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BigB
C & J are 10!
Member since 6/05 5914 total posts
Name:
Stacey
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Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
Since some of you are teachers & parents, I thought I would ask this here. You all pay high taxes so what revolutionary things do want to happen in education?
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Posted 9/27/08 7:29 AM  |
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sasha96
lovin' my 2 little ladies!
Member since 5/05 7401 total posts
Name:
Julianne
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
More technology and teacher training for it, parent involvement (you wouldn't believe how many feel like school alone should do it all), more faculty for better student-teacher ratios, and get rid of high stakes testing (I have those ELA/math/sci/soc studies tests that don't prove what kids learn, prevent teachers from teaching except to the test, and keep kids from generalizing skills). Also, many high level administrators abuse the system and we need a way to make sure money is being used properly. Some are great but there are too often stories of them taking money, having huge compensation packages, etc. That's what I can think of off the top of my head this morning! Of course, the funding for this is a whole different story!
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| Posted 9/27/08 8:08 AM |
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Calla
My girls
Member since 7/05 4303 total posts
Name:
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
Public preschool!
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| Posted 9/27/08 8:34 AM |
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BigB
C & J are 10!
Member since 6/05 5914 total posts
Name:
Stacey
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
Posted by Calla
Public preschool!
That is what I was thinking as well! I was thinking of Obama's education plan that includes billions for head start but not EVERYONE qualifies for head start!
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| Posted 9/27/08 9:25 AM |
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sasha96
lovin' my 2 little ladies!
Member since 5/05 7401 total posts
Name:
Julianne
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
yes, public preschool and mandatory full day kindergarten!
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| Posted 9/27/08 10:44 AM |
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DandN
Twins are here!
Member since 3/06 3597 total posts
Name:
Deirdre
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
admit that No Child Left Behind is a failed piece of legislation.
Start foreign language in elementary school.
Get the focus off of test scores.
Put the focus back on grammar in the writing curriculum.
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| Posted 9/27/08 3:01 PM |
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lvdolphins
My Loves!
Member since 5/05 46292 total posts
Name:
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
Posted by sasha96
yes, public preschool and mandatory full day kindergarten!
ITA. Our district is still half day Kindergarten. DS won't start for a few years and I hope by then, it's Full day.
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| Posted 9/27/08 3:34 PM |
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passerby
LIF Zygote
Member since 8/08 47 total posts
Name:
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
Posted by DandN
admit that No Child Left Behind is a failed piece of legislation.
Start foreign language in elementary school.
Get the focus off of test scores.
Put the focus back on grammar in the writing curriculum.
ITA
I think more emphasize on basic skills, Spelling is not even important anymore.
Get rid of all the standardized testing so that teachers can focus more on teaching.
Full day Kindergarten okay anything is better than 2.5 hours our dist has now
No public preschool Let children be children and have some fun
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| Posted 9/27/08 3:58 PM |
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dawnygirl25
Growing up soo fast..
Member since 1/06 14917 total posts
Name:
Dawn
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
Posted by Calla
Public preschool!
yes!
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| Posted 9/27/08 4:01 PM |
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browneyedgirl
family is all that matters
Member since 6/06 6513 total posts
Name:
browneyes
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
Posted by DandN
admit that No Child Left Behind is a failed piece of legislation.
Start foreign language in elementary school.
Get the focus off of test scores.
Put the focus back on grammar in the writing curriculum.
you took the words out of my mouth!
also full day kindergarten and free preschool.
my own thing that i'd like to see is daycares in public schools for the teachers. that way some/most teachers will come back to work earlier because their babies will be in the building. this will help education because there won't be a leave replacement in their position. leave replacements are good (i've been one myself) but there's nothing like having the teacher there for the whole school year. i know i would be much more inclined to come back early if DS was there because i can't afford regular daycare right now. i also wouldn't be so concerned with having a summer baby for #2 because i wouldn't have to worry about the price of daycare.
but that's my own private dream 
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| Posted 9/27/08 4:02 PM |
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twicethefun
Loving life
Member since 7/06 4088 total posts
Name:
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
Posted by lvdolphins
Posted by sasha96
yes, public preschool and mandatory full day kindergarten!
ITA. Our district is still half day Kindergarten. DS won't start for a few years and I hope by then, it's Full day.
