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[Boss Doggie]

Honestly, it feels like studying during the 80's-90's seem to be the best school years for students.

Now I don't like to link a Cracked article for this, but their "5 Biggest Pussifications of Schools" made me worry about the children today. Seriously, no more contact sports? No more zeroes? Banning safe words like dinosaur because it offends creationists? What the hell? Are people becoming too lenient to children?

Note: the topic is about the schools being crappier. I didn't really want to make the cracked article the focus, since its last two items in that list are shit.

 

[Rhomega Beta]

I guess parents want a better life for their children than they had.

 

[Gustav]

Everything was better 30 years ago.

 

[Boss Doggie]

I guess parents want a better life for their children than they had.

Yeah, but zeroes or pretty much removing F? What the hell!

 

[DarkKyo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jQT7_rVxAE

 

[Reno7728]

Isolated examples of stupid stuff in schools =/= all schools

Whilst there are undoubtedly major issues with the school system, most of these thing probably happened occasionally 30 years ago too, but without the handy internet list of examples from across the entire country

 

[Emily Chu]

I wish they had the internet and a rampant antibully campaign back during the 90s and mid 2000s

I honestly.think I have ptsd from grade and middle.school when I was NYC public school system shit was fucked back then

Once I remembered I was held.up by my.neck after school and all this one teacher did was look the other way and walked off..

While a crowd of.people.just gathered

Fuck school back then

These kids are on easy street

School.back then @ least in NYC felt.like.mother fucking shawshank redemption.

I still get flashbacks and night terrors from my grade and middle school campaigns from time to time

Cyber bullying these kids don't know the meaning of real bullying

 

[Admiral Bone to Pick]

Yup, schools are slipping. A Cracked article proves it.

 

[Daeda]

Arguably your corporate overlords should cut you some slack if you have the dengue fever, that shit's cold. But they're not going to pay you for shifts you missed and your job will be in jeopardy eventually, so maybe think about getting a Band-Aid and taking some ginseng or whatever.

Well, you do get payed everywhere else in the civilized world..

OT: Some crazy rules, but doesnt surprise me a lot. There seems to be a cultural tendency, especially in the USA, to give more rights to very vocal minorities (eg allergic people, slackers, creationists) than to actual common sense..

 

[AAequal]

Schools even in US aren't that bad. Schools in lower-income residential districts are the problem. They are faced with multiple problems that can't be solved by methods we are currently using. I would be more concerned about rise of charter schools and the poor conditions of teachers unions then any of the listed problems.

 

[LakeEarth]

Oh god you linked to Cracked! I'm trapped for the next hour.

 

[btkadams]

Schools even in US aren't that bad. Schools in lower-income residential districts are the problem. They are faced with multiple problems that can't be solved by methods we are currently used. I would be more concerned about rise of charter schools and the poor conditions of teachers unions then any of the listed problems.

i would like someone to clarify this for me, since i am not an american. in canada, schools in "bad areas" are given the exact same amount of government funding for the core curriculum as schools in affluent areas. the government just takes public education spending and splits it up based on population in each school zone. sure, kids in more affluent areas would get the chance to go on more extra-curricular excursions like field trips and stuff, but the quality of the core education is at par. is it true that schools within a city in america can have a huge disparity based on the family income and location of its attendants? i was talking to someone about this recently and they told me that the education system in america is inconsistent like this.

 

[bjork]

When I was still in school, there weren't enough textbooks. We had no copies to take home, and had to huddle our desks around a book and attempt to still work independently. Nowadays they have kindles or PDFs or whatever.

Fun shit was better back then for sure, but as far as getting an actual education goes...

 

[zero_suit]

is it true that schools within a city in america can have a huge disparity based on the family income and location of its attendants? i was talking to someone about this recently and they told me that the education system in america is inconsistent like this.

The difference in school quality between affluent areas and inner city areas is astounding.

