Kids less likely to graduate HS than parents (1 in 4 dropping out)

WNBC (N.Y.) ^ | 10/23/08

[demshateGod]

7. Stop stealing my money.

[iopscusa]

The answer is in the excerpt; ‘Education Trust which advocates on behalf of minority and poor children.’ The Gov’t Schools are failing because of the idiotcy of multicults and socialism!

[Condor51]

Kids less likely to graduate HS than parents (WNBC (N.Y.)

I was going to say BS, until I see this is aimed at the denizens of NYC

Okay, 'series'. If you go to Great Schools.net and search the schools in ANY big city you will find four things in common...

1. They are all run by Democrats (includes Bloomie)
2. They are all predominately 'minority' majorities
   
3. They all have a heavy population of illegals.
4. These schools have ratings like 3 out of 10: Lousy and NOT safe for kids.

Then for snicks, go to google or yahoo maps, find a suburb 25 miles away and pick that school district and see the HUGH difference. Instead of ratings like Three they will be EIGHT or NINES. Oops forgot one more commonality. The lousy big city schools all spend MORE per pupil than the suburban schools.

Now some hand wringing lefty would say this is racist. I say get a life, these are hard indisputable facts.

[meandog]

Homeschooling is adequate in many cases but it does miss some such advantages as group learning in classroom settings. Education pioneers such as Skinner, Piaget, et al have proven such social interaction invaluable.

[demshateGod]

Zac Robinson for OKstate had better stats as a freshman and wasn’t even considered for the trophy.

[pray4liberty]

That's how schools used to be, when I went to school, but that was ages ago.

This won't happen as long as the liberals are in charge of education. They created this mess, and now it's making them look bad, so it's easier to blame the students than look at a failed system. They fight us tooth and nail if we as parents try to implement some of the positive changes you mentioned. It's not as if we haven't tried!

Today's homeschooler is yesterday's parent who ran afoul of the liberal/socialist school system.

[kabar]

My brothers and their wives are all schoolteachers. They teach in some of the best public high schools in America, at least as rated in US News and World Report. There is no doubt that the family environment and parent interest in the education of their children are very important. Also, the ability to maintain discipline in the classroom is paramount.

Asian-americans in the urban environment succeed despite the quality of the school system because of the additional effort they put in to succeed. And they usually come from two parent households. High out of wedlock birth rates and school dropout rates correlate to the social pathology of failure in this country. We are creating a permanent and growing underlclass in this country that will threaten its very existence.

[Momto2]

That way you get the advantage of group learning too...something that homeschooling misses.

If "group learning" were so superior.... why throughout history are the sons and daughters of kings, film stars, mega-millionaires, etc. all tutored privately? The ability to tailor learning styles to an individual and move at a pace that is ideal for that individual is far superior to hanging with the group. Have you compared the typical 8th grade education today with that of mid 1800's? The used to learn Latin, read classics, and do advanced math. Today, many can barely read anything not to mention their writing skills. You say you were a former public school teacher... surely you saw a great disparity between what you were taught in school and what they are teaching today?

I still think you are hung up on the "socialization" issue which has been thoroughly debunked by many studies. We now have adults who were homeschooled and studies have shown them to be very well adjusted and productive members of society.

[demshateGod]

And what’s so good about group learning?

[kabar]

Thanks for explaining it. I wasn't being as politically correct. This is primarily a black and Hispanic problem although the white rate of about 25% for out of wedlock births is approaching what the black rate was in the 50s and 60s.

Expelling them won't work that well in many urban areas. You are just putting them on the streets and spending even more time in that destructive environment. The numbers are huge.

[carola]

I think that has a lot to do with it. When I graduated from high school in 1966 really poor students could graduate with a D- in every subject — but they graduated. Now they face difficult exit exams so they just drop out. Heaven forbid they should be able to pass themselves off vaunted high school graduates.

