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The current reality, I think, that everyone is ignoring is that time spent in school and money spent per child are not solving the problem. Teachers, yes, pare

by debacle 13y ago

The current reality, I think, that everyone is ignoring is that time spent in school and money spent per child are not solving the problem. Teachers, yes, parental involvement is a huge factor, however it should be less of a factor, I think, than you allow it to be. Parents, yes, teachers need to be properly assessed for results, however if a standardized test isn't the best way to gauge your child's ability, why do you think it's the best way to gauge your child's teacher's ability. The reality is that we are spending insane amounts of money on students - sometimes upwards of 20 thousand dollars per student - and the outcome of the education system is not what we expect it to be. This is a societal issue, and part of what I would call America's ignorance - there is an upper limit on how much money you can throw at a problem before they money you threw at the problem attracts the wrong kind of actors and makes the problem worse. I'm not a libertarian, but I like many of the libertarian ideas surrounding education. I also know what "free market" means in my country. I don't like our healthcare situation, and that's all I can picture when I imagine "free market" education. Teachers unions currently have a regulatory capture on school boards across the country in the US, which is a big problem. School boards, in my experience, are dispassionate, dramatic, and exploitative of residents. There are far too many administrators in schools, and far too many passionate teachers, but how can you be passionate about your job when you have so many eyes on your back, so many hoops to jump through, and so many layers of bureaucracy to report to. Education is not an easy problem because it has turned into a self-interested Mexican standoff, with people on all sides unwilling to give an inch, and no one wants to act rationally until it is too late.

specialist 13y ago
time spent in school and money spent per child are not solving the problem. Agreed. Finland v USA and comparative achievement. Etc. The only thing that'll help improve education in the USA is addressing poverty and inequity. Here's a recent first hand account: "I taught at the worst school in Texas" http://www.salon.com/2013/08/25/i_taught_at_the_worst_school_in_texas/ http://www.salon.com/2013/08/25/i_taught_at_the_worst_school... You can guess the story, but TL;DR: Teachers and schools cannot mitigate all the bad stuff happening to their students. Back to the money. While more likely won't help, I would note the giant sucking sound of our tax dollars being diverted to cronies, via standardized tests, text books, charter schools, whatever.
- debacle 13y ago
  Oh, of course. The biggest part of the problem is that there is a disconnect between residents paying exorbitant amounts of money per child on education and teachers having to try and cover the cost of their own classroom supplies. It makes taxpayers really, really angry when teachers ask for more money, because I don't think many people understand how little money the teachers are actually seeing (though I would also contend that, like other public sector workers, there is a benefits disconnect for teachers that needs to be corrected).

by debacle 13y ago

specialist 13y ago

time spent in school and money spent per child are not solving the problem. Agreed. Finland v USA and comparative achievement. Etc. The only thing that'll help improve education in the USA is addressing poverty and inequity. Here's a recent first hand account: "I taught at the worst school in Texas" http://www.salon.com/2013/08/25/i_taught_at_the_worst_school_in_texas/ http://www.salon.com/2013/08/25/i_taught_at_the_worst_school... You can guess the story, but TL;DR: Teachers and schools cannot mitigate all the bad stuff happening to their students. Back to the money. While more likely won't help, I would note the giant sucking sound of our tax dollars being diverted to cronies, via standardized tests, text books, charter schools, whatever.

debacle 13y ago
Oh, of course. The biggest part of the problem is that there is a disconnect between residents paying exorbitant amounts of money per child on education and teachers having to try and cover the cost of their own classroom supplies. It makes taxpayers really, really angry when teachers ask for more money, because I don't think many people understand how little money the teachers are actually seeing (though I would also contend that, like other public sector workers, there is a benefits disconnect for teachers that needs to be corrected).