 

[big_z]

I live in canada and there's a few teachers where i live under review to be fired for giving students zeros for not doing any work. Apparently if you show up for the minimum required attendances you should be able to pass now.

EDIT: i see it's in the cracked article

 

[btkadams]

I live in canada and there's a few teachers where i live under review to be fired for giving students zeros for not doing any work. Apparently if you show up for the minimum required attendances you should be able to pass now.

at my high school in calgary, if you were late or absent (both included in same count) 5 times for a class, you were kicked out of it permanently. attendance was a pretty big deal.

 

[Mr. B Natural]

Welcome to the Age of Lawsuits.

Population: Everybody.

Teaching while on your tip-toes is not easy.

 

[Mr. B Natural]

The difference in school quality between affluent areas and inner city areas is astounding.

It's the difference in atmosphere that is most astounding (and influential to the kid's education).

 

[Grakl]

Just a personal anecdote - graduated this year and went to two high schools in different parts of the U.S.; 5,3,2,1 are all incorrect. 4 is kinda true, but there are always options if people want something healthy.

 

[Zoe]

i would like someone to clarify this for me, since i am not an american. in canada, schools in "bad areas" are given the exact same amount of government funding for the core curriculum as schools in affluent areas. the government just takes public education spending and splits it up based on population in each school zone. sure, kids in more affluent areas would get the chance to go on more extra-curricular excursions like field trips and stuff, but the quality of the core education is at par. is it true that schools within a city in america can have a huge disparity based on the family income and location of its attendants? i was talking to someone about this recently and they told me that the education system in america is inconsistent like this.

In Texas at least, areas are split up by districts. These districts get the majority of their funding from property taxes. The funding from state and above is mostly determined by school attendance.

So, poorer areas bring in less in property taxes because the properties aren't worth as much, and delinquency tends to be a bigger problem due to the overall apathy.

 

[Boss Doggie]

Yup, schools are slipping. A Cracked article proves it.

Like I said, it's not just a cracked article, it just was the one that ignited my sentiments. I recall reading elsewhere in the news about PEs being cut, healthy competition being cut, zeroes being cut, etc.

 

[btkadams]

In Texas at least, areas are split up by districts. These districts get the majority of their funding from property taxes. The funding from state and above is mostly determined by school attendance.

So, poorer areas bring in less in property taxes because the properties aren't worth as much, and delinquency tends to be a bigger problem due to the overall apathy.

yeah, this is what i was told. it's a horrible idea for a school system imo.

 

[Oppo]

Litigious parents are the primary culprit, IMO..

 

[The Albatross]

When I was still in school, there weren't enough textbooks. We had no copies to take home, and had to huddle our desks around a book and attempt to still work independently. Nowadays they have kindles or PDFs or whatever.

Fun shit was better back then for sure, but as far as getting an actual education goes...

Yeah this.

I mean, my High School was pretty decent, in a city in MA. But, not a single book was newer than like 1970, with the exception of some science books from the 90s. It used to be great because you'd find your friend's mother's name in the front of your English books or something. We also didn't have heat for months in the winter, wearing jackets in class, and the place was ghetto as all hell.

So when I read about kids not having enough iPads to go around... i'm like... eh.

 

[Dr.Acula]

Honestly, it feels like studying during the 80's-90's seem to be the best school years for students.

Yay me!

Everything was better 30 years ago.

Oh fuck, I'm old

 

[The Albatross]

i would like someone to clarify this for me, since i am not an american. in canada, schools in "bad areas" are given the exact same amount of government funding for the core curriculum as schools in affluent areas. the government just takes public education spending and splits it up based on population in each school zone. sure, kids in more affluent areas would get the chance to go on more extra-curricular excursions like field trips and stuff, but the quality of the core education is at par. is it true that schools within a city in america can have a huge disparity based on the family income and location of its attendants? i was talking to someone about this recently and they told me that the education system in america is inconsistent like this.

Within a city, not necessarily. Within a state, sure. School funding is usually determined on a city-by-city level, and so in most cities, the schools in the affluent areas of the city are usually pretty identical over a 10-year-period. I say over a 10-year-period because budgets are real, and no city has enough money to improve multiple high schools at the same time. There are 5 public high schools in the city I grew up in, and my school was in the more affluent area, but at the time, it was the most 'ghetto' school in the city because two others had seen crazy renovations in the years prior. Now, my alma mater is getting those renovations.

School funding is usually a city-by-city basis. Funds come from the federal government as well, but by and large, are driven by local taxes like real estate taxes.

The Educational system is independent, but for serving such a diverse population, heterogenous population, it works IMO.

 

[Cyan]

Meh. Rather have the "pussified" modern schools than the allow-everyone-to-be-horrible-little-shits schools of yore.

 

[nel e nel]

In Texas at least, areas are split up by districts. These districts get the majority of their funding from property taxes. The funding from state and above is mostly determined by school attendance.

So, poorer areas bring in less in property taxes because the properties aren't worth as much, and delinquency tends to be a bigger problem due to the overall apathy.

Couple this with a tradition of placing the best teachers in the wealthiest schools, and placing the youngest/newest/unexperienced teachers in the poorest schools.

 

[TUSR]

In British Columbia, they hand out zeros still. At least in SD23.

I find it amazing that every American I know has a 4.0 GPA.

 

[Mr. B Natural]

Couple this with a tradition of placing the best teachers in the wealthiest schools, and placing the youngest/newest/unexperienced teachers in the poorest schools.

They're not "placing" them anywhere, nor is it a tradition. Matter of fact, most city schools implement significant economic incentives for teachers that teach in inner city schools. The fact is that they have to implement those incentives because nobody in their right mind would want to risk their lives and waste their time trying to teach in an environment not conducive to learning. The most impressive of fresh-out-of-college saints may (who, by the way, ARE the best teachers the world has to offer...they are the ones willing to sacrifice themselves to teach and help kids), but they get broken down fast by the world in which they're trying to improve. Reality sets in.

Public teachers make more than private teachers. Inner city teachers make more than suburban teachers. Comfort vs pay. Risk vs Reward. The issue is atmosphere and you can't buy your way out or into a school's atmosphere. It comes with the thousands of students that walk into the door. You can paint the walls pink and yellow. You can put all the inspirational posters up in the world. You can counsel till you're blue in the face. You can play bad cop...good cop...moderator...demon or angel... you can only do so much to dictate the tone of a classroom, and even less so an entire school.

 

[Conciliator]

Yeah, the disparity between upper class and lower class schools in America is disturbing and just one of many mechanisms that keep people in the class they were born in(not suggesting a conspiracy necessarily, just how a lot of the shit works). This is a much more signifcant, problematic issue than not calling kids losers because they'll feel bad or whatever.

 

[The Albatross]

Couple this with a tradition of placing the best teachers in the wealthiest schools, and placing the youngest/newest/unexperienced teachers in the poorest schools.

That doesn't happen, and usually the youngest teachers are the best. The lack of any meritocratic system in public education and last in, first out policies, though, pretty much prevent young teachers from making lasting impacts in financially strapped school systems.

I find it amazing that every American I know has a 4.0 GPA.

I worked in college Admissions for three years... and... wut? Like, 1% of students applying had 4.0 GPAs.

 

[Hari Seldon]

i would like someone to clarify this for me, since i am not an american. in canada, schools in "bad areas" are given the exact same amount of government funding for the core curriculum as schools in affluent areas. the government just takes public education spending and splits it up based on population in each school zone. sure, kids in more affluent areas would get the chance to go on more extra-curricular excursions like field trips and stuff, but the quality of the core education is at par. is it true that schools within a city in america can have a huge disparity based on the family income and location of its attendants? i was talking to someone about this recently and they told me that the education system in america is inconsistent like this.

