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Originally Posted by PursuitOfHappinessParty
I'll first go with a blanket statement to the above. We both know that alternative schools are too expensive to build and maintain, with the numbers involved being not enough to justify the cost.
That leaves special education classes, which schools have now. My suggestion is to take a harder-line approach, a realistic look at the child in question and to change educational formats as opposed to passing the kid thru a feel-good, does nothing type of program like many we see being used today. The alternative is to water down over-all curriculums and weaken the whole system for every child.
The average kid's education does not need to be held comparable to either brilliant children or special/failing kids. In your examples, I see none that should be allowed to impact other kid's curriculum.
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Now this seems quite reasonable to me so if you and I can spot critical design flaws in the system, why can't tens of thousands of educators do better than us? I will never buy the 'we don't have enough money' idea! We have enough money to do anything 'we wish' to do. I'd say if we are not doing something then it's clear we don't wish to do it. The educators and the government have failed to create an equitable public education system. When both can step up to the plate, and do what is right, Congress must be mandated to provide the funding.
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I would say that it depends on the location. Big cities can and often do afford special schools. Other's would need special classes.
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But education cannot be about city size or funding--it must be equitable across the nation.
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Under no circumstances should a non-Englsih speaking child be allowed to attend public school.
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I don't agree with this at all. What if changes in the public education system were made to create a school year prior to kindergarten or 1st grade which does nothing more than provide a basic understanding of English? A prep-year to prepare for elementary school. I'd further say that many of the so-called English-speaking kids might also enroll in these classes...it's not just the immigrants or the Hispanics who have trouble with the English language.
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Hold them to their GPA, just like the old days.
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Us parents need to learn that all of our darlings are not geniuses. Some are going to fail--this is life.
And if people prefer that their kids are not held back or failed, then design a parallel tutoring system into the schools so that with some extra work the kid won't be held back.
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I don't know that poor nutrition is a huge factor. Every school I've ever encountered has school lunch programs (incl. breakfast) for the poor. You can study anywhere, I did.
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Nutrition is vitally important for the brain processes and for energy to get through the day. I say why not provide breakfast and lunch to every kid--free?
I say that kids should be given the opportunity to achieve public education without the need for a lousy dime! If we truly want a better educated population, then we must remove all obstacles for all kids.
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What is school really for? Babysitting? If so, then by all means pass them as the only use for school is to keep them occupied during the daytime.
Not babysitting? Then the answer is in the question. School is for schooling.
Pass them if they pass, fail them if they fail.
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I agree with you 100% and this goes right back to the issue I have which is our government and it's educators have no idea what their goals are?! And even if they have partial goals, a hit-and-miss system, they have been incapable of providing the funding. So the US has a failed education system, too many kids are not given full opportunities to meet their potentials, other nations are kicking our asses, and life goes on...hecka of a job...hecka of a job...