We are dealing with this subject right now as we look for a house in Knoxville. The school in the area we choose to live in makes a huge difference. My personal opinion is that 2 things need to happen for schools to get better, neither of which any politician will be able to initiate: 1.) There need to be more teachers out there like you, Sam, who really care about their kids and want to really teach them something, not just feed them a bunch of useless information. Thank you for caring. 2.) There need to be more students in the classroom who have parents with good values--who don't rip their kids out of the public school system and put them in private or Christian schools or homeschool them. This will offend some who read this, I am fully aware. I certainly don't want to say that homeschooling and private schooling aren't necessary in some circumstances. But far too many parents do it, I think, because they are too lazy to get involved in their kids' lives, so they want to feel comfortable that their teachers are doing their job for them. Or, they are worried about how they will look to their friends in "suburbia." But, how, exactly, are the schools going to get any better when these public school kids don't have any good peer influences around anymore? Most of these homeschooling and private/Christian schooling parents are very quick to criticize the public school system, but very slow to actually do something about it! Like I said, this isn't to say that ALL alternative schooling options are bad, or that ALL parents of these kids have these attitudes. But, I would say that many do.

The teachers and government can only do so much. It's up to us, as Christians, to model the Gospel to our community and one major way of doing that is through our kids at school. It's not happening much anymore, sadly. I think you are right, Sam...There's probably never going to be any solution to this huge problem.

Far *too* uncomfortable.....

And I think way too many people expect the government to just fix problems, or come up with some sort of solution to eventually make things better.  While they do have a responsibility to the people, a democracy is essentially run by the people (in definition...probably not how it truly is now), and pretty much, with this situation, the people are sitting on their butts saying "why isn't the government fixing it?"  We have the power to do it ourselves: communities, businesses, private financeers...I've heard numerous accounts of CEOs of hospitals or businesses who take a look at a school district desperately in need and decide to make it *their* problem instead of the state's or government's problem.  They pour their own money into it and make things better, how they SHOULD be.  They don't sit back and say "man, the government really needs to get on the ball."

We have the power to fix it.  We're just too lazy to do it.  This country is going to commit suicide if it doesn't regain its sense of community and responsibility. 

Teacher's unions.

As a member of the teachers' union, I resent that. So, don't even go there, my dear husband....Sam - change the subject, please.

hehe...your parents are funny.

as far as foxyaj's comment, it's convenient enough for people with lots of money to pour it into the school system, warping it to their specifications. But what about average joe's? What else does he have to rely on besides government funding?

Thanks, Sam, for bringing this subject up. Your Mother and I had a big argument after she saw my comment. As you can see, as a passive-agressive, she proposes changing the subject. So let me propose . . . "Which Church is closest to being right? Church of Christ? Catholic? Baptist? NoDenom?"

Passive-agressive has always worked for me.....I say change the subject again.

Average joes have the right to vote and, in groups, can put pressure on school boards to change policy. I've seen it happen several times over the last few years. Parents that care need to organize themselves and become advocates for their children. It's not the easy road, but it can be done.

Uh, oh! Passive-agressive strikes again - Sorry Pronto - I didn't know I was logged in as you.....(Sam's mom)

Is this really something that is nation wide? I feel that my education growing up was very good. Of course I did come from a wealthy city (Naples, Florida, REPRESENT!) that puts an obscene amount of money into their public schools. Maybe that is more of the problem - - the schools that do not have the funding do not have the ability to change or adapt.

"Money makes the world go round."
-Cabaret

(That was kind of a subject change.)  

I am not trying to say that the setup we have is bad for all kids. Those students who are auditory & visual learners are very well suited for the current school system. That combined with kids who have parents who instill in them a respect for the importance of education, but who may not be primarily auditory/visual learners, but they compensate for that by putting in extra effort because of that ethic, make up a good deal of public schools. I would imagine that most all students in very wealthy school districts fall into one of those 2 categories. However, when we talk about free, equal, appropriate education for all, we aren't just talking about a good deal of students, we're talking about all students. So, what I am saying is that if we truly want free, equal, & appropriate education for all students & not just some or a majority, then there are drastic measures that need to be taken, not just policy changes. The system will need to be almost completely restructured.

Sorry, Mom, but "changing the subject" isn't a tactic that's ever made any sort of drastic change like I am promoting. I love you!

No, Sam, I think you've got it all wrong. The simple reason behind all of this confusion is that these kids and their parents just aren't spiritual enough. Once they took God out of schools, things just went downhill and when the complete and total focus of the educational system and its constituents is not on spiritual matters, there's just no use in trying. I think we all know the answer - it's just time to start having chapel everyday in every school across america. It works well! Just take for instance, the prestigious Harding University: they have chapel everyday and while grades may be staggeringly average, the marriage rate is at an all-time high, proving that God is working in these people's lives to bring them together so that they can go do very spiritual things such as plant churches in the inner cities and go on numerous mission trips to Kenya. Let me know your thoughts on this, Sam.




also,
disclaimer: to anyone reading this, don't pay attn to any of what I just said. I was being completely sarcastic ;)