Posts by nimblelynx7

silentraven6 said:One word: WAR!

Let's just say their entire historical timeline looks a lot like ours did back with Rojs ☕

Go live in the States and then get back to me on how that works out for you.

I'm not even going to bother commenting on these mindless questions being spun by parents; it's not the first or last time you see parents trying to paint a picture that doesn't reflect reality. It's like kids just doing whatever they want regardless of what's expected of them.

Like someone already said, reading the map is the core of everything!

What "black war"? The last one ended about 20 years ago, started nearly 30. How long are we going to blame war for everything? If anything is to blame, it certainly isn't the school system.

I'm living here right now. I didn't come up with those stupid American arguments, but I'm still waiting for an answer to my question.

Richard Perez3 said:Yeah, sure, this promised land called the USA, where hunger doesn't exist and being homeless is basically unheard of...

That isn't an issue here in the States; we’re smart enough to actually run a government, unlike those clueless Americans. But that's beside the point.

The real question is how on earth can such ignorant, uneducated Americans run the entire world, while people as brilliant and highly educated as us can't even manage our own backyard?

Can you believe how clueless they are? They can't even locate a single country on a map.
It’s unbelievable how much stupidity is running the world, while we sit here acting all high and mighty just wasting our time.

If people were actually smart like Americans, they’d know where North and South Korea are, their capitals, and the capitals of every neighboring nation. They could give you a detailed breakdown of everything regarding the Korean War, all while digging through a dumpster looking for a bite to eat.

urbantinker8 said:Actually, I don't think that's true at all.

Good grief, please spare us these kinds of takes.
I can't say I've ever heard of someone being held back by having general culture or actual knowledge.🤦

Unfortunately, the old saying "ignorance is bliss" rings true today. It’s what happens when you see everything, connect all the dots, and just end up frustrated while everyone else looks at you like you're the crazy one—and frankly, they aren't wrong. But fine, let's drift into philosophy now, shall we?

urbantinker8 said:I honestly don't know any sane person who finds "easier" to just wing it through a lecture.
but then again, I do know how easy it is to troll people who spout this kind of nonsense.☕

Well, I'd argue that general knowledge enriches a person in pretty much every conceivable way.
and for a lot of people, it actually does put bread on the table.
being a baker, a machinist, or an auto body technician aren't the only ways to make a living, no offense intended to anyone.
in certain higher-level career paths, having the fact that you once heard of Chicago actually helps you out quite a bit, whether you believe it or not.😉

It’s much easier to just force kids to memorize stuff than it is to actually try and make them understand it.

urbantinker8 said:I honestly don't know any sane person who finds "easier" to just wing it through a lecture.
but then again, I do know how easy it is to troll people who spout this kind of nonsense.☕

Well, I'd argue that general knowledge enriches a person in pretty much every conceivable way.
and for a lot of people, it actually does put bread on the table.
being a baker, a machinist, or an auto body technician aren't the only ways to make a living, no offense intended to anyone.
in certain higher-level career paths, having the fact that you once heard of Chicago actually helps you out quite a bit, whether you believe it or not.😉

Having a broad perspective and actually knowing things is all well and good, but let’s be honest—it isn't exactly a requirement anymore. In today's world, being well-informed is more of a liability than an asset.
There are actually professions where having a shred of general culture matters. Those fields are fueled by the three guys mentioned above and their managers—without them, all those "cultured" types wouldn't have anything to talk about. They’d be completely empty.

urbantinker8 said:Well, I suppose you shouldn't generalize quite like that:

I mean, obviously, "our education system" is responsible for everything.
If it didn't exist and we just left upbringing and schooling entirely up to the parents, America would probably be a total paradise.
In every possible sense, I guess.🙂

Sorry, but it seems like only parents and students view it that way.

Why on earth would that—and for whom, really?—be any easier?

Of course that’s the easy way out. Just toss some mindless definition at the students, force them to memorize it word-for-word, collect their perfect scores, and move on to the next lesson. It’s lazy. How much harder would it be if you actually had to help them grasp the concept? If you wanted them to truly understand it so that ten years from now, when they hit a real-world problem, they actually remember how to apply it? That's what teaching is supposed to be.

Larry Walker24 said:signature

rather than being like those Americans who can't even point out India on a map, let alone their own continent.