[pray4liberty]

I might add that it is very, very difficult for churches to start their own schools. Otherwise yes, many of us parents would volunteer our time and teach. There is also a plethora of discombuberated laws that favor the public school system and they are different in every state.

It was posted here on FR what a hassle one church went through -- the system did everything they could to prevent them from starting a school. They got one regulation upon another thrown at them.

What parents do is start a homeschooling co-op at their local church, but it's not officially a school.

[meandog]

And what’s so good about group learning?

It provides ooportunities to share ideas and collaborate on projects.

[Momto2]

I think you are looking at the issue of group learning from a hypothetical, abstract point of view and I see it working out in real life.

My dd is 15 - she spends 4 to 5 hours a day on has schoolwork... THEN she has many more hours to spend on her music (she takes private lessons and sings in an advanced traveling choir - with public and private school students ) she also owns 4 horses and works with them and rides with her friends... If she were spending hours a day sitting in a classroom with the group - wasting time.... her time to spend on these other things would be severely limited. Its allowed my children to excel in areas because they do have time... which has been a tremendous blessing in their lives.

[GoSarah]

See also: the movie Idiocracy

[meandog]

If "group learning" were so superior.... why throughout history are the sons and daughters of kings, film stars, mega-millionaires, etc. all tutored privately? The ability to tailor learning styles to an individual and move at a pace that is ideal for that individual is far superior to hanging with the group. Have you compared the typical 8th grade education today with that of mid 1800's? The used to learn Latin, read classics, and do advanced math. Today, many can barely read anything not to mention their writing skills. You say you were a former public school teacher... surely you saw a great disparity between what you were taught in school and what they are teaching today? I still think you are hung up on the "socialization" issue which has been thoroughly debunked by many studies. We now have adults who were homeschooled and studies have shown them to be very well adjusted and productive members of society.

Think about it...group learning is what is going on in technological laboratories. It is how discovery is being made. I.e. Edison is credited with inventions of light-bulb, phonograph, motion pictures, etc. but it was really his laboratory in New Jersey (and in Fort Myers, Fla.) where the ideas came in collaboration with those working with him. It is the old "two heads better than one" theory.

[Slapshot68]

With the country moving ever closer to abject socialism, the motivation to succeed in school becomes obsolete. The gov’t will take care of you so why study?

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

The flip side of this is *horror*, to hold the feet of the students to the fire.

On the first day of class, parents and teachers tell the kids:

“Either you graduate from high school, or you are going to be in deep trouble for the rest of your life. You WILL be poor, and there is NOT going be anyone who will rescue you. You WILL work, doing work you hate, and it will be back-breaking work with low pay. It will break you, and you will be miserable.

If you do not want to be a wage slave, you WILL study in school. You WILL get good grades, because they are your ONLY chance to have a good life. Do what you must to get motivated, and do not waste your time, because you have only ONE chance to get it right.

If you have problems, take care of them immediately, so that they do not interfere with your studies. There are people who will help you now, but you must go to them.

Be angry if you do not get straight ‘A’s. Work harder. Don’t slack off. Be willing to push yourself. If you get in over your head, GET HELP.”

[Tribune7]

“whats the difference between a kid dropping out and graduating without being able to read his diploma?” . . . Job security for the American Federation of Teachers?

LOL. Bingo.

[Momto2]

Edison is credited with inventions of light-bulb, phonograph, motion pictures, etc. but it was really his laboratory in New Jersey (and in Fort Myers, Fla.) where the ideas came in collaboration with those working with him. It is the old "two heads better than one" theory.

As an aside - we toured the Edison museum in Ft. Myers, Fla. - it was a wonderful "field trip".

I acknowledge the advantage of collaboration in design and discovery and experimentation. I just disagree (politely of course) that the advantages of group learning outweigh the advantages of individualized learning. I'm grateful that (so far) in this country we are allowed to choose what we believe is the best path for our children. I pray that in 11 days that will still be the case :)