Arkansas Blog

They are failing because all the know is them damn computers. That's all the hell they do in sit in front of that damn thing and it makes them brain dead and so lazy they don't move unless it time to showout or flirt around. Must start teaching them reading, writing and arithmetic again

Why do most seem to forget the "equal" part? Adequacy is just one part of the constitutional requirement.

They are failing because our society is crumbling at the edges. Some parents won't even send their children to school, much less work at it when they get there. If you're not in a public school everyday then you need to know this: there are still lots and lots of kids without enough food, clothes, or someone to love them or make them act right. There are parents strung out on meth and the kids are struggling to survive. Yes, there's foster care and DHS but there are far more cases than go reported. We are trying to take care of them, feed them and educate them. Survival is the issue for so many. Of course they have little interest in college prep work. Look at the bigger picture and help schools care for kids and grow decent people rather than forcing them all into the inevitable dropout path by insisting on college prep. Vocational ed is key. And can be very demanding and can produce an educated workforce.

Isn't that what we want? Who cares if it's a liberal arts degree or a skilled trade? The key is to create opportunities for success in LIFE.

Publicschoolsrus, no denying all the societal ills you list. But they exist in every state, not just Arkansas. And we have a lower percent of our population with a college degree than any other state. So when you tout vocational ed and skilled trades, aren't you just buying into our historical low expectations for our children and continuing the cycle of ignorance that keeps Arkansas at the bottom? I think so; sure glad my parents weren't satisfied for me to be a plumber or to haul pulp wood. Don't get me wrong, we need those folks, for some it's best. But we don't need a school system that leads children into low wage, low skill jobs by default.

PV,
By the way, I do understand your name here. Now, for the important stuff. Just like the folks that post here, kids come in all sizes, ages, and abilities. Some kids will go to college, prepared or not, and some will go to Votech, and some will drop out - in every state. Perhaps we should look at the tax structure or job wages as an answer instead of always pointing to education? Maybe we should look at the impact of ILLEGAL children on test scores and school budgets? Perhaps we need to put more money in the pocketbooks of parents so they can afford college for the average kid? In 1994, when I was still teaching, my daughter graduated from high school. As a single parent, I thought my teacher's salary would qualify for a Pell Grant. I was making about $4 per year too much for that. But, that decision was made on gross salary and not take home. So, I took out parent loans, borrowed from family (all paid back, thank you) and sent my kid off to the U of A in Fayetteville on some academic scholarships. She did wonderfully, no applause necessary, but always appreciated. The point is: where there is a will, there is a way. If a kid really wants to go to colllege and parents really support that decision, then there are innumerable ways, now, for the child to get there. The foundation of education begins at the elementary level. You want more kids to go to college? Take out all the crap at the elementary level, increase the length of the school day, and see what happens. Just cause "it's ALWAYS been that way" is NO excuse. Teachers also need to make sure that a grade given is a grade deserved - at all levels.
Publicshoolsrus, hang in there. Thank you so much for what you do. It's he "lightbulb" that keeps you there. May there never be a dim bulb in your arena.

Thank you Curious! It's the lightbulbs and the appreciation that keep us there. And you are so right. If parents in my town could see some job opportunities, I think they could invest some time or effort in their children's education. And I do not advocate becoming pulp wood haulers by default. I have begged, cajoled, practically forced some brilliant underachievers, perhaps bound for pulp wood hauling, into higher level courses and some of them just don't want it. They're not ready yet or ready to see their own potential, try as we may to show them. In the meantime, why would we create a system where they are lost and drop out instead of giving them OPTIONS. Thank you Curious. I will hang in there--for my own child and others. PVNasby, how much time have you spent with teens in a public school? How much time have you spent on the phone will various social agencies trying to help another human get through the day, the month? Unless you've been there, I'm not sure you get it. If you're about college degrees, talk to the folks at higher ed about their retention rates. Even in the high schools, we're paving the way early with AP courses which helps with college completion rates. They have some work to do as well. And thankfully, Curious, I don't encounter many "dim" bulbs. Just some frustrated and often stubborn ones.