In a century, I think people will look back and realize the current education system shenanigans that are going on were the 21st century equivalent of the Hitler Youth. Different in ideology but, equally as much of a fanatical religious cult with evil intent.Originally Posted by BWT
I'm very fortunate that I teach at a school where we focus on education not social issues. It is a sure way to get reported and booted if you are trying to teach kids social beliefs. I stress to my students my job is to teach them to think critically not what to think. That is how all teachers should be and I am the first to call out educators that are not like that
I'm very supportive of HS for those who can make it happen. Coached girls soccer for years and the HS kids were ALWAYS the best behaved, the best educated... However, in todays economy it may not be possible for parents to afford keeping a member home. It stinks, but it's an economic reality. Same for private schooling.
I grew up under a communist regime, so you can imagine the indoctrination efforts there. Yet I turned out to hate communism and, per the expert voices in my head, normal. That was because my parents spent time with me and my brother. Based my experiences, I'm going to say that the MOST important thing in your Childs life is your involvement in it. You CAN overcome whatever stupid stuff the teachers put into their heads if you are involved in their lives. And I don't mean after they start school, but from the moment they come into this world. Spend time installing YOUR value system into their CORE being as best as possible. They will wander as they grow and mature, that's part of nature. However if you did your job well as a parent, they will not wander far and most likely return to where they started. I remember my teens thinking my parents were just so whatever, yet here I am on the same road.
If you an make HS and private schooling work, go for it. Better yet, plan on it economically so you can make it happen. If you cant for whatever reason spend time with your kids and nurture them like you want them to be.
My biggest concern with the "education" system, and I use quotes because I don't think its education any more, is the academics being dumped. Yes we still have AP, and IB programs, but I think in a few years that will go the way of the dodo bird because it makes the non AP/IB kids feel bad. That will be the time when HS will be mandatory unless you want your kids to live in a truly segregated society. Back in the day, only the rich elite could afford educations for their kids and you had an immense chasm between the haves and the have nots. I think we are on the road to that life style again eventually.
Been homeschooling on my own and it has few draw backs in proportion to benefits.
The child education model needs to be redone from the ground up.
One of my nephews who I am very close with is home schooled. It sure has come along way or perhaps isn't anything like I thought it was. He does coops, online stuff, has teachers and classmates all over the country, speaks Latin, plays the Piano and Cello and is receiving an unbelievably high level of education especially compared to public. Critical thinking, logic, math, science, reading and writing, REAL history, etc.
Socially the kids got 10 times more going on than I did at that age and he is very social. Parties, organized events, sports and tons of fellow HS and none HS friends. I went to Private School for my last 2 years of high school and later college so I have a little understanding of what is and is not real education. If my nephew is a typical example of the home schooling product then home schooled kids will one day be running things and I find that very encouraging.
They are a bit sheltered but I think most of that can be addressed by the parents. Certainly the overexposure in public education doesn't appear to be doing those kids any favors and in my opinion is more damaging. I think most of these kids will get over a little naiveté pretty quickly given the arsenal of other skills they have for a foundation.
Man… I’ll try to be brief. Coming from within the post-secondary side of this, I can find little to disagree with in the OP. Looking back on 20+ years of instructional work in a variety of higher ed institutions, I can say that my most successful students either came from private religious k-12 institutions—both catholic and protestant—or were home schooled: about a 50/50 mix of the two. Of the students who have gone on to put out record albums or have teaching positions of their own, or both, only two came out of public schooling. The only ones who have exceeded me artistically were originally private/home schooled kids, again about a 50/50 split. I’m including one great student who’s dad was engaged in the drug trade and homeschooled around that—that’s how big an advantage early and continual parental investment is.
That’s one side.
The buttplug/spit/dildo guy is the other. We’ve lost our way on this one, because: it’s not even that there are guys out there like that particular teacher; shit happens. What’s telling is that large amounts of vocal, woke academia jump to defend that situation, rather than going “damn, that really is a bridge too far…”
We have a large enough contingent of people firmly ensconced in education (I’ve heard 6-10 percent far left/woke, as opposed to just liberal) that condone adult theme exposure to minors to create a gaslighting effect on others—nobody wants to be seen as the intolerant one. I’m reminded of @Welder’s admonition to point out silly shit (or worse) for what it is. It’s more apparent than ever that we do indeed have two Americas emerging: the “democracy” as championed by the Dem elite, literally: one can simply go to whitehouse.gov and read statements to see how many times Biden refers to “our democracy” vs “the republic.” It’s because the progressive side *wants* a direct democracy over a representative republic, because, fuck those red state barbarians. Conversely, it’s middle America that values—and needs—the rep republic, because: all of inland is pretty much *not* the coastal elite, with coastal elite’s goals.
Homeschooling (and, wait for it: probably some mission creep involving home security, alt medicine, privately supported news orgs, local food production… it’s not apocalyptic fear mongering if the trend axis exists on a graph somewhere) is where the VAST majority of the American bell curve—the ones who want alternative milk in their lattes, feel that people should be free to shack up with whomever they want so long as they are consenting adults, AND eschew rioting every night of the week that ends in “Y,” along with the trend of people between the ages of 18 and 55 OD’ing on carfen each week in alphabetical order—can find a future for their kids that’s not programmed and pre-set to harm the republic and re-make America.
I guess I won’t be keeping this brief, after all. But this thread times out nicely with my own sick-leave downtime at the end of yet another decreasing radius turn in my post2ndary academic career road, along with some au courant news stories about what can only be termed “corruption” in the true definitive sense of the word, in multiple related arenas.
It’s been on my mind a lot over the last couple of days.
EXACTLY the same experience for me growing up. A pediatrician for a scoutmaster, and a general surgeon for an assistant: we always crushed the first aid in the jamborees—it wasn’t even close for other troops—and we went skiing as much as canoeing and hiking. I left scouting only because I became eligible for senior class in my Karate dojo, and I elected to pursue black belt ranking over ‘life’ and ‘eagle’—life being full of choices, even back then.
^^^Truth.
Last edited by Totem Polar; 12-09-2022 at 01:53 PM.
”But in the end all of these ideas just manufacture new criminals when the problem isn't a lack of criminals.” -JRB
My wife has taught, in highschool, for almost 35 years. She's one of the most dedicated educators you will ever find and is highly devoted to her students. Even though she works at one of the best schools in the area, she looks at what the system has become and counts the days to retirement. The next two and a half years can't come quickly enough.
We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.......
We started homeschooling when Covid kicked off. With so much uncertainty, I said we are going to use my favorite motto which is "distance from disorder" and circumvent all the shenanigans. My son uses Enlightium Academy and we've been quite pleased.
It's so much different now. Back in the day, the parents were the teachers. That's still mostly the case when the kids are younger. But now, my son just does the lesson online, takes the test, and is on to the next one. I don't do much at all to be honest.
We have had our kids in a very, ok, kinda good college prep private school to the tune of $20k each from 6th to 12th grade. SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED specs, not mine. The last one is in his freshman year, and we just lost our multiple student discount. Brat The First went to state college and flunked out and got fired from the security department of the police department her dad worked at, and got her the job, because she could not get to work at 0600. Brat the Second has no college time, and is working at her first ever job as a dishwasher at the local Top Golf. Still paying car insurance, repairs, and medical insurance on both of them.
As a culture or dynasty, or empire...we are well and truly fucked...
pat
My wife is a teacher. We are not fans of the education system.
#RESIST
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