Are we failing our kids by not making sure they have a proper education?

2015-10-21T07:44:42-04:00

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/barbara-hollingsworth/not-proficient-73-8th-graders-dont-care-much-about-geography

GAO: 73% of 8th Graders Don’t Know Much About Geography

Seventy-three percent of American eighth graders tested below the proficiency level in geography last year, according to a report to Congress by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 21 at 2015 8:08 AM

2015-10-21T08:08:14-04:00

SSgt Alex Robinson -in the microwave society we live, I think many opt for the path of lease resistance and leave education up to the public schools etc. I am of the belief that education starts at home. IMO, it is the parents responsibility to set the tone and standard.

Response by Col Joseph Lenertz made Oct 21 at 2015 9:16 AM

2015-10-21T09:16:57-04:00

It would be interesting to see the breakout of 8th grade military brats. A higher percentage of two-parent families, a larger number of moves, and deployments of one (or both) parent(s) probably means military brats score much higher than the average. My oldest suffered through 10 moves, including 3 in high school, and he is sharper on geography than I am. He was constantly tracking my TDYs and deployments without my knowledge, and studied up on the areas I visited more than I did.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 21 at 2015 9:19 AM

2015-10-21T09:19:15-04:00

no ... government should have nothing to do with education. period!

It is the government's education that failed our kids.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 21 at 2015 9:21 AM

2015-10-21T09:21:41-04:00

This is what common core math is .... and whose education is this? the government!

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 21 at 2015 9:36 AM

2015-10-21T09:36:50-04:00

We are failing the children because "progressive liberals" run the educational system, from carter's dept of education to the "progressive liberal" unions who value union membership over students in the classrooms. We are failing our children because self-esteem is more important than education. We are failing our children because baseline morals are no longer taught, because we might offend someone or damage their humanity using corporal punishment in schools.

Future generations will grow up to be mindless robots who all think alike and need tools like google to answer basic questions because "progressive liberal" schools failed to teach critical thinking. When the parents of children teach their children the truth, students challenge the "progressive liberal" educators and are given failing grades for daring to think outside the "progressive" landscape.

"Every child in America entering school at the age of five is insane because he comes to school with certain allegiances to our founding fathers, toward our elected officials, toward his parents, toward a belief in a supernatural being, and toward the sovereignty of this nation as a separate entity. It’s up to you as teachers to make all these sick children well – by creating the international child of the future"
Dr. Chester M. Pierce, Psychiatrist, address to the Childhood International Education Seminar, 1973

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 21 at 2015 10:13 AM

2015-10-21T10:13:05-04:00

In my opinion the biggest issue with our education system is that we put no money into it stateside, so the quality of teachers we have suffers. There are some great educators out there, but I personally would say about 50% of my teachers in high school seemed to hate showing up to work everyday.

When you go overseas and your kids are in school at DoD school the teachers are well paid and want to be there, so there is a much better result in how the kids turn out.

Stop cutting funding to education programs...cut it from the dumb stuff our taxes go to like funding political campaigns so we can pay our educators.

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Oct 21 at 2015 10:38 AM

2015-10-21T10:38:17-04:00

SSgt Alex Robinson the state of education in America is atrocious. Schools are not turning out well educated thinking people. They are turning out drones for the work force. Everything is taught to a standardized test. There is no room for teaching outside of the test. When I was in Jr/Sr High School, the only standardized tests we took were the PSAT, ASVAB, and the SAT. Beyond that, it was up to the curriculum. How did you know a student was passing? The student was able to pass the exams within the scope of the subject. Now they not only have subject tests, but they have standardized testing every year. Making it worse, the standardized test results determine funding, raises, and retention. So if a teacher wants to keep their job, and have a chance for a raise, they better teach the kids how to pass the standardized test. Real learning is secondary to that. It won't be long before the movie Idiocracy is a documentary rather than a comedy. What's worse is that the people making the decisions don't care that these kids are not being serviced by the education system. As long as the numbers are good that is all that matters.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Oct 21 at 2015 11:02 AM

2015-10-21T11:02:27-04:00

When my dad was in public high school, he was taught Greek & Latin, When I was in public high school I learned French & German. When our kids graduate public high school and go to college, they are likely to have to take remedial English and Math in their freshman year. Schools these days teach how to pass a test in their subject and if there is time leftover they might expand on the subject. When kids from nations like India, Germany, and Japan graduate public high school they are essentially jr college grads in the US. My wife, Hitomi has a bachelors in Economics and her evaluated transcript in the US has her credited for a masters degree already. We are lagging behind in the world, and to think otherwise is at our own peril.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 21 at 2015 11:51 AM

2015-10-21T11:51:12-04:00

SSgt Alex Robinson Some schools offer languages, you just have to pick up on it and make sure your child is enrolled in them. My son goes to and has always attended public schools. He has had German available starting in the 4th Grade, he is now on his second year of Latin, and he had one semester of Spanish. In addition, I've taught him Italian (grew up with this my Mother and Grandmother both spoke it), I learned German because of where I lived as a child and I encouraged him to take it when I found out it is offered at school, I had him take a six week course of Arabic during the summer.... Languages are available for children to learn even in the public sector, you have to look for them. The language you want him or her to learn may not be available so you either have to look for them privately or use what is available in your district. Some preschools offer Spanish rooms... learning through immersion.
There are many courses that are taught which require learning geographical information, Geography, History, Social Studies, Earth Sciences, Economics... My question is if they are unable to identify countries, capitols of them and their cultures, why are the teachers allowing them to pass?

Response by Sgt Spencer Sikder made Oct 21 at 2015 12:29 PM

2015-10-21T12:29:11-04:00

May explain why so many here in NC are home schooling their children.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Oct 21 at 2015 1:11 PM

2015-10-21T13:11:01-04:00

Oh dear Lordy, you gone and done it. How can I respond in just a few words? Try these...

Hell yes, we're failing our children. How? We've allowed the federal government to take control of education. Not just public education, they are also setting standards that effectively control home schooling and private schools as well. We've thrown money at a problem (education) when we should have been throwing ourselves at it. (It's like paying to get out of the draft during the days of conscription) Teachers unions have shifted the focus of teachers from teaching to tenure. Most painfully, with the feds in control, indoctrination has replaced education as the primary goal of our schools.

And someone is worried that our kids aren't learning geography? How short-sighted is that?

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 21 at 2015 2:23 PM

2015-10-21T14:23:22-04:00

The flip side is many kids are failing on their own accord.

Response by MSG Tim Gray made Oct 21 at 2015 2:54 PM

2015-10-21T14:54:46-04:00

I used to think "you teachers need to do the job you are paid to do" mainly because I felt (and still do) that they are expected to teach successfully. But now I realize as a parent that I have to do what is in the best interest of my kids and sit at the kitchen table with them and help them. If that's what it takes for my kids to get straight "A"'s and become smarter and as importantly fulfill their civic obligation to this country. Even if that means I have to learn more to help them. Sad, but as a spoke in the wheel I'm going to take care of Big government business. SoTax on elected officials!