Public School, or Private - which did you attend, and how did it work for you?

[DDZ]

 
  It is in their interest to see that  American students remain relatively uninformed as to their history; which is why we recently saw moves by some to refrain from teaching any American history occurring before 1870...when our nation was guided by God, laws and common sense.
       

Although there are many things wrong with our public school system. I see the rewriting, or dumbing down of American history as the big one that is most detrimental to America remaining a free nation.
 Knowing what America stands for is not a genetic inheritance. It must be learned by the next generation, and the next, and the next. It must also be learned by the people that migrate into America. Our government schools are doing a piss poor job of teaching the fundamentals of American history, but are doing a wonderful job of teaching division rather than teaching all that unites us.
So that next generation is being taught America's flaws, and the text books ignore America's goodness. Instead of text books having true American history written in them, they are loaded with blatant liberal bias.
Is it any wonder many high school graduates can not explain the purpose behind the Declaration Of Independence, or explain how Congress and the Supreme Court check Presidential power. We can not blame them for not knowing these things, because they are not being taught them. Its just not politically correct anymore to do so.
The goal was to remove control of schooling from the parents, and place it in the hands of professional bureaucrats. Once this was accomplished our schools have become laboratories for social engineering experiments. The problem lies in, not that we have made a mistake, but the fact that many can't seem to see the mistake.

[BUGEYE]

At the school where my wife works, nothing is being taught except how to pass the next test.

[Cuts Crooked]

..and just for fun


http://momshomeroom.msn.com/articles/7/31728643/?WT.mc_id=msn

[crustylicious]

No way would I ever let my kids attend a public school. The meddling socialist government rules, the presence of inferior groups, addiction to pseudo-science, and lazy union teachers would never allow truly important topics to be studied, let alone discussed.
I'm raising my son to be a "True American"
 

 
 

[teamnelson]

No way would I ever let my kids attend a public school. The meddling socialist government rules, the presence of inferior groups, addiction to pseudo-science, and lazy union teachers would never allow truly important topics to be studied, let alone discussed.
I'm raising my son to be a "True American"
 

I suspect you are being sardonic, am I right?

If so, is this your expectation of all home or privately schooled children? Do you think it would be constructive to post equally ludicrous pictures involving public school students? Or do you think hyperbole, i.e. using the extreme to portray the norm, is off the mark here?

[yellowtail3]

Do you think it would be constructive to post equally ludicrous pictures involving public school students? Or do you think hyperbole, i.e. using the extreme to portray the norm, is off the mark here?

Poasters here do it daily re: Muslims, libruls (that's a non-xenophobe), and others not like themselves; it mostly goes unremarked. I'm glad to see you pulling us toward reasonable discourse, TN, at least in an arena you care about.

[Casull]

Poasters here do it daily re: Muslims, libruls (that's a non-xenophobe), and others not like themselves

 
 
Yeah, but when was the last time you saw a home schooler blow up a group of civilians or attempt to pass legislation that would take away 2nd Amendment rights?

[ironglow]

 
     
 
Of course, we don't know where this photo comes from..could be posed, could be photo shopped, could have come from some Christian school, although I doubt it since most Christians and their schools should be familiar with;
      " There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28)
      .. More likely it is either staged or a cult.    Certainly not likely a liberal though.. a liberal in their spirit of self-flagellation mode, would more likely ask....      " Will there be anything but minorities in heaven?"      ..    

[briarpatch]

Crusty, Are you asking if White Males will be in Heaven?

[teamnelson]

Do you think it would be constructive to post equally ludicrous pictures involving public school students? Or do you think hyperbole, i.e. using the extreme to portray the norm, is off the mark here?

Poasters here do it daily re: Muslims, libruls (that's a non-xenophobe), and others not like themselves; it mostly goes unremarked. I'm glad to see you pulling us toward reasonable discourse, TN, at least in an arena you care about.

Xenophobia - n. "fear of the other"; social manipulation tool. Major contributor to the downfall of the Roman empire, which had begun as a pluralistic republic less interested in diversity, and most interested in similarity.

The first step to heightening xenophobia is identifying and celebrating diversity. Once we get everybody good and aware of our differences, and even separate our society into groups based on these distinctives (to the point of hyphenating sub culture labels), the framework is built for rampant disunity and xenophobia. Public school has been the arena for championing difference for decades now. Ironic, isn't it?

[ironglow]

  Right on TN;
  The celebration on "diversity" anmd "multiculturism" are well disguised terms which actually mean for us as a people, efforts by destructive groups to take the "United" out of the United States.

[Singleshotsam]

The problem with those who send their kids to pulblic school is that most of the parents who do so expect their kids to go through their education with no support from home. 
 
