Issues in Education

[81usaf92]

 

[JDCrimson]

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And who is surprised by this?

 

[Huckleberry]

And who is surprised by this?

No one, especially the Republicans who passed the law. It's the same in other states with similar education giveaway programs.

 

[81usaf92]

And who is surprised by this?

Well like charter schools… we are constantly told “it’s for the children” or “it’s for better schools”. Yet when you look at it through cold hard data you see it’s all about enriching the rich with taxpayer money or promoting white flight out of public education.

At some point the red states are going to find out dealing a death blow to public education is going to cost them far more than trying to save it. Because you are going to have massive teacher shortages and the quality of public schools will actually get worse.

 

[Tidewater]

I thought this was interesting.
Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath correlates the introduction of individual computers into classrooms and a drop in student performance.

Then argues for research to examine the causation (if any)

 

[arthurdawg]

I thought this was interesting.
Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath correlates the introduction of individual computers into classrooms and a drop in student performance.

Then argues for research to examine the causation (if any)

There is a blind doggedness to giving every child a computer in the classroom. We went through that here in Huntsville with the Wardynski disaster. At a public forum he was presented with a concise listing of research that showed computers were detrimental compared to pencil and paper by an erudite engineer parent, and he told the parent he was an idiot, knew nothing about education, and refused to even address the issue. Every. Kid. Must. Have. A. Computer. was the mantra. One of the teachers at our elementary school was called to the carpet and threatened for using paper lessons for two days when the internet was out and they could not use the computers!

 

[81usaf92]

I thought this was interesting.
Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath correlates the introduction of individual computers into classrooms and a drop in student performance.

Then argues for research to examine the causation (if any)

I think lowering graduation standards has probably had a bigger impact on it than computers. Most HS are judged off graduation rates and ACT performance. When you realize that the ACT is a logic game in which it is entirely possible to get a 30 by only answering 40% of the test and then answering the other 60% C then you realize that ACT scores are not a real good measure of academic achievement. Too many schools have gone to “teach to test” to the point that they are learning nothing but test taking skills and not learning content. It’s why you are starting to see colleges push to find alternatives to the ACT.

 

[Tidewater]

There is a blind doggedness to giving every child a computer in the classroom. We went through that here in Huntsville with the Wardynski disaster. At a public forum he was presented with a concise listing of research that showed computers were detrimental compared to pencil and paper by an erudite engineer parent, and he told the parent he was an idiot, knew nothing about education, and refused to even address the issue. Every. Kid. Must. Have. A. Computer. was the mantra. One of the teachers at our elementary school was called to the carpet and threatened for using paper lessons for two days when the internet was out and they could not use the computers!

I have not been in a secondary school classroom since 2003.
I did get to examine the products of high schools when I was teaching at Alabama and Va Tech. When I suggested students take a position and defend it using evidence and argumentation, most looked at me like a hog looking at a wristwatch. To many of them, write a ten-page paper meant sit at you computer and type whatever pops into your mind until you get to ten pages. The above average ones would spell check.
The very good ones would actually do what I told them (take a position and defend that position with evidence and argumentation). I really meant it when I said I did not really care what position they took, just how well they defended whatever position they took. Most could not do that.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

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So why aren’t those other demographics applying? The program is open to everyone as long as you meet the income thresholds. Last year, everyone that applied got the money.

I’m not going to argue whether the program is good or not. But you can’t blame one demographic because the other didn’t bother to apply. Yes, private schools in our area where advertising and encouraging everyone at their schools to apply.

Public schools on the other hand didn’t say a thing. We knew many families that are in public schools that had no idea about the program when we told them. All of them said they were definitely going to apply this year. Public schools are not going to advertise this for obvious reasons so the state needs to find better ways of getting the word out.

 

[81usaf92]

So why aren’t those other demographics applying? The program is open to everyone as long as you meet the income thresholds. Last year, everyone that applied got the money.

I’m not going to argue whether the program is good or not. But you can’t blame one demographic because the other didn’t bother to apply. Yes, private schools in our area where advertising and encouraging everyone at their schools to apply.

Public schools on the other hand didn’t say a thing. We knew many families that are in public schools that had no idea about the program when we told them. All of them said they were definitely going to apply this year. Public schools are not going to advertise this for obvious reasons so the state needs to find better ways of getting the word out.

Because the vouchers don’t pay the full cost. Most people taking the vouchers for private school benefits are already enrolled in private schools.

It’s basically reimbursing already private school and homeschooling parents.