Ways to improve public education?

• Ironman92

  

  This is a pretty intelligent board....let's hear some thoughts/ideas.
• Ironman92

  

  Go year around with 4 built in 2 week breaks? Not sure how it would go, but can vouch that kids lose too much learned info during the summer break.
• wildcats20

  

  Ironman92;1836175 wrote:Go year around with 4 built in 2 week breaks? Not sure how it would go, but can vouch that kids lose too much learned info during the summer break.

  Pretty sure that is similar to the districts down in NC where my dad lives. I know his neighbor's girls go pretty much year round.
• Ironman92

  

  wildcats20;1836176 wrote:Pretty sure that is similar to the districts down in NC where my dad lives. I know his neighbor's girls go pretty much year round.

  It's definitely out there, just not so much in Ohio. The two weeks off 4x a year would take students from 180 days to around 210.
• wildcats20

  

  I saw something today that somewhere in Ohio, maybe the whole state, is considering moving the start date to after Labor Day. I didn't read into it, but wouldn't that put them into school until July?
• Ironman92

  

  wildcats20;1836178 wrote:I saw something today that somewhere in Ohio, maybe the whole state, is considering moving the start date to after Labor Day. I didn't read into it, but wouldn't that put them into school until July?

  Not only going 180 days. My early years were start after Labor Day and end around Memorial Day. Currently we start now in the middle of August and get out in the early May 20's.
• OSH

  

  I support year-round education with more built-in breaks. Maybe even more days, but shorter days. There's a lot of studies that show how beneficial that is. But, without a doubt...the long summer breaks are stupid and serve little purpose.
  
  I believe in school uniforms too. After spending some time overseas and having friends that have done the same, uniformity is a great thing. Builds school pride. Eliminates a lot of issues we have in schools.
  
  After those two issues, I think I'd see where things need addressed after that. Probably re-configuring districts and administration is necessary. Way too many expenses in unnecessary positions and districts.
• Laley23

  

  Year round and shorter days would do wonders I think. I forgot virtually everything over the summer. And I couldn't concentrate for 7 hours (8:15am-3pm) I'd go 9:00am to 3:00. I'm also a huge proponent of block scheduling so you're not having Thur same class st the same time each day, allows for each class to be early/middle/late...with free periods (study halls until junior year). 45-50 minute classes 4 times a week (5 total days, but having 1 day off for each class), on a 2 week rotation. Maybe 7-8 periods in a day, plus lunch. Kids take 6(??) classes of the 8 periods. 7 if they add an elective.
• Ironman92

  

  OSH;1836189 wrote:I support year-round education with more built-in breaks. Maybe even more days, but shorter days. There's a lot of studies that show how beneficial that is. But, without a doubt...the long summer breaks are stupid and serve little purpose.
  
  I believe in school uniforms too. After spending some time overseas and having friends that have done the same, uniformity is a great thing. Builds school pride. Eliminates a lot of issues we have in schools.
  
  After those two issues, I think I'd see where things need addressed after that. Probably re-configuring districts and administration is necessary. Way too many expenses in unnecessary positions and districts.

  Not against the uniformity of clothing but kids will still figure out "who they are better than" and those that worry about that will act accordingly.
  
  A standard dress code with some flexibility would be nice...but just having extras of those clothes for the numerous kids with nothing would be great.
• Ironman92

  

  My elementary school is from 9:00-3:10....not too bad once you throw in a 40 minute special, 25 min lunch and 25 min recess. It often feels like not enough time to adequately and effectively cover the necessary material/standards.
• friendfromlowry

  What about curriculum overhaul? How much is taught that needs to be? I haven't given it much thought but what comes to mind right away is math. How often do adults use the FOIL method, explore parabolas, find values of a function, Pythagorean theorem, find the slope of a line, etc.
• Ironman92

  

  friendfromlowry;1836195 wrote:What about curriculum overhaul? How much is taught that needs to be? I haven't given it much thought but what comes to mind right away is math. How often do adults use the FOIL method, explore parabolas, find values of a function, Pythagorean theorem, find the slope of a line, etc.

  Good point.
• Laley23

  

  friendfromlowry;1836195 wrote:What about curriculum overhaul? How much is taught that needs to be? I haven't given it much thought but what comes to mind right away is math. How often do adults use the FOIL method, explore parabolas, find values of a function, Pythagorean theorem, find the slope of a line, etc.

  Im pretty sure English and history are the only 2 subjects I use regularly as an adult. And history in conversation/social settings. Technology needs to be a MUCH bigger part of the curriculum as well as foreign language. Workforce is driving both of those values way up.
• friendfromlowry

  Laley23;1836200 wrote:Im pretty sure English and history are the only 2 subjects I use regularly as an adult. And history in conversation/social settings. Technology needs to be a MUCH bigger part of the curriculum as well as foreign language. Workforce is driving both of those values way up.

  
  
  That's definitely something to be explored. The problem would be finding the balance. We don't want to create students who only know how to use smart phones but let's face the fact that practically everyone is carrying one on them.
  
