California isn't the only state that is facing budget cuts in education. When I came home with my pink slip this year, I told my wife I was one of 55 teachers in my school corp. that got one. I misquoted my department head though, actually, 55% of us were pink slipped and any program with less than 28 students was cut to make up for a budget shortfall.

Notable program cuts included a majority of AP (advanced placement where HS students can earn college credit) classes, art, German, level 4 foreign language classes (which traditionally only have 6-12 students enrolled,and journalism (newspaper not yearbook)(of course it's the section I teach [I only have a staff of 12 now]) - oh and special education, those students are being placed in regular classrooms without aids.

Total layoffs amounted to about 135 teachers, most of the janitorial staff, and nearly all teacher aids. If that seems like a lot it's partially because they actually are closing schools in the corporation. Two middle schools, four elementary schools, and one high school (mine) are closing. The two middle schools are being combined into the closing high school building, the elementary schools are being crammed into the middle school buildings, the closing high school is being merged with the open one and the leftover buildings are being used for storage and administrative offices.

Ever wonder why half of all new teachers quit in the first five years?

Seriously, this is the best news I've heard in a LONG time. Freaking shut those schools DOWN, every last one! Public schools in America are some of the worst places to learn.

>> ^Sniper007:

Seriously, this is the best news I've heard in a LONG time. Freaking shut those schools DOWN, every last one! Public schools in America are some of the worst places to learn.


Where exactly are you getting your information from?

Charter schools seem like a good alternative to public education but most are comparable to institutions that already exist. Furthermore, charter schools dont accommodate many poor and special needs students because of a variety of reasons, one being the lack of a legal requirement mandating attendance in a charter schools. Many undereducated and impoverished parents are not aware of charter schools in their area, consequently, more involved and well off students make up a majority of the student body:
"...parents who have been charged with drug possession, prostitution, and other crimes. These are the types of parents who aren't likely to be researching the best charter schools for their children and filling out all the forms."

Parochial and charter schools would suffer considerably if they were forced to take on the educational responsibilities of the entirety of the US. Sniper007, what do you offer as an alternative to the current system?

Upvote for best acting Megan has ever pulled off

JiggaJonson, any 'system' is inadequate (at best) when compared to the fundamental familial unit which has existed since the beginning of recorded history. That is to say, a man and his wife ought to teach their own children. Some may object that it's not practical on a large scale, or possible for some parents, but I would suggest that it's the ONLY form of sustainable education. PERIOD. No other form will, or has, survived millennium.

I think you should look again...that form of education hasn't worked at all well either. You don't have to look far to see the downside of an endless cycle of ignorance passing itself on to the next generation.

One of the reasons for the explosion of new knowledge and technology in the last hundred years is precisely because much of the world recognized the value of a relatively non-subjective advanced education.
>> ^Sniper007:

JiggaJonson, any 'system' is inadequate (at best) when compared to the fundamental familial unit which has existed since the beginning of recorded history. That is to say, a man and his wife ought to teach their own children. Some may object that it's not practical on a large scale, or possible for some parents, but I would suggest that it's the ONLY form of sustainable education. PERIOD. No other form will, or has, survived millennium.

Oh give me a break, how many kids came home with calculus homework this year, asked their parents for help and got legitimate, well informed, responses? Probably a slim minority whose parents teach Math were the only ones.

Most other kids (of those who opted to take calculus) probably got a hearty "DONT ASK ME IM NOT GOOD WITH MATH!"

I'd like to see some good solid evidence that home schooled kids excel past their publicly educated counterparts. I dont have time to look it up now but i'll be back.

In 2009, the worst economic year for working people since the Great Depression, the top 25 hedge fund managers walked off with an average of $1 billion each. With the money those 25 people “earned,” we could have hired 658,000 entry level teachers.

-al
ternet

OK... WTF is wrong with funny or die embeds?! every single one I try to view on videosift is the old Will Farrel landlord video. Am I the only one with this problem?

Socialism doesn't work?

>> ^Sniper007:

Seriously, this is the best news I've heard in a LONG time. Freaking shut those schools DOWN, every last one! Public schools in America are some of the worst places to learn.


Haha. I know you're trolling, but that got a sincere laugh out of me.

