Public Education rant

[mom'sfolly]

Texas, where the OP is located, doesn't have unionized schools.

Here, building money and running the school money come out of different pots. If a district passed a bond for building schools or updating fields, then the voters have voted on it, and the money must be spent for that specific job. They can't take bond money for building new schools to buy textbooks.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

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I didn't word it very well, but this is what I meant. My nieces' school is run 100% by the parents and teachers and it does great things. The public system is so bogged down by administrators and bureaucracy that it is crippled. Most teachers I know are desperately trying to teach their students despite a heavy load of needless paperwork and stupid rules handed down by people that have never been in a classroom. Add to that a generation of parents who aren't involved and rules that prevent discipline in the classroom. It is a wonder that anyone will still teach.

 

[chickened]

I tend to agree with you. A few things they do not need in school; a grief counselor every time something happens or a counselor at all, school nurse (teacher can do that) outsource janitors and bus drivers, bring retirement and bennies in line with private schools, make use of existing buildings, work yearround and I am sure there are other things I cannot think of right now but there is always room for improvement. And for what it is worth NCLB was a response by the Bush administration to a very real problem in our schools in an attempt to stop the schools from graduating kids that cannot read and etc. etc., it was called social advancement when I was in school and never helped the kids but made teachers look better.

 

[StupidBird]

I disagree about the school nurse. At east some kind of training for somebody - have seen some darned things get passed off. Ruptured appendix. Concussion. Broken bones. Fever of 103F. And who do you want in charge of all the asthma meds and ritalyn? Georgia at least, had to have a big lawsuit just to allow kids to actually carry their asthma inhalers. My kid could get suspended for a week for carrying a tylenol.

Ask ourselves. What do you expect of government schools? It seems to more local, the better? IDK. I'm just amazed we all survived it.

 

[australorpchick]

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I think the problem is at least five fold; 1)idiot politicians, 2) too many school districts, 3)bad spending policies by the administration, 4) teachers and 5) apathetic parents. 1) Idiot politicians, that's self-explanatory. 2) There are a lot of school districts here in Texas (just like there are a lot of small counties here in Texas). Why so many? Why not consolidate? Could someone in the know explain this to me? 3) Sports are huge here in Texas. I believe sports are valuable, but in my opinion there's a bit too much emphasis on sports and not enough on education. The schools near me are huge! Perhaps if the size of the schools were smaller, thus less costly and the football fields were not renovated quite as often, taxpayers would balk less when additional funds are needed for actual educational needs (i.e. books, computers, field trips, etc). 4) There are a lot of great teachers, there are a lot of not so great teachers and there are those that should flat out not be teaching. An elderly teacher who has been teaching for 30+ years, can't remember her students' names and frequently moves away from the topic she's supposed to be teaching, shouldn't be teaching anymore. I know public school teachers (union) and private school teachers. The private school teachers I know are paid less than the public school teachers, but seem much more satisfied with their career. I think that's attributed to items 1, 3 and 5. Finally, 5) PARENTS. I see a huge difference between private school parents and public school parents (not all, but many). Private school parents seem to be much more involved in their kids education. I believe too many public school parents feel that it is solely the teachers' and schools' responsibility to educate their children in all things; reading, math, culture, reproduction, ethics and so on.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Schools aren't what they use to be. I went to public schools and it was great but that was many years ago. Poor kids and parents now days.

 

[chickened]

I would think one nurse could cover multiple schools or have an office person be trained.

I have visited a few old single room schools in my travels and read some of the logbooks kept by teachers and I would rather have my kids taught by them than what we have today they were remarkable people and the older kids helped the younger ones. Today we have teachers like the Penn state guys and other ones we frequently hear about to be concerned with. And no rewards for the teachers that are exceptional is just wrong.
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[OldGuy43]

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Agreed! Every weekday I watch school buses from THREE(!) different ISD's (Independent School Districts) pick up the kiddies on a road that is only about 3 miles long. WTH? The savings in fuel alone would amount to a sizable sum.

 

[mamaKate]

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I went "knee-jerk crazy" 22 years ago and home schooled mine. The peace was amazing! They are now between 20 and 36 and better educated than most of their peers. They also have a firm grasp of their place in God's universe and their rights and responsibilities as Americans. Just sayin'.

 

[mom'sfolly]

Again, public school teachers are not unionized in Texas.

Yes, Texas spends way to much on sports, particularly football. My local high school has freshman A and B teams, JV A and B teams and varsity football. Five teams, one high school.

The biggest difference I see between public and private school are parent involvement and student choice. First, in private school, parents have a real, tangible investment in the school, and the success of the students. No one sends their kid to private school and then pays no attention to performance. The parents and students who are involved in private school are there because the believe in the system. Many people who send their kids to public school do not believe in the system, and are not invested. They don't actively participate in their kids' education. Many of them have never set foot in the school. Parents are much more willing to put up with a lack of library, or gym or no band program at a private school. At public school, they expect and get everything.

The second huge factor I see with private vs. public schools is the student body. Private schools have few students who are their because they simply have to be. They don't have to provide for students with disabilities; special programs for autistic, deaf, blind, mentally and physically handicapped students. Public schools must provide for all of these students. They must provide for the kids who don't have books, who don't have food on the table, who are homeless, who don't speak English, and for everyone else. Private schools seldom have to deal with the less than perfect student. The "average" cost per student of $6000 means that a huge portion of the money is spent on special needs, and less is actually left for the "average" student. In private schools, the $4000 tuition is spend only on kids in those classrooms.

A third factor is that private schools are exempt from many of the regulations that bog down public schools. Many of the provisions of NCLB do not apply to private schools. Here in Texas they are exempt from the NCLB testing requirements. So they don't have to spend their school year teaching kids how to pass the standardized tests. There are no ARDs, no 502s, etc. They also have them benefit, often, of smaller classrooms.