🚀 go-pugleaf

Mark Robert Stephen wrote:

> I'd like to know who has the most interest in the education system.
> California being one of the welthiest states (and best ones to live
> in, IMHO), has just about the worst education policies.

Mark-

I, too, would like to vote for someone who would keep their promises 
w/r/t improving education.  Unfortunately, it seems while the ads say 
education is a priority, so many of the candidates also employ the 
battle-cry of "more cops for our treacherous streets!"  I have grown 
weary of the "I can make this town safe with a small gestappo!" 
philosophy.  Jane Harman seemed pro-education, but she also is pushing 
that "more cops, more cops, more cops" strategy.  Right now this 
election seems like it will be more of a "I was voting *against* _____ 
rather than voting *for* someone."  A shame, really.

> Less money is spent per student than any other state, and as we have
> heard in the news over the past couple of years, our students have
> seem to have done worse in any type of testing than other states.

I agree that we do not spend enough on education (but that baseball 
stadium--man, that's an *essential*.  IMO, on of the biggest ways to 
improve student progress is through the reduction of class sizes.  It 
is such a disservice to the students to have forty of them in one room 
with one teacher.  The high schools in particular frequently have 
*average* class-sizes of thirty-eight students.  Stretches the teacher 
far too thin.

W/r/t the standardized test scores: I happen to feel there is no such 
thing as a "standardized" test.  But with over seventy languages 
spoken in this state (as opposed to the overwhelmingly one-language 
states such as Iowa or Montana or the like), is it any wonder our kids 
can't hold their own on standardized tests?  Can you imagine 
immigrating to Vietnam and having to take tests in the Vietnamese 
language as you were still learning it?  My guess is no matter how 
smart you are your test would be rather shitty compared to what the 
native speakers could do.

> Teachers are paid such low salaries (and the cost of living is so 
> high) I don't understand how anyone would want to be a teacher.
		      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
You would if you spent the day with some of my students.  A pay raise 
of any amount still couldn't begin to compare to the real joys of 
teaching .  I don't worry so much about income; I'm not sure I would 
want this to be a real high-paying profession for fear of people who'd 
go into it for the money.  Marx felt for people to be happy in their 
profession they have to see some of themselves in the work they do.  I 
can't imagine a more concrete example of this theory than teaching.  
Despite the stories that make the news, students today are bright, 
articulate, compassionate, and ready to show what they can do if given 
a chance.  And I have to say it's pretty damn cool to have a front row 
seat to that show.

> To me, this is an important issue, the children are the future.

Very true.  I'm sure we'll get around to helping them once we get that 
new stadium built.

-sarah

"The job of a teacher is to excite in the young a boundless sense of 
curiosity about life, so that the growing child shall come to 
apprehend it with an excitement tempered by awe and wonder.

--John Garrett