Community Chat

[phoenixbrd]

@Sweetbay magnolia   You are smart to pay attention to your School Board and your point about collaboration, at all levels, is critical.  Education, at its best, is a community endeavor.

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@Sweetbay magnolia wrote:

Families move around.  Students graduate and move on.  Basic standard curricula makes sense - some benchmark level of shared competency has to be.  Even at the level of educating educators.

Of course in an ideal world, there's a constructive back-and-forth between teachers, students and their guardians, and administrators. I pay attention to who is on the school board in my jurisdiction, as well.

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[Harpa]

@phoenixbrd 

Quite frankly, I think I was viewed more as a classroom teacher's prep, more than anything. Until concert (show off) time!

You mentioned homeschooling - It really shows in my college classes those who were homeschooled, and those who were not! In every instance, the homeschoolers far exceed those who've had a more traditional form of education.

Presently, I teach music to a small group of homeschoolers in my own home, still following the NSs that were conceived in the music discipline.

[phoenixbrd]

@Harpa   What fun and how lucky those students are to have you!  Of course, integrating the standards is prep for the classroom teaching....a teacher would be negligent if not.  I enjoy your perspective, as a teacher who has first hand observation regarding home schooling students.  My take would be the parents who did the home schooling were smart, astute, and went above and beyond the expected standards.  As you have experienced, this can certainly be the case, but unfortunately, the opposite can also occur.  

Enjoy your teaching....your students are so blessed to have a knowledgeable gifted teacher at the helm!

[BirkiLady]

@bathina  Education is funded by State and Local property taxes. Why would the Federal Government have any control over education nationally? If a school system is not adequate, it is due to taxpayers unwilling to pay for a better education for their students.

Residents put their money to work for them. It's that simple. Speak at the polls for what is important for your own community.

[phoenixbrd]

@Johnnyeager , @BirkiLady   You comments are true on the face of it;

"According to the US department of Education, the Federal Government contributes about 8% to funding US public schools. To fund the remaining balance per student in the public education System, state and local governments are mandated to allocate money towards education."

However, if you dig deeper you will find vast amounts of federal funding provided to the schools who implemented No Child Left Behind and now (as of 2015) ESSA.  With that funding came/comes stringent accountability and required testing.

And, I agree with you, @BirkiLady .  Your votes do count and express priorities.

[bathina]

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@BirkiLady wrote:

@bathina  Education is funded by State and Local property taxes. Why would the Federal Government have any control over education nationally? If a school system is not adequate, it is due to taxpayers unwilling to pay for a better education for their students.

Residents put their money to work for them. It's that simple. Speak at the polls for what is important for your own community.

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Because there would be no uniformity in what kids would be taught. You could have some kids learning science, while other kids think the flu is cured with peppermint oil and elderberries. You might have others learning about evolution and others being taught the world is 3000 years old. what happens to those kids when they enter college and need to relearn what they've been taught or haven't been taught during grades 1-12? There needs to be a standard.

[BirkiLady]

Many parents hire tutors for their teenagers, as well. I remember having a tutor for Algebra III and IV, as did my son. My grandson (almost 13) now has a tutor for Albegra I (and he seems much more intelligent that I ever was!)

It seems so much more is expected of them . . . plus, he's in excelled classes. A tutor is necessary to comprehend and maintain top grades. I will continue to vote for each school bond. But I'm pleased my son and DIL are willing to hire an excellent tutor, as well.  

[phoenixbrd]

@BirkiLady   Yes, I agree.....a lot is expected of students and teachers as well.  With the implementation of No Child Left Behind and ESSA students are now tested on their knowledge of the standards.  I applaud your son for hiring the extra support that might be needed and wish your grandson well.  You can support him as well by asking him questions about his classroom and what he is learning.  Your interest is as supportive as your son and DIL's.  Great that your family is working together....at best, it does take a community to educate a child.

[phoenixbrd]

@bathina   Totally agree!  Standards level the opportunities for educational growth (to the degree that it can be leveled).

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@bathina wrote:

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Because there would be no uniformity in what kids would be taught. You could have some kids learning science, while other kids think the flu is cured with peppermint oil and elderberries. You might have others learning about evolution and others being taught the world is 3000 years old. what happens to those kids when they enter college and need to relearn what they've been taught or haven't been taught during grades 1-12? There needs to be a standard.

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[Cats3000]

@phoenixbrd:  I would suggest that you carefully read the US Constitution.  Article 1, Section 8 "enumerates" the powers that the Founding Fathers wanted the federal government to exercise.  I submit that education of our children including "National Educational Standards" is NOT one of those powers. 

As a parent, I don't want "National Educational Standards".  I was opposed to "Common Core".  I don't want the federal government through an unelected cadre of bureaucrats dictating to my school district what should be taught, how subjects should be taught, who should teach the subjects, or any other matter involving the education of my children.  I want that matter to rest between me, my state's education departmet and my local school board.  My local school board is answerable to me.  My state's educaton department is answerable to me through my local political representatives.  That is true "parental empowerment",