Quote:
Originally Posted by bigtex
The following You Tube was performed by the Sanger Independent School District (Denton County, north of Dallas) Ass't Sup't. sung by Sup't, IT Director & Deputy Sup't. about the Tx Educational budget cuts.
Enjoy!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1Umf6p2dD8 |
Watched the skit and certainly understand that school districts are upset over having their funding cut.
I also know, having traveled to many places overseas and having been educated both abroad and here in the United States, that the United States spends more money per student than many other nations
(
Current expenditures per pupil in fall enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools: Selected years 2007-08 $10,441 per student
http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=66
yet:
1.Among adults age 25 to 34, the U.S. is ninth among industrialized nations in the share of its population that has at least a high school degree. In the same age group, the United States ranks seventh, with Belgium, in the share of people who hold a college degree.
2. Fifteen-year-olds in the U.S. ranked 25th among peers from 34 countries on a math test and scored in the middle in science and reading, while China’s Shanghai topped the charts, raising concern that the U.S. isn’t prepared to succeed in the global economy
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-1...e-reading.html
Maybe it's time that people looked at where the real problems in our education system are instead of just running around screaming "It's Bush's fault, it's Perry's fault" etc.
A good start would be the documentary "Waiting on Superman". Ever watch it?
Now, I'm sure 'ol F-Sharp will dig up some numbers somewhere, even though I provided links, that will dispute the problem.
Anyone who is serious though about our education issues need only travel to China, the Philippines or many other Asian countries and look at their classrooms, look at the money spent per student and then look at how those students turn out. I'd put one of their students against one of ours any day of the week and bet money that they come out with an overall BETTER education than our kids do DESPITE those governments spending less.
That's because:
1.
Discipline is still enforced. You think China or some of these other countries are running around spending MILLIONS on ADHD drugs?
You think they make excuses for their child not sitting still in class?
You think the teacher is not THE ultimate authority figure in that classroom?
2.
Effective teaching
The
National Education Association (
NEA) is the largest
professional organization and largest
labor union in the
United States
"Federal law prohibits unions from using dues money or other assets to contribute to or otherwise assist federal candidates or political parties, in accordance with their tax-exempt status. The
NEA Fund for Children and Public Education is a special fund for voluntary contributions from NEA members which can legally be used to assist candidates and political parties. Critics have repeatedly questioned the NEA's actual compliance with such laws, and a number of legal actions focusing on the union's use of money and union personnel in partisan contexts have ensued.
[30]"
"The Obama Administration has also said that it wishes to make greater federal funding for education a priority during the years ahead, and has shown no willingness to support school choice in the form of vouchers. This is hardly unrelated to campaign donations of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers which since 1990 have contributed more than $50 million to support Democratic candidates running for office. Both unions have been strong supporters of increased federal aid to public schools and have strongly opposed school voucher programs."
Think the NEA DOESN'T have a vested interest in making guys like you believe that MONEY is the problem?? They are one of the largest unions that supports almost exclusively the Democratic Party.
It's not money, many times it's the incompetent teachers that the NEA tries so hard to protect and cover for.
Again, PLEASE watch the Documentary, after all, I watched your skit, and then come back and let's discuss education here.
3.
Home-
Do you want to discuss how many parents actually still READ to their kids before they start school and during their first few critical school years?
Care to know how many parents have their kids read to THEM after 3rd grade?
How many parents actually sit down with their kids and make sure their homework gets done or check their homework?
I've been an involved parent of my child's education since he began in Kindergarten. He's 16 now. I've seen the system first hand. It's broken. Plain and simple. They're pushing kids through who don't comprehend the subject matter, they round up grades when the kids are actually failing, discipline in the classrooms has become an utter joke preventing many kids from absorbing the lessons, etc etc etc.
I had to go in person and meet with the Principal of both my son's middle and high school and STRESS to them that I don't want my kid's grades rounded up. He gets what he earns, plain and simple. He makes a 67, well, better luck when you take the class the second time around. They (the school administrations) wanted to ARGUE with me over this!
So, I'm glad you got to see a funny skit about Perry and the school district but the reality is.....it's not the money or lack thereof that's causing us to plummet in the world education rankings. It's our school systems, sometimes it's the teachers (yes I know many people think they are Saints but there's good and bad in that profession as in any other), sometimes it's the curriculum, sometimes it's what's going on (or NOT going on) in the home and sometimes it's a lack of getting back to the basics of education.
:mf_laughboun ce2:
