DeVos confirmed as Ed Secretary

[bshole]

The problem with your idea is that you want to drag all schools down to the level of the worst ones and DeVos wants to raise them up to the level of the best ones.

And the best ones teach creationism and are for-profit enterprises.....

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

The problem with your idea is that you want to drag all schools down to the level of the worst ones and DeVos wants to raise them up to the level of the best ones.

is that due to her extensive experience in Education or just a gut feeling you have?

 

[imported_tajmahal]

And the best ones teach creationism and are for-profit enterprises.....

If they are then I bet most parents would jump at the chance to get their children enrolled......well at least parents that care about their kids.

 

[Jhhnn]

Wasting school time and resources focusing on teaching kids what to think instead of how to think. Focus on SJW crap instead of the core important things that need to be taught in schools. That stuff needs to go, but that's not going to happen unless there's a big shakeup in the system first.

That's so utterly vague as to be no answer at all. It's just an affirmation of erroneous belief.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

If they are then I bet most parents would jump at the chance to get their children enrolled......well at least parents that care about their kids.

more conjecture and speculation from tajjy.

 

[sdifox]

The problem with your idea is that you want to drag all schools down to the level of the worst ones and DeVos wants to raise them up to the level of the best ones.

...

https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/studies/2006461.pdf


I don't know if there is a more up to date one.

 

[bshole]

If they are then I bet most parents would jump at the chance to get their children enrolled......well at least parents that care about their kids.

Oh.... now you use the term "if"..... ROFLMAO!!! Um no, Christian schools that teach creationism are among the worst in the nation. I should know, I graduated from one.

 

[PokerGuy]

People on the "right" like to often claim that schools are "hotbeds of liberalism" when, in fact, they're full of authoritarian propaganda

Liberalism and authoritarianism often go hand in hand. Liberals are not much different than many on the far right wing, they're fine with authoritarianism. The sides just differ on what rules are to be enforced.

.
oh, i'm curious what you find important.

Science, math, communication skills, finance, applied logic, history etc. Focus on teaching kids to think and understand, not trying to teach them morals, what is "fair", intelligent design (other than maybe in a class on religion) or other useless crap. Sprinkle in a little art, music and PE, but those should not be the focus.

I cannot believe you just said that. Especially when Red states are the ones teaching intelligent design in school.

http://io9.gizmodo.com/a-map-showing-which-u-s-public-schools-teach-creationi-1515717148

Hey, I'm 100% opposed to that intelligent design crap as well. It's not science, it's religion. Religion doesn't need to be taught in school IMO.

 

[Jhhnn]

The problem with your idea is that you want to drag all schools down to the level of the worst ones and DeVos wants to raise them up to the level of the best ones.

Which is why she refused to say whether public & charter schools should be held to the same accountability standards in her Senate hearings.

 

[dainthomas]

If they are then I bet most parents would jump at the chance to get their children enrolled......well at least parents that care about their kids.

Unless they're disabled. Devos testified she doesn't believe charter schools should have to abide by the ADA regarding education discrimination.

 

[PokerGuy]

Oh.... now you use the term "if"..... ROFLMAO!!! Um no, Christian schools that teach creationism are among the worst in the nation. I should know, I graduated from one.

I'm 100% in agreement that teaching creationism instead of science is crap. Any citations for "being among the worst in the nation"? An anecdote =/= data.

 

[sdifox]

Unless they're disabled. Devos testified she doesn't believe charter schools should have to abide by the ADA regarding education discrimination.

That alone should be enough to make her ineligible. Shitty senate not doing its job.

 

[PokerGuy]

Unless they're disabled. Devos testified she doesn't believe charter schools should have to abide by the ADA regarding education discrimination.

They are private institutions, why should they have to abide by it?

 

[Jhhnn]

They are private institutions, why should they have to abide by it?

Because they're state financed.

 

[dainthomas]

I'm 100% in agreement that teaching creationism instead of science is crap. Any citations for "being among the worst in the nation"? An anecdote =/= data.

Groups that educate their kids in fundamentalist religious schools are among the worst educated. This applies to Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

http://www.pewforum.org/2016/12/13/...scholarly-theories-and-historical-background/

"sociologists Darren E. Sherkat, of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and Alfred Darnell, a visiting lecturer at Washington University in St. Louis, find that 'fundamentalist beliefs and conservative Protestant affiliation both have significant and substantial negative influences on educational attainment.' "

 

[dainthomas]

They are private institutions, why should they have to abide by it?

If they want that sweet, sweet voucher cash Devos wants to throw around they should. Unless you believe disabled kids should be educated separately from "normal" kids.

 

[PokerGuy]

If they want that sweet, sweet voucher cash Devos wants to throw around they should.

If the government wants to attach strings to vouchers, it can do so. I haven't seen any discussions at that level of detail yet, she just got confirmed for goodness sake. Jumping the gun a little.

Unless you believe disabled kids should be educated separately from "normal" kids.

What I believe doesn't matter. What each private group decides and who they want to include is up to them. The govt can specify requirements for being eligible to participate in some sort of voucher program.

 

[sdifox]

They are private institutions, why should they have to abide by it?

Pretty sure ADA compliance is compulsory.

 

[mect]

I'm not necessarily against vouchers for use at private schools in areas where that makes sense. However, the implementation of such a system will be critical, and someone as incompetent and ignorant as Devos certainly is not who I want in charge of that process. It is important that we not allow such a system to lead to the erosion of the public school system. I do find it curious that republicans think they know how to fix public education when their states tend to have the worst performing schools.

 

[jackstar7]

What I believe doesn't matter.

Actually, since that determines what you support and vote for, it does matter.

 

[imported_tajmahal]

Pretty sure ADA compliance is compulsory.

Ohh in that case ADA compliance is so much more important than educating the children. After all who cares about education?

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Ohh in that case ADA compliance is so much more important than educating the children. After all who cares about education?

because you can't have both?
what's your major malfunction tajjy? all the bullshit spinning out of 1600 Pennsylvania ave making your head swim?

 

[sdifox]

Ohh in that case ADA compliance is so much more important than educating the children. After all who cares about education?

... Are you saying kids with disability should be discriminated against by a school?

 

[HamburgerBoy]

How many teachers do you know?

Not many. The handful I do know (a couple aunts, a more distant family member, a family friend) also teach/previously taught within middle-class school districts, where things like students graduating while barely literate is not a problem. Not sure what you're getting at with this question anyways, am I supposed to assume that because teachers believe method X is the correct method, I am supposed to take their word at it despite decades of failure to improve our worst schools?

 

[mect]

Not many. The handful I do know (a couple aunts, a more distant family member, a family friend) also teach/previously taught within middle-class school districts, where things like students graduating while barely literate is not a problem. Not sure what you're getting at with this question anyways, am I supposed to assume that because teachers believe method X is the correct method, I am supposed to take their word at it despite decades of failure to improve our worst schools?

How do you feel when someone that knows nothing about your field of expertise tells you what the problem is and how to fix it? There are hard problems in education that even educators aren't certain how to fix. Teaching kids that have no support at home can be extremely difficult. That doesn't mean in any way that our best strategy is to just turn things over to those with no expertise at all. That would be like Intel laying off all their engineers after the pentium iv and hiring a bunch of music majors to take their place.