Pressure-cooker kindergarten

Pressure-cooker kindergarten

www.boston.com

A new emphasis on testing and test preparation -- brought on by politicians, not early education experts -- is hurting the youngest students.

(visit the link for the full news article)

So educators are saying that politicians are making decisions instead of letting them do this.

The healthcare debate has really brought up the issue of public schools in my mind. Now I'm extremely happy with my childs current school. But that's because it's well funded, and he's damn bright.

However, when Politicians are forcing examinations at Kindergarten level and labeling children "inadequate" before they walk through the front door, and educators of 40 years are leaving the profession specifically for that reason, something is horribly wrong.

www.boston.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

My bad, Gotta edit.


[edit on 2-9-2009 by miss_silver]

So basicly, if little Johnny Doesn't draw his ABCs striat then he is gonna get an F.... If he consistently gets Fs he will have to repeat kindergarten.

And I thought I had it bad on Juice day when it was my turn to pass out the juice.

Seriously though this is very very bad. Politicians should not be in control of our education. Thats why I have no intention of sending my kids (When I get started) to public schools... Just no way I could live with myself knowing what the public education system is...


Our revolution can not come soon enough!


And my apologies to my wife for not checking to see who was logged in.

[edit on 2-9-2009 by titorite]

Nice work there, George W. Bush. The worst President that just keeps on giving with his "No Child Left Behind" cluster #*$@ of an education plan.

Oh, by the way, where the hell is W. lately? Kicking back in is South American 150,000 acre ranch, watching Obama finish the job of dismantling of the nation?

Stupid kids, eugenics, bottom of the barrel economy.

Somebody stop the planet, I want to get off.

reply to post by HunkaHunka


It is up to teachers to advise politicians as to suitable levels for children of all ages.
If teachers do not step up to this, they are failing.

Originally posted by spellbound
reply to post by HunkaHunka

 

It is up to teachers to advise politicians as to suitable levels for children of all ages.
If teachers do not step up to this, they are failing.

theres only so much teachers can do, its up to the politicians to listen.
you'd think they would, but theres a lot of evidence they don't.

(being from kansas, i'm quite familiar with it)

I'm sorry, but if anyones child that doesnt have some kind of nerological disorder does not know basic twenty six digit alphabet in order by the time they are even in school, you are not being a thoughtful parent. My kid is two and a half he almost has it down tight. I dont sit there drilling him 6 hours a day to do it.

I dont believe we have to tell the child to the face they are inadequate, but an alphhabet is too simple not to know by the first year in grammar school. Just analyze many foreign public school in the world, even in the third world. Many kids that immigrate here from South America for instance are bumped a grade or two.

I feel we need to make the teaching style more logistical in the early years and less " oh that is a beautiful splodge of paint/crayon on your paper, lets sing happy songs about puppies and ponies" .

The purpose of school is to shape a functioning citizen in the public environment for social stability.

reply to post by demongoat


OK, teachers should just say NO!
Of course, a lot of people will not say that.

But dedicated teachers should step up to politicians and say, "No! You are in politics and I AM IN TEACHING!"

reply to post by harrytuttle


And Democrats and Obama have done what to overhaul or get rid of "No Child Left Behind"? Oh that's right - they've done absolutely nothing.

Originally posted by DYepes

The purpose of school is to shape a functioning citizen in the public environment for social stability.

Spoken like a true believer of socialism!

MAN thats freaky. I wish you wern't a US citizen.It speaks volumes as to the reason for our current state of affairs in the union.

The purpose of school is to provide students an education and god willing the ability to think for themselves and learn on their own.

The purpose of school IS NOT to shape functioning citizens to further social stability. If such is the case then we should openly refer to them as indoctrination camps and not as schools. And you should report me to the authorities for being a free thinker encouraging all children everywhere to think freely aswell.

[edit on 2-9-2009 by titorite]

Originally posted by sos37
reply to post by harrytuttle

 

And Democrats and Obama have done what to overhaul or get rid of "No Child Left Behind"? Oh that's right - they've done absolutely nothing.

Exactly!!!

I also cannot help but mention the teachers unions who in general, care more about salaries and time off than they do students.
I've seen hundreds of perfectly good textbooks thrown away, some due to worn corners or a worn cover...some looked pretty darn good. There is always a push to purchase new editions every couple years as well.

Originally posted by DYepes
I'm sorry, but if anyones child that doesnt have some kind of nerological disorder does not know basic twenty six digit alphabet in order by the time they are even in school, you are not being a thoughtful parent. My kid is two and a half he almost has it down tight. I dont sit there drilling him 6 hours a day to do it.

I dont believe we have to tell the child to the face they are inadequate, but an alphhabet is too simple not to know by the first year in grammar school. Just analyze many foreign public school in the world, even in the third world. Many kids that immigrate here from South America for instance are bumped a grade or two.

I feel we need to make the teaching style more logistical in the early years and less " oh that is a beautiful splodge of paint/crayon on your paper, lets sing happy songs about puppies and ponies" .

The purpose of school is to shape a functioning citizen in the public environment for social stability.

It's not about what they expect your kids to know. It's about the power they can wield in our School system if we crack open this door.

