Get your kids out of government schools

[Gertabelle]

I see this exaggeration all the time.

There will always be underachievers in a school system. Catholic schools just kick them out.

However, most graduates from high-school are not illiterate and are a lot smarter than portrayed.

Jim

Oh my goodness, yes! This is so true!

When my former students come around after school to pick up their younger brothers and sisters, the ones that are in high school have so many wonderful plans and are usually working their tails off to better themselves, and be a way for their whole family to get out of poverty. It’s beautiful and amazing and inspiring. Most of them will be the first in their family to attend college!

They are smart and insightful and making the most of their high school education.

Our poor high school teachers – I can’t imagine how they keep their sanity when they’re constantly being called failures. Perhaps that’s why so many of them leave the profession within the first five years.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

One of the problems in our society is that we push all students toward an academic high-school education with the goal of attending a four year college afterwards.

Only 30% of the students are driven toward such goals.

It would be better to send the other 70% toward trades and work apprenticeship programs, where businesses participate in their training. Those students who don’t want that should be given a life skill education in their 8th grade year and left to go into the unskilled labor force. In time, some of those will mature enough and go back for further education or job training.

As it is, many college grads today are saying their degree wasn’t worth the cost of the tuition debt they ran up. The jobs they were educated for, don’t pay all that well. In fact, many people working in the trades make far more than they do, and aren’t carrying a lifelong tuition debt.

Jim

 

[pensmama87]

I see this exaggeration all the time.

There will always be underachievers in a school system. Catholic schools just kick them out.

However, most graduates from high-school are not illiterate and are a lot smarter than portrayed.

Jim

I taught high school seniors who could not read or write above an early elementary level. This was a solid third of that high school class. Many of them were actually quite bright, which is why it puzzled me so much that their literacy skills were so poor. This was in an “average” school.

I’m not an extremist. I know it’s not all on the school. But there is definitely something amiss.

 

[Gertabelle]

Gertabelle:

“Our little girls are reading novels.”

Oh, the horror!

They’re probably referring to what was euphemistically called “French novels” back in the day.

Perhaps that’s what they’re referring to. Or maybe not. We can’t really know, I suppose.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

You probably got those students who would’ve been better off in a trade rather than an academic high-school curriculum.

Like I said in a previous post, our society treats a college education like a religion. Only 30% of the students can make it through four years of college.

Most drop out the 1st year, because they’re overwhelmed.

Jim

 

[pensmama87]

Most of them did a vo tech program. But I still have very little confidence that many of them could read well enough to understand everyday paperwork. They could not answer simple questions in writing.

And even those who are in the trades should be able to read for pleasure.

 

[adgloriam]

SeriousQuestion:

The children pose a larger threat then the teaching itself

Are you referring to inappropriate playground talk?

Yes!!! Imagine they’d find a @0Scarlett_nidiyilii there influencing their use of the English language !.. It would become an exercise of exploring the funnier and wittier potentialities of expression We can’t have that !! The kids should continue exercising speech and thought in it’s most dimwitted variants.

 

[Gertabelle]

One of the problems in our society is that we push all students toward an academic high-school education with the goal of attending a four year college afterwards.

Many of the high schools in our area have or are getting on board with the idea of teaching trade skills rather than placing everyone in college prep courses.

When our new high school was built a few years back (we only have one regular high school in our district), the building was designed to offer several tracks for students – college prep, computer technician, para-medical training, mechanics, horticulture. The building has the capacity to house all these and our students have the option of choosing their path.

This is a rough neighborhood, where gangs and drug money are a powerful lure for the young, the angry, those who feel they have no voice and no hope. There are so many families that have lived in poverty for generations, and getting out of that cycle sometimes means having to cut ties with their families for awhile.

It’s sad, but there are many families who resent a child that does well in school and wants to go to college. For some of these kids, learning some trade skills while in high school can be a stepping stone to independence and reaching personal goals in the future.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Then their tech program was deficient.

The local vocational school in my area, the kids have to maintain at least a C average to stay in the school. In order for them to learn to be machinists, carpenters, electricians and even auto-mechanics, requires reading and basic math skills. They all have it or no one will hire them.

My cousin’s son went to the trade school and got trained as a machinist. He did so well in both his academic and trade, he went onto college and got a degree in mechanical engineering. He now runs his own company, which specializes in unique machine manufacturing.

Jim

 

[meltzerboy2]

Everyone and their uncle thinks they know better about what is happening in each and every public school than the teachers themselves who are on the front lines of education. Newsflash: the politicians, pundits, and all the other so-called experts have no idea.

 

[meltzerboy2]

Yes, and also the private schools will become hopelessly overcrowded so that the teachers are overburdened and the students cannot learn as efficiently. Further, a significant proportion of the students who enter the private schools will not be sufficiently prepared so the standards of (some) private-school education will have to be lowered or remedial classes will need to be set up. Not a great solution.

 

[midori]

Sure.

If they’re not talking about French novels, then they’re essentially making the same argument that we make against certain tv shows, movies, or video games— not being able to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Which is why there used to be strict censorship regarding content in movies and radio, why we still have a ratings system in movies and tv, and we don’t allow kids under a certain age to watch a certain kind of content without parental permission. It’s why we have age-restricted content on the internet, and parental controls on tv, phones, and computers. It’s why parents say, “No, you can’t play Dead Space or Dead by Daylight or Outlast II.”

