Posted on 03/29/2009 5:59:20 AM PDT by aberaussie
Yes and I was a late bloomer. With community colleges, distance learning in all its forms, late bloomers, non traditional students and so forth can earn at least a master’s degree from an accredited college.
How do you know freedom, when all you have ever been is a slave. Even when the slaves in America were finally freed, the slaves still stuck around on the same plantations ... Amusing observation of human nature. A similar thing happen when the Soviet Union fell -- Americans are perplexed at why the Russians would want the Soviet despots back.
Democracy and self rule are hard. Freedom does not come free. Reagan articulated this better than any modern leader in America. The leftards know it but have other plans.
I don’t really think the end goal of the average teacher is to dumb down children. I DO think forced curriculum outside of parental control DOES tend to have that effect - especially when the hidden agenda is to produce cohorts ignorant of their national origins and freedoms. Teaachers, in general, want their students to succeed. However, the direction of modern education is to produce ‘world citizens’ fitted for the economic needs of the world government - not patriots of liberty-loving, self-motivated individuals.
We used Singapore Math
I think the average teacher is good at heart. But then they are required to teach to ‘the plan’, using approved books, and an easy plan makes for easy teaching. The central control and planning of education is already here. Just pick up a modern text on science and read what it says about global warming.
So no, I don’t ascribe motive to the teachers, just the system they work in.
When I was in school, I still remember a single teacher who I had, he formed my life’s goals significantly, he told me something like ‘only the loser stops at the requirements’. He always had extra credit textbooks and tasks for students to do. Stuart Cady was his name ... Long since passed away.
When I went to public school we had designations. An example of 5th grade was 5-1, 5-2 etc. The ones in 5-6 were the slower learners and the ones in 5-1, 5-2 were quicker learners.
In 6th grade, the kids who were in 6-1 and 6-2 got to test for what was called SP in JHS. That was where students at advanced learning levels could skip 8th grade. It was pretty simple.
Today they are afraid to write in red ink for fear of hurting a kids self esteem.
We use Singapore Math too, we really like it (but we did look at Saxon and I think it’s a great program too, just not what our daughter needed).
Google is your friend “Saxon Math” =
http://saxonpublishers.harcourtachieve.com/en-US/saxonmath_home";
That's true. What's worse is that parents will pick up on whose kid is "fast-tracked" through the system and whose kid needs "continuing education" for their group. You won't know why a kid moves up other than what kids pick up on.
"Johnny doesn't seem to grasp the importance of Dear Leader's ideas the same way the other kids do."
It took me a 50 minute math class in 4th grade.
But it is a effective mechanism for achieving mediocrity and building false self esteem.
Sue Fine? Hope she doesn’t marry someone named Steele.
It is a series of textbooks for teaching math. It is very traditional math. Every lesson has a series of problems ( about 30) that reviews concepts previously taught. There are no photos or pictures in the books.
My homeschooled children used the Saxon Math books. They entered college at the ages of 13, 12, and 13. At 15 all had finished Calculus III. By the age of 18 the two younger children graduated with B.S. degrees in mathematics. The older of these two earned a masters in math by the age of 20.
The oldest is a nationally and internationally ranked athlete. He choose accounting. He has traveled worldwide. He worked for our church for a few years in Eastern Europe and as a result is completely fluent in Russian. He competes in his sport and will soon finish his MBA ( accounting) at an age typical for his contemporaries.
Saxon Math is very popular with homeschoolers.
I, too, got a late start. I graduated from college at 27 and earned a doctorate by 32.
In a country like France there would have been no hope for me.
Grade promotion is almost a given in far too many districts, and not much of an incentive.
It’s kind of like gun laws, immigration laws, etc. They’re worthless unless enforced.
The schools in Manhattan,KS have done this for at least ten years. They lump some of the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders into the same room. They actually have 3 teachers assigned to the group. The teachers are very proud of it - call it muli-echelon something or other.
My opinion - students in the 5th and 6th grade aren’t allowed to fail, which is no good. Also, the smart 4th graders get an early start on pulling the weight of others...kind of depressing.
However good it may look on paper, it does not work well at all in reality.
They didn’t all learn to sit up & walk at exactly the same age. They don’t all wear the same size shoes. Why do we expect them to all learn math & reading at the same pace?
We had similar success with math using Saxon. Plus I only had to teach through Saxon Alg II (age 15) and then they’d test into College Alg and the profs took over...no more math teaching for me (good thing too because I think teaching Calculus courses and Trig might have made my brain explode.)
Teachers who agree to assist, cooperate with, and implement programs that ultimately hurt children ***ARE*** the problem and should be blamed.
Children are sentenced to literal imprisonment in horrific "schools" because teachers willingly open the doors to these schools, and them proceed to implement the very policies that make these "schools" horrible.
I think the average teacher is good at heart.
The average teacher isn't real bright either. Just look at their average SAT and GRE scores. They are the lowest on campus.
Good at heart? Well!....The road to hell is paved with good ( but very stupid) intentions.
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