What is Digg?431 Comments
- lOvOl, on 10/16/2007, -23/+233My mother used to be a public school art teacher in Columbus, Ohio and she actually cared about what the kids learned, but unfortunately the whole system runs on politics. Trying to make a difference in the lives of kids will actually get you in trouble.
One of the most outrageous examples was once my mother was trying to break up a fight between two boys in her class. In the process of that, she managed to get her thumb broken. Naturally being upset she said something to the effect "if you want to act like animals, then you can go home".
Now, the kids who were fighting in the classroom did not get disciplined in any significant way. I think they had to go to some room for a while (a time-out room) for 4th graders or whatever grade she was teaching at the time, but that was about it. Unfortunately for my mom, the ignorant single-mother of one of the boys filed a complaint with the school that my mother was "racist" for suggesting that her child was acting like an animal and my mom had to go through a whole lot of administrative crap before it was eventually dropped. She probably would have been fired if not for the teacher unions that make it basically impossible for tenured teachers to be fired. The fact the school cares more about the unsubstantiated claim of some ignorant single mother that pulled a "Jesse Jackson" on the exaggerated claims of her boogerspawn, than my mother's broken thumb, is one of many examples of why the last place you want to send your child to get educated these days is "public school".
Now, there are a lot of horrible teachers out there and even worse administrators. Unfortunately, the good teachers can't do much outside of follow the rules by the book that are created by political bureaucrats who have never taught a day in their life, because if they do they get kicked down by politics. In addition, as long as nobody stands up to ignorant parents who threaten to sue if their "angel" is ever disciplined at school, then a few unruly kids will make it impossible for any of the other kids to get an education. By the time high school comes around, the unruly kids drop out, but a lot of other kids who have been demotivated by school because of disruptive students, end up dropping out as well.
If I was president, I would ban public schools nationwide and instead give every parent $5,000 a year per child in voucher money to go to the school of their choice. Our public school system is a socialist blight on America and needs to be terminated one way or another. - juventus1, on 10/16/2007, -6/+181respect to the mother. I just got done with my highschool and while my school didnt seem quite so bad, (as that one science teacher especially), its obvious that the education system in the united states sucks ass
- carl25, on 10/10/2007, -3/+10680% of the grade is a ***** book check ? So you could just have an organized book for the school year and you basically come out with a B. What the hell. Kudos to the mom
- jbinl, on 10/16/2007, -2/+65Being a public school teacher myself, it is not just Ohio, it is the whole USA that falls into the same situation. I grew up in Ohio, witnessed the tragic subpar performance of its schools, and now I see the same in the south where I teach science. It is sad. I would NEVER send a child of mine to the school at which I teach, even though I consider myself to be a pretty good teacher.
- amirjpl, on 10/12/2007, -3/+51America only has good universities. The rest of the schooling sucks. It is all down the crapper. I was born in Iran, and their standards are way higher. I moved to California after my 3rd grade and I just got bored because all they talked about was stuff I had studied back in 2nd grade. America is way behind in math, and the kids that are actually interested in science learn science, the rest just try to get the grade. Then college comes and the boys are separated from the men.
Sorry to say this, but America has already created a generation of straight up uneducated people. They think they are educated because they can read the road signs and write, but can't do ***** beyond that. Kids in europe and asia, are working their asses off, and are actually learning things. ***** grades, if you can't learn something, what is the point.
This is what happens when the country's number one priority is ripping off oil from other countries, and not education. Wake up America, and read a ***** book. - ragingradish, on 10/13/2007, -3/+50Just because you've observed morons in their natural state does not automatically mean that a certain blogger/writer is not qualified to teach a given body of material.
- swordedge, on 10/10/2007, -4/+49Standing Ovation!
- str3ama, on 10/10/2007, -26/+66here's why I'd advise against this:
In my last year of University I had to spent some time at the Zoo (animal behavioural studies), and while I was there just sitting and recording notes on whichever animal I was observing that day, I'd see endless parents toting their children around the Zoo. Being curious about the animals, the children would ask their parents questions about the animals, like "Why is the flamingo pink? and the parents not having any knowledge on this would still answer with some of the most ridiculous answers (in this case "because flamingos are only women, the males are peacocks" -actual answer from a parent). - cielo23, on 10/15/2007, -3/+43I'm so glad to read a science article on Digg that doesn't have to do with creation/ evolution bickering.
- 0zzy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+35Ya, I've been living through "No Child Left Behind". It's true, they spend several months studying for a test so we can pass.
