🚀 go-pugleaf

Larry Prall (pp000978@interramp.com) wrote:
: In article <38dv1s$l66@crl10.crl.com>, woulf@crl.com (A L Woulf) wrote:

: [ Much good stuff deleted ]

: > Public Schools Inc. cannot succeed without a radically different 
: > management model.  Only managers who are competent teachers themselves 
: > can effectively hire and supervise competent teachers.  And only 
: > competent teachers can determine what equipment and supplies they need to do 
: > their jobs.  When Public Schools Inc. figures out how to involve competent 
: > teachers in the decision-making process, and how to compensate teachers
: > based on results, then you might start seeing an improvement in such things
: > as standardized test scores.  Not before.
: > 
: > (Al) woulf@crl.com

: Agreed. But I don't think that it's even possible to reach consensus today
: on what a "competent teacher" might be.  Maybe it's just time to think
: about the possibility that our concept of a public school is no longer
: viable. Of course you and I know that what we want our children to learn
: is what all respectable parents want their children to learn.  Don't we? 
: Sure, there are a lot of weirdos out at the margins of society who think
: differently, but if we just teach their kids the right stuff, all of that
: anti-social thinking can be corrected in a generation or two, can't it?

: Now of course I'm sure that what I believe about this is right, and I'm
: sure that you agree with me. But what are we going to do about all those
: ...  others?

If you have been following my posts, I have been advocating as a 
*minimum* standard that public school teachers should be able to provide 
students with sufficient education so that they can be gainfully employed 
after graduation.  The anti-social activity that stems from 
having a large proportion of high school graduates unable to work, and 
gaining their next meal by whatever means are necessary, is what most 
urgently needs attention.

As to "anti-social thinking", I believe that qualifies as an oxymoron.  
It is uncritical acceptance of ideas to leads to the most anti-social 
acts, and even otherwise competent teachers promote this to a large extent.

Once you get beyond the basics, there is bound to be disagreement about 
what schools should be teaching.  However, there are going to be public 
schools until something is found to replace them, and children are going 
to depend on them for an education if that is where they are being sent.

I for one would cheerfully overlook a few "weirdo" ideas if children could
be taught to read a newspaper, balance a checkbook and fill out a job
application correctly.

(Al) woulf@crl.com