60s.

The teacher's associations and the public service employee unions have
for the most part, gained defacto control of the public school
systems, much the same as the steel and auto industries found
themselves in the 60s with their union contracts.

I say this as an observation of reality rather than an attack on
organized labor.

There is no question organized labor serves a valid function; however,
it is obvious the situation has gotten out of hand as it applies to
public education.

Something has to be done to resolve the situation, I only hope the
"medicine" doesn't kill the patient.

After all, the basic steel and automotive industries don't offer a
usable model.

rant off

Lew

Amen. Teachers, parents and city politicians are to blame. They should
cooperate and rectify. Some heads should roll.

--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

As the school year is coming to an end, I thought I would share a few
pictures of my students' work. For those who don't know, I teach HS
woodshop in an urban school just outside Los Angeles.
Glen

Nice work. The kids look really happy and pleased with their projects.
Keep up the great work Glen.
`Casper