I disagree with this. I visit many preschools and they are so varied I would not want my child to have to go to a "public preschool" where they were all teaching the same way. I went carefully around to prechools in order to choose the perfect one that fits my family and son.
As for full day kindergarten I think it is great that it is offered because it takes some of the burden off the parents, but honestly I do not believe it is making our children any better educated. In fact, Garden City had a program where all the children went half a day all week and then one day a week they stayed for the other half. So on the days when they stayed, they were only in a group of five or less and got tremendous individualized attention. It was a wonderful program, but I am not sure it is still in effect due to pressure to have full days. I honestly do not think starting school younger or forcing a full day is going to help.
I am looking forward to a full day kindergarten for my son because I need it to take care of daycare expenses.
I do think that the universal prek program is a wonderful idea offering free pre-k to children in the district. My son presently goes to pre-k for free
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| Posted 9/27/08 8:42 PM |
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twicethefun
Loving life
Member since 7/06 4088 total posts
Name:
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
Posted by DandN
admit that No Child Left Behind is a failed piece of legislation.
Start foreign language in elementary school.
Get the focus off of test scores.
Put the focus back on grammar in the writing curriculum.
 ITA and lower student to teacher ratio.
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| Posted 9/27/08 8:43 PM |
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BaroqueMama
Chase is one!
Member since 5/05 27530 total posts
Name:
me
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
I'd like to see teachers be able to TEACH instead of drill for tests. Promote AND actually value differentiated instruction in the classroom.
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| Posted 9/27/08 8:55 PM |
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BigB
C & J are 10!
Member since 6/05 5914 total posts
Name:
Stacey
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
Posted by prncss
I'd like to see teachers be able to TEACH instead of drill for tests. Promote AND actually value differentiated instruction in the classroom.
I would love to teach again....but I have to tell you, differentiation is HARD when you teach 150 students per day for only 45 minutes. I think it works better in elementary school.
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| Posted 9/27/08 11:01 PM |
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sasha96
lovin' my 2 little ladies!
Member since 5/05 7401 total posts
Name:
Julianne
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
Posted by mimih
Posted by lvdolphins
Posted by sasha96
yes, public preschool and mandatory full day kindergarten!
ITA. Our district is still half day Kindergarten. DS won't start for a few years and I hope by then, it's Full day.
I disagree with this. I visit many preschools and they are so varied I would not want my child to have to go to a "public preschool" where they were all teaching the same way. I went carefully around to prechools in order to choose the perfect one that fits my family and son.
As for full day kindergarten I think it is great that it is offered because it takes some of the burden off the parents, but honestly I do not believe it is making our children any better educated. In fact, Garden City had a program where all the children went half a day all week and then one day a week they stayed for the other half. So on the days when they stayed, they were only in a group of five or less and got tremendous individualized attention. It was a wonderful program, but I am not sure it is still in effect due to pressure to have full days. I honestly do not think starting school younger or forcing a full day is going to help.
I am looking forward to a full day kindergarten for my son because I need it to take care of daycare expenses.
I do think that the universal prek program is a wonderful idea offering free pre-k to children in the district. My son presently goes to pre-k for free
As part of my job I visit many preschools also. I agree that parents should have choice with that, however too many kids come to school without any kind of education experience. Public preschool, which I didn't say should be mandatory, would be a nice option for those who can't afford to send their children to a private preschool or would prefer a public setting.
Also, I both work and live in a district that has half day K, though I've also worked in a district with full day K. In my experience, teachers are forced to cram the necessary information into a shortened day so that kids are prepared for 1st grade. Specials are taken out b/c there isn't any time and those are very enriching experiences. Kids feel it. While I hear you about the Garden City program, I don't think that experience can be generalized to every district offering half day K.
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| Posted 9/28/08 8:50 AM |
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BaroqueMama
Chase is one!
Member since 5/05 27530 total posts
Name:
me
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
Posted by BigB
Posted by prncss
I'd like to see teachers be able to TEACH instead of drill for tests. Promote AND actually value differentiated instruction in the classroom.
I would love to teach again....but I have to tell you, differentiation is HARD when you teach 150 students per day for only 45 minutes. I think it works better in elementary school.