Same thing, different media.

 

[jeannetherese]

There will always be underachievers in a school system. Catholic schools just kick them out.

Hardly! I’m active in several Catholic schools in my area and teachers are bending over backwards to support these kids, differentiating education, and at some schools building special needs schools within schools. They are caring for students with autism, dislexia, oppositional/defiant disorder, students in emotional distress over their home/family situations, and bringing Christ’s love to them.
I do agree that there are cases where a child with special needs may need resources which a Catholic school may not be able to provide. In such cases, parents may find that the money public schools have to spend on additional resources and staff can be very beneficial to their child.
Generally, Catholic schools do not have the money available to public schools and this can limit what they are able to offer, but the “throwing out” argument is less than charitable.

 

[Gertabelle]

Sure.

If they’re not talking about French novels, then they’re essentially making the same argument that we make against certain tv shows, movies, or video games— not being able to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Which is why there used to be strict censorship regarding content in movies and radio, why we still have a ratings system in movies and tv, and we don’t allow kids under a certain age to watch a certain kind of content without parental permission. It’s why we have age-restricted content on the internet, and parental controls on tv, phones, and computers. It’s why parents say, “No, you can’t play Dead Space or Dead by Daylight or Outlast II.”

Same thing, different media.

Yeah, same concerns, different century.

Although sometimes I wish monitoring my son’s entertainment material was limited to the books I might find in his possession. Social media and internet access is terrifying as a parent.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Glad to hear it.

Wasn’t the case for the Catholic schools in my area when my kids went.

Jim

 

[pensmama87]

You know, that used to be what I said. But consider:

I have one child in school 35 hours per week. I have another in school 12 hours per week (kindergarten.) My 2nd grader has “only 10 minutes per day” of homework, plus the expected home time on online reading and math programs. I am also expected to keep up to date with the classroom blog, to participate in PTA programs, etc. etc. I also have a toddler and an infant. I can’t imagine if I also worked full-time! As it is, if I did everything I am “supposed to,” I would have very little genuine leisure time with my family.

Now, with that said - I paid very close attention to our school board elections. The people I voted for didn’t win. I participated in a initiative for parent (name removed by moderator)ut on the next strategic plan. I do belong to the PTA and participate. And yet, nobody has listened to what I have to say. I am one parent swimming against the tide of “more tech, more tech, more competition.” I live in a huge district.

At the end of the day, my primary responsibility is to my own children.

 

[ColorMomma]

Catholic schools are only as good as their teachers and administrators. I have just left teaching in the Catholic system in my area. In my opinion, it was extremely dysfunctional and chaotic. My former principal was not a leader in faith and admitted that openly. Catholic education is not necessarily any better than public school. My children attend public school and we teach our faith at home. Then they get to live their faith in a secular world, and come back to us to talk about how to navigate it. Children must learn how to navigate the world, I would rather they do it with me to watch and support them in living their faith.

 

[Gertabelle]

JimR-OCDS:

There will always be underachievers in a school system. Catholic schools just kick them out.

Hardly! I’m active in several Catholic schools in my area and teachers are bending over backwards to support these kids, differentiating education, and at some schools building special needs schools within schools. They are caring for students with autism, dislexia, oppositional/defiant disorder, students in emotional distress over their home/family situations, and bringing Christ’s love to them.
I do agree that there are cases where a child with special needs may need resources which a Catholic school may not be able to provide. In such cases, parents may find that the money public schools have to spend on additional resources and staff can be very beneficial to their child.
Generally, Catholic schools do not have the money available to public schools and this can limit what they are able to offer, but the “throwing out” argument is less than charitable.

Perhaps, but it is sadly true in this area. Well, maybe it would be better to say that families with students with special needs are encouraged to seek a “better educational fit” for their children.

There is no way my parish’s Catholic school would be able to open a school-within-a-school. Students with needs such as you describe simply would not be well-served, and the tuition-paying parents of “gen-ed” students would not put up with the classroom disruptions that take place when you have students with autism, oppositional/defiant disorder, etc. in a gen-ed classroom without outside support.

Good for your diocese if they are somehow managing to hire the trained professionals necessary to truly help the special-ed population.

In my public school, we have two autism centers, and one severe needs special ed classroom – and Catholic teachers working in those rooms bringing Christ’s love to them and their families. We just can’t be public about how our faith is the foundation of our work.

 

[jeannetherese]

There’s nothing wrong with remedial classes and many Catholic schools provide them. It is helpful if a school is large enough to move those in need of remediation into their own class in a subject to lessen the differentiation load for teachers.
The goal is always to meet the children where they are at and help them grow. Many will eventually mainstream, some will not be able to do so, but will continue to grow at the pace at which they are capable.
Having said this, I do think there is a place for public education and hope that, especially at the lower levels, the focus will be on the basics. I also think that, if this were the case, we would see fewer people reconsidering their commitment to public education.
The culture wars are being fought out in decisions about taxing ourselves to provide birth control/abortion services, days of silence/ and unisex bathrooms and, in my area, we are seeing pushback in decisions not to support school levies.
I think this frustration may also have played a role in our most recent presidential election. To some degree, these conversations are becoming less verbal and more evidenced in political and financial decisions, or parents quietly exploring homeschool/ cooperative options.

 

[pensmama87]

Gertabelle,

Thank you for the work for do and the sacrifices you make for your students.