By 2012, 100% of the students must pass, even the mentally challenged. If the school does not have 100% passing rate, they will be taken over by the federal government. And we all know how well they run local programs! - inactive, on 10/10/2007, -4/+38I remember the horrors of going from a home education to the public high school in Colorado. It's bad enough that I often try to put it out of memory, like a really bad dream. Most of the teachers (especially the chemistry teacher for some reason) couldn't teach squat. They couldn't control the student body, and the students themselves wouldn't even try to apply themselves.
I went from believing I was a decent student who got good grades, to feeling like a prisoner, always depressed, doing my time and just wanting a way out. But that's just my POV on colorado public education. - getsk3wled, on 10/16/2007, -0/+34My AP English teacher has nearly been fired from parents complaining that their 'precious football playing son' is failing. It's senior english she teaches, along with freshman AP english and AP lang for juniors. She actually GIVES homework. She makes students DO work, compared to other teachers. It's not a blow off class by any means whatsoever. But they're Seniors and the school board/principal says they have to pass. They passed the TAKS test, so they should graduate, and a "stupid english class" shouldn't hurt that. The class isn't outlandishly hard, it's just more challenging than all the other classes. It's regular english 4, and they still do jock stuff in her class, talk, and don't care.
it's absolutely disgusting.
she's a BRILLIANT woman, and she isn't all that old. she still takes 12 hours a summer in college, and has graduated from at least 4 colleges, and attended several more. she takes stuff in the summer, still on a teacher's salary.
she cares about her students, they don't care about her.
and as long as the parents "demand" that their kid graduate. she'll have to pass them.
1/3 of graduated americans have no employable skills (a.k.a.: can't read or write)
do you know, HOW that happens? because the parents demand that they graduate. and it works.
absolutely horrifying, isn't it? - segovia101, on 10/10/2007, -1/+35Dam this is just lik me English teecher . It is a disgrase.
- vault, on 10/10/2007, -10/+41Did a mom write this, or a guy named Tony did? Where does it say mom?
- swordedge, on 10/10/2007, -5/+34Knowing when the US landed a man on the moon IS science. It's also history as science builds on what we already know and what we already know is history. NOT knowing how to answer that question past first grade is criminal.
- MacSawD, on 10/10/2007, -1/+29OMG, this is just like my 11th grade Chemistry teacher!
Damn you Ms. Stamper! - PoeticExplosion, on 10/10/2007, -4/+32I've been homeschooled all my life, and I can guarantee that I learned more than almost anyone in the local public school. If nothing else, the desire to learn was never beaten out of me by stupidity like notebook organization rules.
- philliesphan026, on 10/16/2007, -4/+31Actually I think it's his father, but point well taken.
And I hate teachers like that, it undermines education when they put organization ahead of it, especially at such a high margin (80% of the grade based on organization). Pathetic. - Obligation, on 10/10/2007, -1/+28I think this is great for the kid. Usually I'm skeptical about how home schooling effects kids, but this is more like he has a smaller class with a better teacher. I feel bad for the rest of the kids that were in his class.
- PoeticExplosion, on 10/10/2007, -3/+29Well, TFA is about a scientist, but even non-scientist parents can buy some curriculum.
- navitatl, on 10/10/2007, -6/+32The Colorado public school system is abominable. I should know... I dropped out of it just a few years back. Never regretted it for a moment.
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -1/+26"abominable" does NOT mean "too hard" you stupid moron (or should that be 'moran')!
- sarazen, on 10/10/2007, -1/+25For someone apparently working in the sciences that is quite a rush to judgment based on anecdotal evidence. If you are going to suggest that people follow your advice you should at least back it up with some real evidence. In your next 'study' I suggest that you include some genuine homeschoolers, and as you eavesdrop, don't forget to control your results for annoyed, or joking parents.
- TheHighPrivate, on 10/10/2007, -1/+23The system is broken, most people just don't realize it yet. My classmates in my American State and Local Government class were outraged when I stated that the current form of public education should be abolished...
- natedouglas, on 10/10/2007, -0/+21Do you actually have the time to post a completely meaningless comment? A 50-page comment with something to say isn't a waste of time.
- clear9, on 10/10/2007, -2/+22i'm in high school and I wish my parents did that for me
I am honestly learning nothing
my Biology class is filled with basic knowledge which most I new before, and its a real shame
HONESTLY - an idiot could get straight B's and maybe a few A's just because they are hard working and organized - the knowledge part is only a small fraction of the grade
a real shame - sarazen, on 10/10/2007, -0/+19Well she would be a fool to follow your advice. Being the butt of some jokes in high school lasts at most a few years. Being ignorant can last a lifetime.
