Let There Be Light

The system is flawed and there is no simple solution to the problems you describe. As for myself, I believe that the solution might be a combination of education, health care, and freedom from hunger. Children must be the focus of the effort to overturn the effects of the "give-me" mentality. Education is the equalizer.

Also, the feeling that people are not responsible for their actions must be corrected. Frivolous law suits that attempt to assign blame where there is none, have clogged our courts, and outrageous jury awards reinforce this "give-me" attitude. It also doesn't help the situation when white collar criminals are treated differently by our justice system, i.e., CEO's and CFO's steal millions of dollars and if they do receive punishment, it is via a "country club" prison. While those who steal to survive, are sentenced to county, state, and federal prisons and must deal with the general prison population. This imbalance sends a terrible message, "there is a class system in this country" and "money can buy freedom, regardless of the crime".

Sorry for the rant, but working, taxpaying Americans foot the bill presented by the "give-me" groupies of this nation while Congress bails-out Wall Street and the auto manufacturers (also funded by the taxpayers). Responsible management of this nation's spending is needed and the trillion+ dollars spent recently by Congress doesn't seem, to this taxpayer, to be well spent.

As previously stated, education is the key to solving this problem (that's my humble, worthless, unbiased opinion and I'm sticking to it). Easily stated but very difficult to implement a fix. A sound education must be available to all without exception. So, how can this be accomplished? In a word, technology. The internet and it's future derivatives will be the pipeline for all the information, teaching materials, reading materials, and lessons. Libraries will be on-line with no need for numerous large caches of printed material. Even face-to-face tutoring can be given without traveling to a central location (this place is now called a school). Only teaching staff and network technicians need to be present at the "school".

The elimination of schools, libraries, transportation would mean the savings of millions of dollars locally and billions on a national scale. All children receive an identical curriculum. In their place would be local offices for teachers, how many teachers are employed by the Kennett school system these days? When I was at KHS there were 25 teachers at the HS, probably 12 at North Junior High, and 6 to 8 at each of the 5 elementary schools. Total was approximately 65 which included principals for each school. So, a central office building of about 7500 square feet would house all the teachers and technicians required to support a city like Kennett.

All students would have a laptop computer to access the central education site for their community. How many students are in the Kennett school system these days? 1800 to 2100? A simple laptop costs approx. $500, so an outlay of approx. $1,000,000 would outfit the entire student body with an additional $100,000 for the 200 new students that enter the system each year after the initial outlay. Eliminated from the budget would be all the campuses, transportation, maintenance and upkeep, power, heating, etc..

There would be no athletics or band or chorus or debate, unless the voters want to support these activities or those wanting these activities pay for it on an individual basis. These activities would require building space, equipment, and instructors.

This is just a strawman proposal. There are details that must be worked out and exceptions must be addressed. Much of the way we run our daily lives will change with the implementation of such a system. The education system will no longer be a babysitter for our kids. The responsibility for a child's education will be on the parents to a greater extent.

Good input GL, and you are right-on regarding motivation and incorporation of various teaching options pioneered by other countries. We should realize that we (USA) don't have a corner on all the good ideas regarding education. My gut says that the ideal system will not happen in this country in the next 50 years, but that doesn't mean that we should not attempt to make it happen. The available technology is impressive and future developments will "knock your socks off". Begin the change now and work through the problems as they appear.

The idea is to provide children with the educational tools so they can enter the job market

and be responsible, productive parents of the next generation. There will be opportunities throughout the job spectrum, from scientists to day laborers. I've seen talented people who couldn't afford to continue with their education and people with less talent but more money make it through the higher education system. I want to see those with talent get the chance to compete for jobs.

I don't think that the teaching force would be reduced by a large amount. My view would be that the reduction would be in the administrative offices, i.e., principals, vice principals, and administrative staff. Also, support personnel such as janitorial and maintenance workers could be greatly reduced.

As to your comment that the teachers would be required to take additional courses, yes is the answer. But teachers are continually upgrading their training, so this might not be as big a deal as you think.

Political suicide for legislators, that is funny. Let them adapt along with the rest of us, fish or cut bait!

Of course, the changes would be introduced gradually. Pilot programs throughout the US would be necessary to point out problems (and there will be quite a few). But, my guess is that the biggest problems will be the teaching community, many will resist the changes required by this system and they are in a position to make it fail. The pilot programs must be staffed with a mix of experienced educators and newly graduated teachers that are enthusiastic about changing the way our children learn.