School funding is a state by state issue. Some states, like Florida, do this exactly like you say is done in Canada (IIRC). Most other states delegate this down to the school district level with some state control and funding. But by and large, it is up to the local school district to determine tax rates and how much funding they want to raise - but they are of course elected so there is a limit to what their electorate will tolerate.

 

[Mohonky]

I went to a private school. We didn't have any of this religious shit to contend with and non-contact sports being banned would be laughable, considering being a member of the senior Rugby team meant you were exempt from pretty much any scrutiny what so ever. Teachers used to swear at us too which was always amusing.

Thinking about it now (obviously when you're in school it never seems like it) that place was awesome. Great students, great teachers, awesome facilities. Wish I could go back to those years.

I did spend one year at a state school. It was different. We had a film and television teacher that was into the whole spiritual thing. She would do mental cleansing and whatever, spiritual healing etc. For those of us that didn't believe in it, it was a few minutes to dick about in class and chill. Then someone's parents who were uptight about their kids religious upbringing complained about it. Ruined it for everyone.

 

[ag-my001]

School funding is a state by state issue. Some states, like Florida, do this exactly like you say is done in Canada (IIRC). Most other states delegate this down to the school district level with some state control and funding. But by and large, it is up to the local school district to determine tax rates and how much funding they want to raise - but they are of course elected so there is a limit to what their electorate will tolerate.

And now with Common Core and Race to the Top, this is happening at the federal level. All school districts want more cash, so while schooling is something that is supposed to be left to the states, they'll give up control to get the money.

In my experience, the biggest reason behind a successful vs. 'failing' school is parent involvement. In those areas where school is the place kids go during the day and parents hope they learn something, achievement won't be that high. When the parents get actively involved, even if it is just replying to an e-mail from a teacher, the school tends to do better. Of course, going too far in this direction can bring in its own hassles ("But my sweet angel would never do that." "Ma'am, we have him on video spray painting the school."), but in general it is much preferable.

 

[Kinitari]

I don't think the school system has changed enough - we're too entrenched in how we have done things, regardless of how silly it was originally.

If you have the chance, watch this video

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Public education in NJ is fantastic. Schools in my conference promoted vocational school going as far as recommending less scholastically motivated students to join the program. My school offered a wide range of electives from TV broadcast and film study, to working with dangerous power tools like lathes, milling machines, band saws and three types of welding machines in wood shop and metalwork, to junkyard wars - a class I built a large metal medieval style trebuchet, to theater arts, culinary arts taught in four different degrees of difficulty, a bunch of different computer science courses and a whole course description book the size of most colleges that I am missing. In short, my high school and most high schools in the Shore Conference receive the same funding and freedom to integrate "radical" programs like the vocational program compared to other states. More schools should promote vocational training around the US because not everyone wants higher education nor is intellectually capable nor responsible enough to tackle the burden of independence without the guidance and hand holding received throughout high school.

 

[Rhomega Beta]

Yup, schools are slipping. A Cracked article proves it.

Fox News has been talking about it for years. It's why conservatives are saying things were better in The Good Ol' Days (TM), where people were smarter and worked harder

 

[Fuzzery]

When I was still in school, there weren't enough textbooks. We had no copies to take home, and had to huddle our desks around a book and attempt to still work independently. Nowadays they have kindles or PDFs or whatever.

Fun shit was better back then for sure, but as far as getting an actual education goes...

How old are you, just curious? And where are you working these days

 

[TheVampire]

I finished highschool in 2003.

Seemed like the perfect time before all this newage bullshit and drama and laws.

 

[jtb]

The good old days bullshit is just a myth propogated by thinly veiled racism and classism. School is awful now, but that's just everything being dragged down to the average. I'm sure if you went to a private school or a rich public school, you'd have far less issues with this stuff because they're much more advanced. but when you cater to the masses, you have to make compromises. That's life.