- hiphoc, on 10/10/2007, -5/+23http://www.deliberatedumbingdown.com/
Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt was a top official at the Department of Education. She wrote a book exposing how the whole purpose of the Department of Education is to dumb down the kids of america so the elite can have an easily fooled group of sheeple. She thought this is so important that the books is a free download on her site. There is also a movie on bit torrent. Just go to pirate bay and type in Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt. The book is huge and has documents galore that she took out of the department. If you know a teacher or someone in education go burn the video or download the book and get it to them. We got to wake people up to this criminality. - Noiremorte, on 10/10/2007, -1/+18Sure it is. the mother is taking it upon herself to teach the children what they SHOULD be learning in school. She's taking the initiative to better educate her son and his friends. How is that wrong?
- Revwilkinson, on 10/10/2007, -1/+18Crap like this is why I despised the public education system. It tries to make underwhelming minds average while leaving the truly intelligent kids to basically fend for themselves.
- onewingedangel9, on 10/10/2007, -1/+18Very true. Right now they are treated more like babysitters.
- matts009, on 10/10/2007, -1/+18I too have been homeschooled from 1st grade through high school, and agree with Poetic's comments. I love to learn.
- Pureeviljester, on 10/10/2007, -1/+18Me fail English? That's unpossible!
- tHePeOPle, on 10/10/2007, -2/+18He probably went to public school. Don't be too hard on him.
- nicksauce, on 10/10/2007, -1/+17Is it like that everywhere in the US? Seriously, I'm curious. My experience from the Canadian school system was nothing like this.
- MrNewbie, on 10/10/2007, -1/+17Believe me, it's not just the US, either. I have *exactly* the same outlook as you, am a teacher like you, but I'm in Canada.
- giveer, on 10/10/2007, -1/+17DAMN! I figured this was going to be another creationist/science post -- but dammit, this is crazy.. I don't know how things are in the States, but - this rule is "new" (10 years or so) here in Canada: -- Unless a teacher has PERMISSION from the parents, and also has DAMNED good reason.. Teachers are NOT allowed to fail students before grade 9!!!! The first time I heard that was the biggest "WTF" in memory. A kid could skip everyday of school until he's 13 and pass everything. Sometimes, school just dumbfounds me.
- Victorface, on 10/10/2007, -0/+16My old chemistry teacher started a revolution by abolishing practices of people like that notebook checking teacher and based grades completely off of understanding. Long live Mr. Tom Dooner.
- sandrock, on 10/16/2007, -2/+18Dugg for 'boogerspawn' :)
- eean, on 10/10/2007, -0/+15subby shows their sexist ways. Someone talking about their kids, obviously a mom.
- Crossmenjeff, on 10/10/2007, -0/+15i got this one from my counselor "It's not like you're going to Harvard". i don't think i've ever hated someone more who has been in a position to affect my future than her. who is she to tell me what i can't do, she's a high school guidance counselor. the sad part about her job isn't that she sucked at it, it's that her job was to help the kids in danger of failing or dropping out, not to help the kids who had a good chance of succeeding.
- theodenking, on 10/10/2007, -2/+17Totally agreed up until the idiotic voucher system. You've just described how lots of parents can be ignorant and neglectful, and you want to entrust education to them? There's no reason why public schools can't be functional, flexible in terms of subject matter and responsive to individual needs. I live in Britain and although our system is far from perfect it seems to be quite a bit better than the horror stories about American public schooling.
- iDMG, on 10/10/2007, -0/+15I agree, school is nothing more than diligence and organization, with 10% of it being actual material and 90% the same ***** we learned a million times already
- inactive, on 09/11/2008, -0/+15"Don't let schooling interfere with your education." -Mark Twain
- pintomp3, on 10/10/2007, -0/+14keeping salaries low insures quality teachers? try applying that logic to any other job.
- onewingedangel9, on 10/10/2007, -0/+14That's such a ridiculous thing. I remember taking my states standardized test. They really dumbed it down so retarded people COULD pass it. You have to really not pay attention at all in order to fail. Getting 100% of students to pass is a hollow victory of it means lowering the bar instead of improving the methods.
- yomamaisfat, on 10/10/2007, -7/+21The education system will continue to suck until teacher salaries are raised above those of factory workers with GED's. It is a tough job (both my parents teach) that is vastly unappreciated.
- riggs32, on 10/10/2007, -0/+13the part about notebooks really hits home for me. I was one of the smartest kids in my 8th grade algebra class, got A's on all my tests, but had a c in the class because i couldn't keep my damn notebook organized.
- HunterTV, on 10/10/2007, -4/+17We don't need no education...
- onewingedangel9, on 10/10/2007, -3/+15It's almost funny how many diggers aren't reading the article and just assuming since it's talking about a science classroom that the issue is religion. READ THE ARTICLE!!!
-
Show 51 - 100 of 427 discussions
Digg is coming to a city (and computer) near you! Check out all the details on our 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is