  PSEO should be encouraged more. I don't think hardly anyone realizes how valuable it could have been to them until they get on campus and are paying hundreds for books, thousands for tuition, waking up at 8am friday morning for fucking English comp, etc.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  The summer break is an American staple. LOL at people who said they "forgot everything" during summer break. No, you didn't. Just as your mind does today, you retained the things that YOU thought were important, and the rest was tucked somewhere else, and the things you rendered useless were gone. You do it in your jobs, your marriages... everything, and it's daily. You want to fix education? Create the assessments, and leave the rest to the states/local governments. Let locals decide how they want to achieve desired results.
• like_that

  

  ernest_t_bass;1836206 wrote:The summer break is an American staple. LOL at people who said they "forgot everything" during summer break. No, you didn't. Just as your mind does today, you retained the things that YOU thought were important, and the rest was tucked somewhere else, and the things you rendered useless were gone. You do it in your jobs, your marriages... everything, and it's daily. You want to fix education? Create the assessments, and leave the rest to the states/local governments. Let locals decide how they want to achieve desired results.

  Can parents be assessed too?
• ernest_t_bass

  

  like_that;1836207 wrote:Can parents be assessed too?

  This, too. There seems to be little to no emphasis on what happens with these kids when the final school bell rings
• Azubuike24

  

  Things like financial planning, building credit, accruing assets regardless of income, personal health management, physical movement, stress management, etc...these things are vital to a high-functioning adult. I'll hire someone who can manage these in their own life and bank that they can learn whatever skills, procedures or industry needed for the job.
• wkfan

  Not sure how to do this, but holding parents accountable in some way would have a big benefit to their children's education.
  
  Many of my family are educators in elementary, middle and high schools. You would not believe the stories that I hear about parents not only not being engaged in their children's educational process, but actually interfering with it.
  
  One parent this year, with a child who is way behind, laughs and brags about how little their child worked over the summer to be a better reader, etc. Joked about it and thought it was funny. Parent puts way more emphasis on sports than school.
  
  How funny will it be when the kid can't participate in sports down the road because he is academically ineligible? Not to mention the life long milestone around the kids neck because he cannot compete in the job market without basic skills of reading, writing and math.....
• iclfan2

  

  friendfromlowry;1836195 wrote:What about curriculum overhaul? How much is taught that needs to be? I haven't given it much thought but what comes to mind right away is math. How often do adults use the FOIL method, explore parabolas, find values of a function, Pythagorean theorem, find the slope of a line, etc.

  Azubuike24;1836217 wrote:Things like financial planning, building credit, accruing assets regardless of income, personal health management, physical movement, stress management, etc...these things are vital to a high-functioning adult. I'll hire someone who can manage these in their own life and bank that they can learn whatever skills, procedures or industry needed for the job.

  This. Learning things that have no application to real life is stupid. I'm all for advanced math and probability what not, but some of the things taught are completely pointless. If school is to set people up for their future, there needs to be more of a focus on personal finances, interest rate understanding, student loan debt options, etc. I can't believe these aren't mandatory. As for holding people accountable, it mostly begins and ends with the parents.
• Classyposter58

  

  I've always thought a funding cap needs to be put in place similar to professional sports leagues where there's a salary cap and floor. I say this because as someone that lives in Perrysburg it's obvious the resources and teaching talent a rich suburb gets is such an advantage over kids that go to either a small farm school with few electives or an inner city school with usually bad teachers and awful amenities
  
  
  Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
• like_that

  

  Classyposter58;1836225 wrote:I've always thought a funding cap needs to be put in place similar to professional sports leagues where there's a salary cap and floor. I say this because as someone that lives in Perrysburg it's obvious the resources and teaching talent a rich suburb gets is such an advantage over kids that go to either a small farm school with few electives or an inner city school with usually bad teachers and awful amenities
  
  
  Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  I don't think funding is the issue. DC spends the most per student, and they have the worst graduation rate in this country. Los Angeles is pretty bad too for the amount of $ they drop per student. I will say it would make more sense to pay the more talented teachers more $$ to teach in shitty areas (i.e. DC) and have the less experienced teachers work in districts where families are more well off. At the very least the districts where families are well off, those parents are normally more involved than the shitty school districts.
• Spock

  

  friendfromlowry;1836195 wrote:What about curriculum overhaul? How much is taught that needs to be? I haven't given it much thought but what comes to mind right away is math. How often do adults use the FOIL method, explore parabolas, find values of a function, Pythagorean theorem, find the slope of a line, etc.

  Sure the average person doesn't use those but it that was the trend, to get rid of higher level order thinking, we would be a real dumb society. Creating the zombie apocalypse one person at a time
• Spock

  

  Most of these ideas and theories posted are all valid and some actually have merit. Streamlining curriculum in HS to tailor each student has gone to the way side. Vocational and life skill education needs to be brought back. Ag and work study needs brought back. The current model of curriculum forced on local districts by the threat of pulling federal funding is the issue.
• OSH

  

  Ironman92;1836192 wrote:A standard dress code with some flexibility would be nice...but just having extras of those clothes for the numerous kids with nothing would be great.

  This is more of what I like too. While the coat and slacks with a tie looks nice, it wouldn't be an easy move to do.
  
  My wife has taught at public charters where they require khakis and a school polo. I think this is fine. Or something similar, choice between 4-5 pairs of jeans and 4-5 shirts in a variety of styles (tees, polos, crew sweatshirts).
  

  Azubuike24;1836217 wrote:Things like financial planning, building credit, accruing assets regardless of income, personal health management, physical movement, stress management, etc...these things are vital to a high-functioning adult. I'll hire someone who can manage these in their own life and bank that they can learn whatever skills, procedures or industry needed for the job.

  This is another thing I support 100%. Needs to happen in high school, for sure. Would be good to incorporate as much as you could in middle school and before.