If a child has the support of their parents and is made to sit down every night and do his/her homework, have it checked, and then have a parent sit down and explain to the child what they missed and why they missed it then they will preform well.  If a parent leaves it utterly up to the school system to do this for them then their child will fall behind.
 
If I lived in a bigger town my kids would go to a private school.  But since we are in such a rural setting public school is where they will go.  If I find that my child is not excelling in their classroom then I will consider home schooling them.  But so far with our support my son is at the top of his class and an excellent student.

[teamnelson]

 I subtaught in a rural county school in southern AZ where the kids were bussed in from ranches etc. Disrespectful, no attention span, meet the minimum attitude ... and that was the teachers. Parents are essential no matter size of school or location. No child left behind made a sick system terminal IMO.

[Singleshotsam]

TN,
 
The public school where my child attends has found a few ways to circumvent the NCLB policy.  My son is well beyond the set goal for the reading level in his 1st grade class.  While the rest of his class catches up to where he is they let the more advanced students go to a special "library time" where the librarian teaches them some very basic history lessons.  I could see where other schools might let this extra time go to waste.  It's nice to be in a system that goes the extra mile to see their students learn.

[mcbammer]

I  know  how  public   school   worked   for  one   family   in   our   local   system   ,   their   teenage    daughter  was  a   victim   of   bullying .   She   walked   out   to   I 65   and   jumped  off   the    overpass   into   oncoming  traffic.

[reliquary]

Public school in the 50s and 60s was totally different.  We were taught (at least) the basics and all 21 of my graduating class could read, construct passable sentences, and do simple math.  Each has been reasonably successful...measured by employment, income, housing, family...we've talked about it at our reunions (having the 52d this month)...except for the one who became a career criminal and keeps getting caught. 
I recently asked some of my old teachers what they did with Special Ed students in those days.  They uniformly said, "We put them in Shop Classes to help them learn a trade and didn't promote them until they either learned the regular class material or got old enough to drop out and go to work."  What a novel idea...
Bullying and fighting was handled either among the students ourselves or by the administration.  Mostly we learned to fight back.  If we fought on campus, our superintendent would step in...he had two pair of 16-ounce gloves; he'd put them on us in the gym and have us go at one another until he got tired of watching or until we were so tired that we became friends again.
Today's schools have become places where subnormal and handicapped children are provided daycare services, some up to age 21.  Many of the "regular" classes have up 25% or more of these kinds of students, and the curriculum is dumbed-down to accomodate them and make them feel better about themselves.  What's being taught as "Advanced Placement" classes is about what we were taught in regular classes in the 50s and 60s. 
The Exit Testing currently done in Texas tests those who are about to graduate to ensure that most of them can do 10th-grade-level work.
That is what's different today, in my part of the world, which is the same part of the world I grew up in.  Remember...I taught in the same school I graduated from, 35 years after my graduation.

[ironglow]

  My first two years were accomplished in a single room country school.  Yes, I walked 2 miles each way to school..only one way uphill however.  Down hill is no easier though..especially with temps hovering around zero F..
  Those years were the most productive of all because of the necessary arrangements.  Our teacher, Mrs Bennet had about 30 students grades 1-6.  Each grade was arranged by rows front to rear. When I was in 2nd grade, first grade was to my right and third to my right.  The teacher would teach each grade for a time, then move on up after assigning work.
  I usually finished early, so I observed the higher classes.  By the time I got to them, I had already learned a great deal of their studies.  We have lost something there !  Every student upon leaving her pone room school could read, write and do credible arithmetic for his/her age and we learned to read by way of phonics..the best way.
      I must say this in defense of today's teachers; Mrs Bennett was backed up by parental discipline at home, and "bullying" was taken care of by a big brother or cousin..no lawyers needed.. 

[teamnelson]

  My first two years were accomplished in a single room country school.  Yes, I walked 2 miles each way to school..only one way uphill however.  Down hill is no easier though..especially with temps hovering around zero F..
  Those years were the most productive of all because of the necessary arrangements.  Our teacher, Mrs Bennet had about 30 students grades 1-6.  Each grade was arranged by rows front to rear. When I was in 2nd grade, first grade was to my right and third to my right.  The teacher would teach each grade for a time, then move on up after assigning work.
  I usually finished early, so I observed the higher classes.  By the time I got to them, I had already learned a great deal of their studies.  We have lost something there !  Every student upon leaving her pone room school could read, write and do credible arithmetic for his/her age and we learned to read by way of phonics..the best way.
      I must say this in defense of today's teachers; Mrs Bennett was backed up by parental discipline at home, and "bullying" was taken care of by a big brother or cousin..no lawyers needed..

