Re: A question.
Posted by ACP on 5/17/08

"So why even bother graduating high school if you don't plan on
attending college? Plumbers, electricians, landscapers, etc. are
all professions that do not require a diploma and there is little to
no barrier to entry into the profession."

Well actually about 50% don't graduate. Many are doing something, who
knows what. Some are getting by with the help of family. Others are
getting by with the help of tax payers. Others a mad at the whole
world and turning to drugs and crime to sustain their existence.
Perhaps a diploma is not a barrier to entry into many of these
professions. I don't know for sure. I bet it is for many employers.
If I were an employer, I would not hire a high school drop out because
my mindset is if he/she can't hack the school system, he/she is not
going to be a loyal and dedicated employee for me.

On the other hand, if you're saying, "Why have public education at
all?" All I can say is do we want to throw the baby out with the
bathwater? If we don't agree that education has merit, the
conversation is over.

I do agree students and parents should have choices. If a parent and
student don't want the student to go to school, why make him/her? Why
torture them for 10-11 years when they will end up dropping out
anyway? I don't know for sure, but I bet I can pick with pretty high
accuracy the number of students in my school who will absolutely not
be successful in high school. I miss a few and I might pick a few who
prove me wrong, but I bet I could pick out a lot of them. And I bet I
could spend some time with most 7th graders and within six weeks
predict how successful they will be at completing a successful high
school program. In fact we have PHDs working in our district who feel
they can predict with a high degree of accuracy, by 4th grade, which
students will be successful in high school and which will not. But my
point is, it shouldn't be up to us to decide who is going to be
successful and who should not. This is just as ridiculous as saying
all students can and must pass a college preparatory program. It
should be up to the parents and the students to make that
determination. Not us, not some legislator, not some federal employee.

The questions should be about how much free public education is
sufficient, what content should be taught, and what standards are
going to be upheld in the process. If we want education to be a
minimum measure of certain standards, decide what they are and hold
students and the system accountable. If we want public education to
be a college preparatory program, which we purport it should be,
decide what the standards should be and hold the students and the
system accountable. If we decide that public education is a
preparatory program for more than just college bound students, then
lets decide what is necessary to make it work, give students and
parents the choices they need, and hold students and the system
accountable. That is all I am saying. Right now we are making a
mockery of the system, what it stands for, and the students we push
through it without regards to what they are achieving. Shame on us!

Posts on this thread, including this one

• Administrators changing seniors grades!, 5/15/08, by BMoreTeacher.
• Re: Administrators changing seniors grades!, 5/15/08, by Rodeo.
• Re: A question. , 5/16/08, by L. Swilley .
• Re: Further on this interesting case , 5/16/08, by L. Swilley .
• Re: NCLB, 5/16/08, by LbP.
• Re: A question. , 5/16/08, by What????.
• Re: NCLB, 5/16/08, by Rodeo.
• Re: A question. , 5/17/08, by ACP.
• Re: Thanks, ACP, 5/17/08, by L. Swilley .
• Re: Administrators changing seniors grades!, 5/17/08, by Sara.
• Re: NCLB, 5/17/08, by to Rodeo.
• Re: Further on this interesting case / completely agree, 5/17/08, by Sara.
• Re: Thanks, ACP, 5/17/08, by ACP.
• Re: Further on this interesting case , 5/17/08, by I agree.
• Re: A question. , 5/17/08, by To ACP.
• Re: A question. , 5/17/08, by ACP.
• Re: Administrators changing seniors grades!, 5/17/08, by BMorePeachy.
• Re: Administrators changing seniors grades!, 5/17/08, by think of the workplace.
• Re: Administrators changing seniors grades!, 5/18/08, by high school English teacher.
• Re: This very interesting and very important thread, 5/18/08, by L. Swilley .
• Re: A question - tracking students early on , 5/18/08, by BTrack.
• Re: Administrators changing seniors grades!, 5/18/08, by history teacher.
• Re: This very interesting and very important thread, 5/18/08, by history teacher.
• Re: This very interesting and very important thread, 5/18/08, by BMoreTeacher .
• Re: Administrators changing seniors grades!, 5/18/08, by history teacher.
• Re: This very interesting and very important thread, 5/19/08, by Catsister.