Quote:common core and no child left behind are Republican programs that are just as damning as any other program. The problem isn't left/right or liberal/conservative, the problem is government.

I agree that government interference is a problem.  I don't think government standards are, nor is government funding.  


I think every kid should have to learn a certain level of math, science, English and History (including civics, meaning that they should know the bill of rights, and they should know the amendments following them, as well as how our government works)  Standards are important.  But I think teachers need more control over their own classrooms.  


Lack of funding is a big problem.  Anytime people want to spend more on education you have people going "No, that's a hand out."  "You just want to take my money to pay for this stuff!"  (Military spending, which exceeds that of the next 10 biggest spenders combined on the other hand, that's perfectly fine.)  


Not enough importance is put on education.  And this goes for both political parties.  


Common Core is a bad idea, and I'm glad Virginia didn't accept it.  Because it truly goes against innovations in teaching.  And it ignores that all children don't learn the same.  


Government is only a piece of the problem.  It's the lack of care for education.  Being smart is seen as a bad thing.  

 

Quote:Excuse me for jumping into the middle of all this but I think for the most part, the education available in this country is fine. If the student wants the public education it is available to them.

 

I think the problem mostly lies with parents setting expectations for their children. There are way too many "hands off/lets be best friends" parents these days.

A lot of parents don't really care, but I don't think it's the 'let's be friends' attitude.  It's the "Who needs this stuff?" attitude.  It's the attitude of parents and non parents who say things like "I don't want to give those kids hand outs.  It'll teach them to be dependent on the government!" 


A lot of teachers have to buy their own supplies.  They're given a very small allotment, and then most of them go out of the way and spend their own money.  


Maybe it's because I've known a lot of great teachers that I feel this way.  But I feel that Education is woefully underfunded. I already hear some of the rebuttals "You want to raise taxes?"  How about no.  How about we cut funding in other places, and move it toward Education, because education can help reduce violent crime.  And to steal from Jon Stewart, some of these kids are going to wind up in the army some day, and they're going to be using all this high tech equipment we spend money on.  And that can be pretty complicated. 

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