Originally posted by titorite

Originally posted by DYepes

The purpose of school is to shape a functioning citizen in the public environment for social stability.

Spoken like a true believer of socialism!

MAN thats freaky. I wish you wern't a US citizen.It speaks volumes as to the reason for our current state of affairs in the union.

The purpose of school is to provide students an education and god willing the ability to think for themselves and learn on their own.

The purpose of school IS NOT to shape functioning citizens to further social stability. If such is the case then we should openly refer to them as indoctrination camps and not as schools. And you should report me to the authorities for being a free thinker encouraging all children everywhere to think freely aswell.

[edit on 2-9-2009 by titorite]

Regardless of whether you believe in socialism or not, part of the job of schools, in fact, is to provide a place for students to grow mentally and socially. Social skills might not necessarily be on the curriculum, but they're certainly being developed.

That's not to say that I think that school is always a good for place for kids. I, personally, did terrible in high school. I openly defied almost every one of my teachers. I wouldn't do homework just to spite them. I took pride in the fact that I frustrated my teachers who always cited my very high standardized test scores when they talked to me about my grades.

By the end of my junior year it became clear that I wasn't going to have enough credits to graduate on time. At this point my parents had had enough and they decided to pull me out of high school altogether. They set me up to take courses at the local college campus and I did much better. I felt like I wasn't in a forced-learning environment anymore.

I think it's important to realize that education should not be a rigid, competitive endeavor. Kids are going to learn the most when they are free to study what interests them. The teacher's job should be to give them the tools to do that and to guide them in the process.

I wholeheartedly believe that parents need to realize that they are solely responsible for their child's development, not the teacher. If those kids haven't had any kind of intellectual stimulation by the time they walk through the doors on the first day of kindergarten, they're already screwed. They're 5 years behind the kids whose parents have been teaching them since day 1.

'The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, Rules the World!'

This is the reason why politicians in the USA and the UK are constantly wrecking and controlling the education system and disempowering and threatening teacher's jobs if they do not conform and follow 'the rules' laid down by TPTB!

Mothers gave over the reigns of education when they were 'liberated' and only had to work full or part time AND look after home and children. Women foolishly bought into this 'liberation' and sealed the doom of their children. In the UK and the USA there are massively rising levels of drug, alcohol abuse, promiscuity and teen pregnancy. Basically lives are wrecked as there is no one supervising the young.......they are too busy being 'liberated/enslaved' women!


The 'no child left behind' policy has meant dumbing down of all education.

It is no different to governments ENFORCING every child being 5 feet tall by the time they are 11. It is impossible and ridiculous.

Children develop at different rates....and always will.

I went to school with a boy who could neither write or read when he was 11. The last time I saw him he had completed 11 O levels at grade A and 4 A levels at grade A. He was going to university to be a doctor.

My cousin could not read when he was 12 and yet left university such a fantastic engineer that he is still 'head hunted' by numerous engineering companies all over the world!!!

When it was TIME he learnt and not before!!!

But children are being labelled as 'stupid' when they are just not at that point in their development yet.

The government does not want to understand that it is Not Where you Start but where you finish and they intend to dumb down all of the children and destroy education everywhere or everyone.

What they want is a population who are not able to think for themselves....and sadly, they are slowly suceeding!

Say what you want about socialism, but pull out any random elementry class from say Ohio or whatever and put them against Third world Cuba, North Korea or even China, and they will be outperformed academically. In fact it is already documented. Ever thought thats the real reason they are severley oppressed by our might is because they teach better?

AND, we need firearms safety and training classes throughout the entire grade school system.

reply to post by DYepes


I have to agree with you. I think its sad that many kids entering kindergarten are not prepared at all for school. Kindergarten aged kids should know their ABCs, 123s and if they do not, it is the parents fault. This is how it was when I was in school in the 70s and nothing has changed, regardless of what the naysayers say.

Parents should be the first and foremost teacher and fact is many parents do not care enough to sit down with their kid every day and read and write with them. All kids learn at different paces, but it has always been that kindergartners should know their ABCs.

Kindergarten is the beginning of their school career. It is not daycare. The purpose of kindergarten is to not play with toys and be babied.

If parents are opposed to teaching their kids early the fundamentals, then its no wonder many teachers are frustrated with teaching these kids.

[edit on 2-9-2009 by inked up]

Originally posted by sos37
reply to post by harrytuttle

 

And Democrats and Obama have done what to overhaul or get rid of "No Child Left Behind"? Oh that's right - they've done absolutely nothing.

Well to be honest, I think the economy is the biggest issue right now. Yeah NCLB needs reform... but you gotta prioritize when your house in on fire!

Originally posted by sos37
reply to post by harrytuttle

 

And Democrats and Obama have done what to overhaul or get rid of "No Child Left Behind"? Oh that's right - they've done absolutely nothing.

Hey Einstein, did you read the part of my post where I stated that Obama is too busy finishing the job of destroying America?

You saw I said something bad about Bush, stopped reading my post, and then jumped all over me. Nice knee-jerk reaction there chief.

You and your Left/Right paradigm non-thinking zombie followers are part of the problem, not the solution. Try reading posts from beginning to end next time, if your attention span/emotions allow for it.

[edit on 2-9-2009 by harrytuttle]