I have toyed with the idea of starting a 1 room schoolhouse wherever I retire, a community education co-op if you will, for all the reasons you identify above. I believe there are probably several areas in the US today that would appreciate the alternative, most likely rural close-knit community. The most fun I've had teaching is homeschool co-op, and I believe the most appropriate job for a retired person is teaching, formal or informal. Why on earth we pay people teach our children who are fresh out of college, who've only studied the process of teaching but not the subjects themselves, and have no experience in said subjects apart from academia, is beyond me.

[Cuts Crooked]

Why on earth we pay people teach our children who are fresh out of college, who've only studied the process of teaching but not the subjects themselves, and have no experience in said subjects apart from academia, is beyond me.

Now that's a good one! My grandad once said to me, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." Now, I always thought that was a pretty broad generalization, but it seems to have some substance to it these days! BTW, Grandad was self taught engineer (got his degree by mail) who retired from Iowa Southern Utilities as plant superintendent of a power plant in southern Iowa. He started his career with them by "operating" a #9 scoop shovel. He was a danged whiz at math and never had a lick of formal schooling. That genius seems to run in the family.......skipped over me though. I could never add two & two and get the same answer three times running.

You know what? I learned more teaching my own boys than I did in all my years in public schools! Sometimes I was only a chapter ahead of 'em in their studies, but b'tween my wifes abilities and mine we got 'em taught jist fine. In standardized testing they always outperformed their peers........and they turned out out to be just plain good people too! Never in a lick of trouble with the law, respectful of others, and hard workers........I got no complaints, and they don' seem too either.

[BUGEYE]

  My first two years were accomplished in a single room country school.  Yes, I walked 2 miles each way to school..only one way uphill however.  Down hill is no easier though..especially with temps hovering around zero F..
  Those years were the most productive of all because of the necessary arrangements.  Our teacher, Mrs Bennet had about 30 students grades 1-6.  Each grade was arranged by rows front to rear. When I was in 2nd grade, first grade was to my right and third to my right.  The teacher would teach each grade for a time, then move on up after assigning work.
  I usually finished early, so I observed the higher classes.  By the time I got to them, I had already learned a great deal of their studies.  We have lost something there !  Every student upon leaving her pone room school could read, write and do credible arithmetic for his/her age and we learned to read by way of phonics..the best way.
      I must say this in defense of today's teachers; Mrs Bennett was backed up by parental discipline at home, and "bullying" was taken care of by a big brother or cousin..no lawyers needed..

I attended the last one-roomer in Ill.  went my first 7 years.  this is a great way to learn.  I'll have my wife scan the school picture and try to post it.

[Singleshotsam]

You know what? I learned more teaching my own boys than I did in all my years in public schools! Sometimes I was only a chapter ahead of 'em in their studies, but b'tween my wifes abilities and mine we got 'em taught jist fine. In standardized testing they always outperformed their peers........and they turned out out to be just plain good people too! Never in a lick of trouble with the law, respectful of others, and hard workers........I got no complaints, and they don' seem too either.

      This is what is necessary for public schools to be successful.  Parents sitting down with their kids and encouraging them to learn and work.  Bravo sir.  I hope my son does as well with me and my wife helping as your children did.

[Gary G]

I spent twenty plus years in the public indoctrination system and forty years trying to overcome that by educating myself.


The first public schools in America were by instituted by the Puritan government of Mass. to indoctrinate the children on Puritanism forcing tax support by other religions. They were an evil bunch.

[ironglow]

I spent twenty plus years in the public indoctrination system and forty years trying to overcome that by educating myself.


The first public schools in America were by instituted by the Puritan government of Mass. to indoctrinate the children on Puritanism forcing tax support by other religions. They were an evil bunch.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
 
  Yes, the Puritans were rather "pushy" people, after the Separatists settled and tamed the Plymouth colony, the puritans moved in and crowded the originals out.  The Puritans weren't too reprobate by 1635, but they did suffer from "second generation syndrome"... their children falling away from the parents' values.

[SwampThing762]

I went to a largely rural public school before it was an indoctrination complex.  It was okay, I mostly educated myself.   My parents bought a complete set of World Book encyclopedias in 1976 [still got 'em.....I don't know why], and I had read all thirty something volumes by 1982.    I knew more than my social studies and history teachers in middle school, and my high school world history teacher.    I had a small following in my world history class; I helped several people pass the class, including the prettiest girl in class, Stacy Snow.

The quicker you can get your child out of the union, er....public, school system, the better......

ST762

[reliquary]

Those who can...do.
Those who can't...teach.
Those who can't teach...coach.
Those who can't coach...become administrators.
In Texas, according to the last study I saw, 77% of school administrators were former coaches.  And we wonder why most schools are nothing more than sports mills.