4 ms·

>Our kid goes to a public school and overall they spend way less time on core subjects but a lot more on things related to race and so on which really do not ha

>Our kid goes to a public school and overall they spend way less time on core subjects but a lot more on things related to race and so on which really do not have relevance to their level. I'm curious about this. Could you explain more?

giantg2 3y ago
Not the same person, but we recently started touring schools in different districts. They all seemed to push diversity and anti-bullying programs as a main part of their pitch. There was very little focus on the academics. It was basically you get the normal classes unless you test into an IEP or G-IEP. Then they'd show off their facilities, how every kid gets a Chromebook, and after enough good stickers under the bully program they get a pizza party, etc. The thing that spoke to me the most was looking in on the classes. Some of the schools seemed to just have the kids on screens in every class. Others had more of a mix. Behavior was also noticeable in one school, as was the aditude of the administration (both negative). On parent at that school told me you can't even tell the teacher about bullying and bad behavior. The kids are expected to fill out an incident report on their Chromebook.
- dghughes 3y ago
  >and after enough good stickers under the bully program they get a pizza party, etc. That's terrible. You weren't evil? Get rewarded. What happens when they get sick of pizza? That reminds me of people who call themselves a hero or people who boast of giving to charity. Doing what is right and normal doesn't need to be rewarded.
  - giantg2 3y ago
    "Doing what is right and normal doesn't need to be rewarded." I might agree with you, but the schools don't see it that way. It's very much on the level of participation trophies. They don't even have winners and losers when playing games - it's winners and non-winners now. As if changing the name changes reality...
- red-iron-pine 3y ago
  the diversity and anti-bullying are selling to the parents, not the kids. the bigger problem is the chromebooks. also, if you're "touring different schools in different districts" you're playing a game that's way different from the average US kid. most schools are funded by local property taxes and in poor areas that means they get what they get.
  - giantg2 3y ago
    Local property taxes are a part of funding for most. However, most state and federal funds try to reduce the bias by providing more funding to the poorer schools. Some places might have large funding differences, but many are pretty close, including the ones we looked at. It seems like the private school didn't really have the diversity or anti-bullying in their pitch. Probably since they had other things to pitch. I'm not sure the public schools had anything else to pitch (except one had a pool).

giantg2 3y ago

Not the same person, but we recently started touring schools in different districts. They all seemed to push diversity and anti-bullying programs as a main part of their pitch. There was very little focus on the academics. It was basically you get the normal classes unless you test into an IEP or G-IEP. Then they'd show off their facilities, how every kid gets a Chromebook, and after enough good stickers under the bully program they get a pizza party, etc. The thing that spoke to me the most was looking in on the classes. Some of the schools seemed to just have the kids on screens in every class. Others had more of a mix. Behavior was also noticeable in one school, as was the aditude of the administration (both negative). On parent at that school told me you can't even tell the teacher about bullying and bad behavior. The kids are expected to fill out an incident report on their Chromebook.

dghughes 3y ago
>and after enough good stickers under the bully program they get a pizza party, etc. That's terrible. You weren't evil? Get rewarded. What happens when they get sick of pizza? That reminds me of people who call themselves a hero or people who boast of giving to charity. Doing what is right and normal doesn't need to be rewarded.
- giantg2 3y ago
  "Doing what is right and normal doesn't need to be rewarded." I might agree with you, but the schools don't see it that way. It's very much on the level of participation trophies. They don't even have winners and losers when playing games - it's winners and non-winners now. As if changing the name changes reality...
red-iron-pine 3y ago
the diversity and anti-bullying are selling to the parents, not the kids. the bigger problem is the chromebooks. also, if you're "touring different schools in different districts" you're playing a game that's way different from the average US kid. most schools are funded by local property taxes and in poor areas that means they get what they get.
- giantg2 3y ago
  Local property taxes are a part of funding for most. However, most state and federal funds try to reduce the bias by providing more funding to the poorer schools. Some places might have large funding differences, but many are pretty close, including the ones we looked at. It seems like the private school didn't really have the diversity or anti-bullying in their pitch. Probably since they had other things to pitch. I'm not sure the public schools had anything else to pitch (except one had a pool).