Essential Workers?

[Steppenwolfe]

Evaluating students is easy, it’s called grades. The problem there though is nobody ever really fails k-12 because we just pass everyone along whether they learn anything or not. College is getting that way now too. Even with that, today the push is to eliminate grading entirely because too many in some groups still manage to screw it up. They want to go to a simple pass/fail instead. I suppose if we keep going that way we’ll eventually get to where kids all get A‘s just for showing up at least half the time.

That is one thing I cherish about growing up in the 70's; we were encouraged to study hard, work hard, and WIN with good sportsmanship. Competing for a seat at the table is good for one's soul I believe.

 

[Fuddy1952]

There are seven (known) intelligences, so I'm good at math, bad with English. Wife is exact opposite. We each can do things the other can't.

 

[JasperFrank]

i do know of a few state employees that didn't deserve their pay. One was a Highway Scalier. He weighted trucks on interstate highways: Got paid 60K a year with full benefits. This was in the late '90's. He wanted me to help him out with creating a portable gaming system, so that he would not be bored between weighing trucks. The whole truck weighing system, as i could tell, was automated in the first place. I'm guessing he had to do inspections also......

 

[two_bit_score]

Another question is how to evaluate the students? SATs are a joke, unless they've changed immensely since I took them 45 years ago.

Standardized testing does work in many countries in the rest of the world. And the students who experienced that type of expducation seem to excel in American colleges and universities as well as the ‘Real world’ business environment.

 

[two_bit_score]

It is hard to "teach to the test" when a teacher has no idea what is on it.

One year, the math test had about 10-15% probability questions. The math book being used had no probability instruction. That was done in a higher grade. Students scored poorly. Supplemental materials were purchased and used. The next year's test had no probability questions.

Bruce

That is a problem under specifics of the test and administration. It has nothing to do with the concept of holding teachers accountable based on their performance.

 

[Hay Dude]

Evaluating students is easy, it’s called grades. The problem there though is nobody ever really fails k-12 because we just pass everyone along whether they learn anything or not. College is getting that way now too. Even with that, today the push is to eliminate grading entirely because too many in some groups still manage to screw it up. They want to go to a simple pass/fail instead. I suppose if we keep going that way we’ll eventually get to where kids all get A‘s just for showing up at least half the time.

That today is what we call a “participation trophy”

 

[Fuddy1952]

A very good friend in California is a math professor at two colleges. He says kids today are "dumb beyond belief" compared to just some years ago. He believes due to video games and cell phones.

 

[Gee Ray]

The very basic problem with education is the lack of discipline. Students have control of the classrooms. Cell phones are allowed in the class rooms, talking out or talking back are common. They have "student rights." Guns and knives were common in the school that I taught in. Sex in the bathrooms was also a problem.

When I was punched in the face the administration did nothing except suspend the student for a day and returned him to my classroom. This was in a middle school.

There are some good and some poor teachers. A good teacher with a room full of students that want to learn is quickly turned into a poor learning environment with a single problem student. And there are very limited options that teacher can do to help or fix the problem student due to their "rights".

Students that have no respect for their parents, their teachers, or the law. So when we reintroduce the ideas of discipline and do away with the Dr Spock all children are good BS maybe we could get back to teaching instead of entertaining the student.

 

[two_bit_score]

A very good friend in California is a math professor at two colleges. He says kids today are "dumb beyond belief" compared to just some years ago. He believes due to video games and cell phones.

I believe he is right.

 

[ultrarunner]

Maybe Homeschool or Nuns as teachers?

The Nuns were plenty strict…