The children of today are growing up in tougher times than those of previous generations. Besides the normal issues of childhood, children are faced with adult problems at an early age such as; "Did Mom pay the rent?", "How are we going to eat?", "Where am I going to sleep tonight?". Some children take on the parenting role of raising their younger siblings.
Even children being raised in stable environments can suffer from stress due to socioeconomic hardship and other issues. Children living with these issues can suffer from health problems. If these issues remain, they can lead to poor academic performance, social withdrawal, drug use, alcohol abuse, crime and suicide.
Children arrive at school or day care with more than just their backpacks. This is why the guidance departments at schools are so critical to the development and well-being of children as well the education process. They offer safe havens for students. Students can go for support, guidance, advice, a listening ear, or heck.... just to hang out and get away from school bullies .
Cutting positions increases ratios. Ratios are an indicator that affects the quality of children's education. The lower the ratio, the better the program. The higher the ratio, the poorer the program.
The children are our future and we, as a community, need to ensure that all children receive the highest quality education we can afford them.
The above is something I wrote for my school board campaign recently. I haven't used it for anything. Originally it was formatted as a bulleted list which I considered making into flyers.
This is why the guidance departments at schools are so critical to the development and well-being of children as well the education process. They offer safe havens for students. Students can go for support, guidance, advice, a listening ear, or heck.... just to hang out and get away from school bullies .
Cutting positions increases ratios. Ratios are an indicator that affects the quality of children's education. The lower the ratio, the better the program. The higher the ratio, the poorer the program.
The children are our future and we, as a community, need to ensure that all children receive the highest quality education we can afford them.
So, the obvious question is how do you propose that we PAY for these programs?
TTFN,
Blackout
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A question of love.
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Check out Progressive PRIDE, a Gay-Straight Alliance for the Progressive U community.
Print some up today!
Good one, seriously. You made me snort my soda.
:)
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A question of love.
---
Check out Progressive PRIDE, a Gay-Straight Alliance for the Progressive U community.
I don't disagree with this blog. I certainly think education is a priority and we should keep on doing our best to invest in good education for children. I continue to pour money into my daughter's education.
But I have a somewhat different take on the hardtimes. There is a generation of Americans, my parents, most of your grandparents and maybe even great-grandparents, that are frequently referred to as the "Greatest Generation". They were children and teenagers during the Depression and many of them fought in World War II. They went onto build America into an economic powerhouse and laid the groundwork for major steps forward in many ways like the civil rights movement.
These kids grew up in an era of tremendous socioeconomic adversity and world strife. They drew lessons and built values from these hardtimes that stuck with them their entire lives and generally made them better, more productive people. They learned to work hard, save, invest, conserve and build.
I'm not happy that our economy is in trouble but I think that our children could draw a lot of really important lessons from the hardtimes that will work for them later in life. Or they might learn that they are helpless and that they can only survive if the government takes care of them.
I hope it is the former rather than the latter. In any case, I think American youth have grown soft, complacent, spoiled, lazy and have an unjustified sense of entitlement. Maybe some hardtimes will give everybody a more realistic view of the world.
"The children of today are growing up in tougher times than those of previous generations."
Those days when everything was so much better and easier have always been just a few years before the person speaking came on the scene.
Which particular 'good old days' are you referring to?
"Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it."
--Andre Gide
For a whole lot of people across the entire world "The Good Old Days" was a period of prosperity that ended maybe last summer, last month, last week or maybe as recently as yesterday. They are suddenly in a measurably worse financial situation.
Even people who have not lost their jobs have seen measurable deterioration in their wealth. Their 401k s have become 201k s and their houses which used to be like piggy banks are now more like a ball and chain that because they are upside down on their mortgage they can't sell and move to areas of the country that offer more opportunity.
I think the blogger had a a pretty valid point that times have gotten tougher for many people and almost everybody in the country and across the world agrees. I'd say the evidence that the socio-economic situation for many families has deteriorated is incontrovertible. I don't believe the blogger is looking back with misty vision at some mythical rosy time. And I think it is valid to question whether these hard times will have a negative impact on kids.
I don't necessarily agree with the blogger that this will be entirely negative for kids. If society breaks down to the point where we quit funding schools that would obviously be terrible. But short of that, there is no direct correlation between educational spending and educational outcomes. Utah has great outcomes and spends relatively little. Some of the worst schools spend the most. Further, if you listen to adults talk about their most valuable life lessons, almost all of them were gained from the school of hard knocks. Tough economic times may result in a future generation of adults that is fiscally conservative and demands value for their dollar. I don't think that would be all bad.
I'm just not aware of any 'previous generation' that even HAD a 401k, and I'll bet you cannot pick one out that never saw 8% unemployment. The only necessity which this generation spends a higher percentage of its' income on than ANY previous generation is health care. Naturally that Health care is VASTLY better than what was available to any of those previous generations.
I do especially agree with you that a little hardship (just a little) can be a big advantage. The only way to learn to strive is to be forced to do it.
As far as education over 80% of employees at private schools are teachers. Less than 50% of those employed in public education are. Is it any surprise that private schools deliver superior results with less than 2/3 the cost?
"Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it."
--Andre Gide
Private schools generally don't have to pay for behavioral specialists, security, educational assistants for large numbers of special education students, fleets of buses and drivers, or for the management staff of hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of schools. Private schools seldom have class sizes over 30.
The public schools don't get to cherry pick their students, but they are required by law to meet all the needs of all their students. Private schools do not have any of the same responsibilities.
I could be teacher of the year in a perfect world with cherry-picked students and low overhead. I choose to teach in inner city schools instead. The two are completely different.
"Never go with a hippy to a second location."
~Jack Donaghy
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
We spend far to much money on special education and get very minimal returns for this investment. Society would be far better off if we took the same huge amount of money and directed it towards our top 5% of students.
We've always had special education students but it has only been in the last 30 years or so that we have devoted massive resources to them. I doubt that the change in outcome from 30 years ago comes even close to justifying the expense.
...to educate the average group of 30 students for nine months. Not all of that is used up in employing non-teachers...just too much of it.
As far as cherry picking goes, where is the benefit for my child in being forced to attend school with every delinquent that has no desire to be educated? Private schools REQUIRE a DESIRE to behave in a way constructive to getting an education. We are doing a favor to WHO? by forcing all students into a situation where the worst fraction of students help ruin the chances of the majority to be educated through distraction, misbehavior, and violence?
OK, rant over ;-)
BTW are you ever going to publish Part 2 of Closing the Achievement Gap?
http://www.progressiveu.org/150741-closing-achievement-gap-part-i-basics...
"Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one's head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no to-morrow. To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace."
--Oscar Wilde
I'm hemming and hawing about posting Part 2, as I have concerns about some kid finding it and turning it in as a research project. It's unfinished as it stands, and the kid would be likely to get a lower grade than they would if the conclusion were attached.
That research took me weeks. Self publishing it seems cheap.
"Never go with a hippy to a second location."
~Jack Donaghy
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman