Salinger and Harper to be replaced by Invasive Plant Inventory in US school curriculum

Really? Do they really think that they're going to get the books into the classrooms? Looks like a couple of states, like Texas and Alaska are against it. Gee, who is it again that prints every single K-12 text book in the US? Oh, that's right: TEXAS. Looks like this curriculum is going to fall flat, because if Texas has anything to say about it, this curriculum just won't pass muster.

Furthermore, teaching for testing is the stupidest idea in the world. A centralized test means that everyone will have to be taught the exact same things, but not everyone learns or thinks in the same way, or even at the same speed or level. Some kids learn by listening, some by seeing, some by touching, some by doing, and some by any combination thereof. A "core curriculum" is not the way to go about restructuring the education system, because we're not all tin soldiers, we don't just fall in line.

Furthermore, who in the world is going to pay for these new books? California is beyond broke, and the kids in poorer school districts here are learning out of textbooks from a decade ago. From what I hear, New York is worse. There is no way that any school district outside of Cupertino, CA and Seattle, WA are going to be able to institute this new curriculum, because no one has the money for brand new books for every student in every class in every school across the country. At over $100 a pop times about 6 or 7 books times 76 million kids, that's at least $45,600,000,000 ($45.6 billion). Our country is trying to retreat from the fiscal cliff, not go over it. Where is that money going to come from? The feds don't have it, the states don't have it, parents don't have it, and school districts hide it so the administrators don't have to give up their limousine rides to work. What this whole thing comes down to is money. A new curriculum and the books that come with it cost money, and no one has any.

In other words, Obama can say or threaten what he likes, but you can't get blood out of a stone.

In the 1970's, from middle school on, at least one class per year required a research paper. That is the essesnce of education, finding out something on your own.

The bad government stuff is usually Form over Substance.

It has been aledged that a high school diploma circa 1920 signified as much education as a BA degree today.

Any program in education that doesn't address that is a sham, if education is the real object.

I read To Kill A Mockingbird for school.

Y'know what I learned? Nothing. The course curriculum would ask us to compare and contrast concepts or themes within the book and real life. That's not teaching anything, and when students are graded on their opinions, there is no room for creativity.

When I'm FORCED to accept a character model of Boo Radley for a test, I'm no longer using my brain. Reading these same old boring pieces of outdated literature chock full of bad decision making and antiquated social norms doesn't stimulate the mind in any positive way.

Well it looks like 1984 is going in the trashcan. What a delightful surprise. This is not as bad as the plot in 1984 but it's getting there.

Seriously? Informative texts? What's next the Ministry of Truth?

Jesus Christ it's like some horrible B-flick Government take over movie is being projected right in front of us and all people can worry about is Kim Kardashian and mind controlled sex kittens.

Would it make you feel better if i pointed out Bill Gates was heavily involved?

Originally posted by Thorneblood
Most of these books exist in the public domain and are free online or dirt cheap in RL....these are also many of the books kids will no longer be MADE to read at school. Time to build up your e-libraries here
Public Domain Books - that means FREE

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
MARK TWAIN

The Aeneid
VIRGIL

Agamemnon
AESCHYLUS

The Age of Innocence
EDITH WHARTON

Anna Karenina
LEO TOLSTOY

Anne of Green Gables
L. M. MONTGOMERY

Anthem
AYN RAND

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

The Awakening
KATE CHOPIN

edit on 29-1-2013 by Thorneblood because: (no reason given)

edit on Tue Jan 29 2013 by DontTreadOnMe because: TRIMMED LIST

I was never MADE to read any of those books. Only thing i recall is being able to choose what i wanted to do book reports on. Other than that i have no idea what you are referring to.

If you wanna argue semantics that is fine. I fail to see how selecting your choice of books from a required reading list is not being made to read one of the books on the list, but your welcome to the opinion.

Originally posted by Thorneblood
If you wanna argue semantics that is fine. I fail to see how selecting your choice of books from a required reading list is not being made to read one of the books on the list, but your welcome to the opinion.

I dont recall a required reading list but then again I mainly used a library or book stores so maybe that qualifies as a list. My school didnt require too much classic literature and even then we were free so luckily it was not forced on me.

I think informational text is much better though so i would not think it would be a bad thing.

Who should we blame? The government? Or the vapid culture that allows this to happen?

I say its about time.


Parents these day are to f ing stupid to teach critical thinking. So why fill children heads up with all these ideas that their parents cannot even explain because they are a dumbass. Why have a free thinker when they cannot even add. Why have a free thinker when they cannot even stay in school. Why have a free thinker when they cannot stay out of jail. Why have a free thinker when they cannot teach their own kids they will have a 12-16 , right from wrong.

Look at the world today, English class is not saving it and neither are fancy books.


besided hooked it on pheonics werked for me ands my kijs

reply to post by Thorneblood


"Would it make you feel better if i pointed out Bill Gates was heavily involved?"


no that would make me $%^& my pants.

he wants to bring 1984 alive, all this "charity" works is a guise

Originally posted by LesMisanthrope
Who should we blame? The government? Or the vapid culture that allows this to happen?

I would not miss that stuff being required, if it even is, that is not to say proper writing should not be taught. In my view the classic literature should be encouraged reading in free time during high school or maybe an extra like wood shop. If they require reading lists than why not other art forms required such as music and film? Equally as important from an artistic standpoint, in my view.

One reason is kids dont have the capacity to understand that the author, while writing a particular piece, could have been malcontented so they get a distorted, stylized perspective.

So if this is what they are doing then why not as parents take a little responsibility for our children's education. No matter what books they hand out in school, a child can read whatever they like at home. Or better yet, stop blowing off parent/teacher conferences, and school board elections. Our schools are over run by progressive leaders so what would you expect but brainwashing and state issued propaganda? If you don't like it do something about it. As awesome as ATS is, typing what you feel here will not affect change in the real world.

reply to post by ~widowmaker~


Tech Review

Researchers have created software that predicts when and where disease outbreaks might occur based on two decades of New York Times articles and other online data. The research comes from Microsoft and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.

The system could someday help aid organizations and others be more proactive in tackling disease outbreaks or other problems, says Eric Horvitz, distinguished scientist and codirector at Microsoft Research. “I truly view this as a foreshadowing of what’s to come,” he says. “Eventually this kind of work will start to have an influence on how things go for people.” Horvitz did the research in collaboration with Kira Radinsky, a PhD researcher at the Technion-Israel Institute.

Nah...Bill wouldn't do that.

i dont see the big deal. there is far more "informational texts" to be covered by schools as is, that they SHOULD be spending time with and havnt.

nothing is stopping students from reading fiction outside of school.
i mean are we really going to blame the schools for not giving students classic litt, and then NOT blame the citizens for not attempting to read it otherwise? what laziness is this lol.

I could go on and on but I think the following reflects my disdain...