Honestly, if you have that attitude, then it WON'T work. You obviously have to tailor it to your situation, but what's the point of teaching if you're not striving to meet each student where they are? I mean, differentiation is really not as hard as people think it is. It's about knowing your students and about assessment. It doesn't mean every lesson is going to be differentiated, but it does mean that you'll build in various ways for your students to demonstrate their knowledge and various techniques for teaching. I teach the same amount of students as you, and only have 40 minutes twice a week to do it, so I understand how hard it can be. But take away those ridiculous state tests and you'll see that it's not as hard as people think it is. That's why I love the independent schools. I can do what I know is right.
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| Posted 9/28/08 9:23 AM |
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BigB
C & J are 10!
Member since 6/05 5914 total posts
Name:
Stacey
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
Posted by prncss
Posted by BigB
Posted by prncss
I'd like to see teachers be able to TEACH instead of drill for tests. Promote AND actually value differentiated instruction in the classroom.
I would love to teach again....but I have to tell you, differentiation is HARD when you teach 150 students per day for only 45 minutes. I think it works better in elementary school.
Honestly, if you have that attitude, then it WON'T work. You obviously have to tailor it to your situation, but what's the point of teaching if you're not striving to meet each student where they are? I mean, differentiation is really not as hard as people think it is. It's about knowing your students and about assessment. It doesn't mean every lesson is going to be differentiated, but it does mean that you'll build in various ways for your students to demonstrate their knowledge and various techniques for teaching. I teach the same amount of students as you, and only have 40 minutes twice a week to do it, so I understand how hard it can be. But take away those ridiculous state tests and you'll see that it's not as hard as people think it is. That's why I love the independent schools. I can do what I know is right.
I know that it is right....but I have students who read anywhere from a 1st grade level to 9th grade in 12th grade English....I would have at least 5 reading groups. How do I provide work for my 1st grade 12th graders that wouldn't embarress them? There is no way they would read a picture book and practice inferencing. They even call out high interest low readability...It gets harder at the high school level..
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| Posted 9/28/08 9:52 AM |
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twicethefun
Loving life
Member since 7/06 4088 total posts
Name:
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Re: Need to write a paper...As a parent how would you revolutionize education?
Posted by sasha96
Posted by mimih
Posted by lvdolphins
Posted by sasha96
yes, public preschool and mandatory full day kindergarten!
ITA. Our district is still half day Kindergarten. DS won't start for a few years and I hope by then, it's Full day.
I disagree with this. I visit many preschools and they are so varied I would not want my child to have to go to a "public preschool" where they were all teaching the same way. I went carefully around to prechools in order to choose the perfect one that fits my family and son.
As for full day kindergarten I think it is great that it is offered because it takes some of the burden off the parents, but honestly I do not believe it is making our children any better educated. In fact, Garden City had a program where all the children went half a day all week and then one day a week they stayed for the other half. So on the days when they stayed, they were only in a group of five or less and got tremendous individualized attention. It was a wonderful program, but I am not sure it is still in effect due to pressure to have full days. I honestly do not think starting school younger or forcing a full day is going to help.
I am looking forward to a full day kindergarten for my son because I need it to take care of daycare expenses.
I do think that the universal prek program is a wonderful idea offering free pre-k to children in the district. My son presently goes to pre-k for free
As part of my job I visit many preschools also. I agree that parents should have choice with that, however too many kids come to school without any kind of education experience. Public preschool, which I didn't say should be mandatory, would be a nice option for those who can't afford to send their children to a private preschool or would prefer a public setting.
Also, I both work and live in a district that has half day K, though I've also worked in a district with full day K. In my experience, teachers are forced to cram the necessary information into a shortened day so that kids are prepared for 1st grade. Specials are taken out b/c there isn't any time and those are very enriching experiences. Kids feel it. While I hear you about the Garden City program, I don't think that experience can be generalized to every district offering half day K.
I am also an experienced teacher.
In most kindergarten programs that I know, the afternoon is spent eating lunch, having recess, and rest time leaving maybe another half hour of "educational time." To me that is not making much of a difference. Honestly< I think when we focus too much on academics too young we are squashing another important part of a child's development...creativity, socialization, problem solving, etc, etc. By the way, the universal pre-k program is offering children in many distrits free pre-k without offering public pre-k. I did not say I wasn't for free pre-k, just against a public prek. I do not think we need to add another grade to school, that's all
JMHO
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| Posted 9/28/08 8:45 PM |
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