Comments on: Is You A Faggot, Mister?

By: Jeffersonian

Jeffersonian — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:35:36 +0000

When an opportunity is given to someone for which they themselves could not otherwise provide for, a minimum standard of accountability such as respect for an authority figure is hardly much to ask for. Will society benefit more from someone who has character and regard for others, or someone who who has received a very basic education? Why should anyone have a problem requiring of students from the get-go that they comply with the merest standards of civility? There are far too many cowards in this country who simply are unwilling to acknowledge that people CHOOSE to do wrong, and because it requires them to acknowledge their own wrongdoing, and the logical step of seeing that there are absolutes.

By: Jonas.Stankovich

Jonas.Stankovich — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:27:03 +0000

The United Federation of Teachers must bear a portion of the responsibility in discussing why schools throughout America are in a state of dilapidation. Randi Weingarten and her cronies have a strangle-hold on the decision making processes throughout many American public-school systems. What good has that done for school children over the past few decades?

By: Cforchange

Cforchange — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:30:56 +0000

Schools should be required to teach most everyone basic reading, writing and arithmetic. This is a right owed to both the student as well as the funding taxpayer. But the problem is we are trying to teach the entire student community all by the same method.

Not everyone will sit behind a desk so somehow we need to determine when the cirriculum should diverge into those needing to be taught robust academics and those a hand skill and those that need a combo of the two. The trade education should be complete not a jack of all trade master at nothing. Then we need to recreate opportunities for those adept at their skill. This movement should gain traction now that we've lost the need for all those mouse clicking pencil pushers displaced by our financial system barf. Yes the incredibly higher educated that will never go back to work in finance.
Urban school reform is underway in my city - at least 30% of the schools have been shuttered because of poor performance and declining attendance. To reverse the trend, a community wide scholarship program has been instituted - attend 4 years of high school missing less than 10% of class, earn of 2.5 and get yourself a $5k per year scholarship.
Sure it won't change those who are really damaged and need detention supervision but it will encourage new people to the community who overall will rehab the existing population to get in the game. Also, they just abolished an abstinence only sex ed program that the community at large did not know was in place.

With our financial woes, it's difficult to see how this plan could fail. Yes it's a Democrat initiative but it is an opportunity for new Republican populations - especially if Thomas, new teachers are needed. As Dan notes the "I don't care to know about my urban community" is tired and has plenty to do with the 2008 election results.

By: Egli Ha

Egli Ha — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 03:32:39 +0000

The problem is not government-run schools per se. The problem is schools which are required to teach everyone.

Public magnet schools with stiff entrance exams to select for both readiness and motivation do just fine thank you very much. As long as they don't get overfilled.

By: danbmil99

danbmil99 — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 03:05:11 +0000

Ok, let's get to the meat of things. Do you think abstinence-only programs are the best way to keep your students from having their own kids at 16?

Isn't there some merit to the liberal stance that sex ed and free condoms will at least reduce the numbers of the next generation born into poverty and low expectations? Of course the GOP can't go there as long as they're tied to the mast of "Family values" as defined by megachurches and televangelists who don't know or simply don't really care about these inner-city issues.