I caught this special on Fox News Monday night that is hosted by Tucker Carlson. It's called "Fighting for Our Children's Minds." It was an interesting, if general, look into the education system today and the constant clash of bureaucracy and practicality: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,592684,00.html
Until parents as a large group stand up and absolutely demand change I don't think anything will really improve. Everyone involved just points fingers at each other and nothing ever really changes for the positive. My mom taught and has often spoken of how much more effective she was as a teacher when she was allowed to choose how and at what pace she was going to teach her class. I am so grateful that I can provide a good education for my kids at home and not have to worry about "after schooling" like many of my friends are doing to make sure the basics are covered. I mean it seems to me that if you have to teach your child for hours after school everyday you might as well pull them out and teach them right all day.
I agree menifeemom - after schooling always bugged me - if you are willing to take all that time after school and on weekends to educate your child, why not just pull them out of school altogether? It would give you afternoons and weekends back at least!
My oldest is 28, my youngest is 12. In just the 16 years difference I am able to see huge gaps in how the class rooms are structured. The teachers for my older children didn't have as much freedom as the teachers when I went to school in what the curriculum structure was. Yet I felt it was still effective. I think that the more the government has entered to control the schools, the less effective the education. It was completely failing with my youngest, that is why I am homeschooling. I think the teachers are just as frustrated as the parents. Basically their hands are tied. Less freedom, more rules, more testing, more standards, larger class sizes, less funding. Sounds like a recipe for failure.