>> ^JiggaJonson:

California isn't the only state that is facing budget cuts in education. When I came home with my pink slip this year, I told my wife I was one of 55 teachers in my school corp. that got one. I misquoted my department head though, actually, 55% of us were pink slipped and any program with less than 28 students was cut to make up for a budget shortfall.
Notable program cuts included a majority of AP (advanced placement where HS students can earn college credit) classes, art, German, level 4 foreign language classes (which traditionally only have 6-12 students enrolled,and journalism (newspaper not yearbook)(of course it's the section I teach [I only have a staff of 12 now]) - oh and special education, those students are being placed in regular classrooms without aids.
Total layoffs amounted to about 135 teachers, most of the janitorial staff, and nearly all teacher aids. If that seems like a lot it's partially because they actually are closing schools in the corporation. Two middle schools, four elementary schools, and one high school (mine) are closing. The two middle schools are being combined into the closing high school building, the elementary schools are being crammed into the middle school buildings, the closing high school is being merged with the open one and the leftover buildings are being used for storage and administrative offices.
Ever wonder why half of all new teachers quit in the first five years?


This sounds exactly like the high school/school system I went to and my father still teaches at(hell, it could actually be it) in central Indiana...the education system in that area has gone down the toilet. They raise local taxes and get loans to upgrade both high schools, making more space, getting better equipment, now 4 years later they close one and start using it as a junior high, while the taxes still have to pay for all the accommodations made for enhancing the high school education/experience.

Now kids will be looking at 90min bus rides to the high school, 9th graders having to travel across town to participate in high school athletics, clubs, and/or academics that will not be offered at the new junior high, and teachers with more seniority being forced to start teaching courses they are less familiar with in order to keep their jobs. Frustratingly enough, I know this is happening everywhere, but I am glad as hell I moved out of that area after college.

I had never before realised what a talented actor Megan is. I mean, that was method acting.

>> ^Oatmeal:
OK... WTF is wrong with funny or die embeds?! every single one I try to view on videosift is the old Will Farrel landlord video. Am I the only one with this problem?


Same here. It's getting so I won't upvote a FOD sift that doesn't include a link.

All I see is a Will Ferrel skit called 'The Landlord'
Funny, yes, but no Megan Fox

So she's 23 and Green is 36. They started dating in 2004 when she was 17 and he was 30. He must have looked super youthful to get away with that

>> ^quantumushroom:

Socialism doesn't work?


Sure, we in California have some of the highest taxes and most progressive policies in the union, but if Schwarzenegger had passed a budget made of endless fairy dust like we wanted, we could fund everything forever!

>> ^JiggaJonson:

Oh give me a break, how many kids came home with calculus homework this year, asked their parents for help and got legitimate, well informed, responses? Probably a slim minority whose parents teach Math were the only ones.
Most other kids (of those who opted to take calculus) probably got a hearty "DONT ASK ME IM NOT GOOD WITH MATH!"
I'd like to see some good solid evidence that home schooled kids excel past their publicly educated counterparts. I dont have time to look it up now but i'll be back.


Here's three ripped off of wiki answers:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/homeschool/
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/homeschool/TableDisplay.asp?TablePath=TablesHTML/table_4.asp
http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200410250.asp

Charlotte Iserbyt, former Senior Policy Advisor in the US Department of Education, has this to say:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8Jkc0KoAYU

John Taylor Gattos, retired school teacher of 29 years says this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ogCc8ObiwQ

>> ^Oatmeal:

OK... WTF is wrong with funny or die embeds?! every single one I try to view on videosift is the old Will Farrel landlord video. Am I the only one with this problem?


Well it is from Funny or "Die" maybe your browser doesn't feel that it is indeed funny... So it decided to let it Die.


...but seriously, that does suck.

>> ^Unsung_Hero:
>> ^Oatmeal:
OK... WTF is wrong with funny or die embeds?! every single one I try to view on videosift is the old Will Farrel landlord video. Am I the only one with this problem?

Well it is from Funny or "Die" maybe your browser doesn't feel that it is indeed funny... So it decided to let it Die.
...but seriously, that does suck.



If using IE8, click the compatibiliy mode button and refresh...

Maybe if schools were better people would understand the concept of a finite budget.