It’s a good thing Americans aren't smart. Seriously. If they actually had any brains, how much further behind would people like us be? We wouldn't even be able to compete.

urbantinker8 said:not at all, you aren't overreacting.☕

it just seems to me that there are these incredibly loud groups today who constantly mock the very idea of "culture," opting instead to take the path of least resistance by making fun of distorted or caricatured facts—things that used to be taught in school but now seem to exist just for the sake of being mocked.
so, I guess we're left with entire generations of people who wouldn't even know where France sits on a map compared to the US, even when they're halfway through high school. 👏
of course, everyone will just blame the "failing education system," which feels like a convenient way to ignore the reality that this is actually the direct result of those massive curriculum reforms that, unfortunately, have already started taking their toll in certain subjects.
it’ll probably get even worse. much worse, I think.
maybe people won't even bother mentioning Turkmenistan, or maybe they won't even know the capital of England, because... well, who cares, right?🙄

How much culture does bread actually bring to the table? When it's time to settle a bill, what are you going to do—hand over a few pages from an encyclopedia instead of cash? Or maybe you'll try listing off state capitals instead of paying the actual amount due and expect them to count that as payment?

It’s a hell of a lot easier to force kids to memorize stuff by rote than it is to actually make them understand what they're learning.

Jason Ortiz5 said:asap regarding geography: my daughter was cramming for her test yesterday, and since she likes to study out loud, I ended up catching some of it... For example, she had to memorize the population density of Kazakhstan. And then there were all these tongue-twisting, pointless facts designed just to see if you can memorize them.

I mean, seriously. Kazakhstan, plus the names of every single island, river, valley, mountain, and even the specific crops and main industrial exports for every tiny little corner of Asia... All in 6th grade. Or ever, really. I'm speechless. Aside from the obvious ones...

And here I was, making jokes about Uzbekistan's GDP, while apparently people actually take this seriously. 😁

Jason Ortiz5 said:So, she told me it’s just some kind of workbook, but I won't know for sure which one until tonight.

Seriously though, who actually benefits from grinding through useless facts that everyone's just going to forget by tomorrow? It’s such a waste of time when you could be focusing on stuff that actually matters, even if it isn't officially part of the school curriculum.

If you really want to teach yourself discipline, you might as well just give yourself a good smack on the wrist. ☕ It’s about as productive as anything else we're doing here.

They have to fill forty-five minutes with something.

What does it matter if they have a driver's license while still in high school?
Like I said before, I knew a guy who started college at 17. He started sixth grade and finished a three-year program. Back at the admissions office, they were actually debating whether he was even eligible to enroll or if they needed to set up a special info session just for him.

I remember reading this article about a high school where kids were driving themselves to campus. The teachers couldn't find any parking spots for their own cars, so they went to the local news to complain and practically begged parents to stop letting their kids drive to school.
They argued it wasn't fair to the students who had to walk.
Of course, those kids weren't doing it to be obnoxious; they did it because driving is cheaper than taking the bus, especially since the local transit authority keeps hiking the fares.

Then, some teacher chimed in through the article, suggesting that the legal driving age should be pushed back to at least 21 to prevent this mess. His logic? It’s "inappropriate" for students to show up in cars. You can just tell how much he "loves" his students and the sanctity of education.

It makes me wonder: do traffic laws apply to everyone, or does a teacher always get the right of way?

Andrew Wright2 said:See, there’s the difference.

Our own doctor actually told us we should ask for a deferral. And she sees my little guy all the time—not because he’s sick, just because we live in a small town. She knows him, she knows he's totally fine. Even his preschool backed our simple request to hold off, and the school district was on the same page. We didn't have to harass anyone, play favorites, threaten people, or grease any palms. The principal himself even told me we did the right thing by asking for more time. I've known the guy since I was a kid; he's an easygoing, open guy who admitted the whole school system is basically a chaotic mess right now.

Around here, everyone treats this like it's perfectly normal. Even NASA supports deferrals, so honestly, it just comes down to how people handle it. Some get it, some don't. Guess it depends on the doctor or whatever.

And I'll say it again: my kid will be exactly 7 years and 10 months when he starts school. There's another kid starting at 8.5 years old who is just as healthy and well-adjusted. And nobody is making a scene about it or saying he'll fall behind or get bored in preschool, or that he won't be with kids his age. Seriously, nobody. Does that even make sense to you guys? Instead, they're actually supportive.

It's just typical professional omertà and solidarity—protecting their own. That's why they write like that. With the birth rate plummeting, we'll soon have kids going straight from the hospital to kindergarten.

urbantinker8 said:

I suppose one could call her a lady of leisure, though I suspect that’s a bit of an overstatement, if you ask me. It feels like such a loaded term, doesn't it? I mean, depending on who you talk to, it either sounds like a compliment or a subtle little jab at someone's productivity, which I guess is always the way things go with labels these days. Maybe she just enjoys the quiet moments, or perhaps she’s mastered the art of doing absolutely nothing while looking perfectly composed, which is a skill in itself, really. I don't know. It's hard to say for sure without knowing the context, but there's something sort of peaceful about the idea, I suppose. kaže:
I mean, they aren't exactly being held under some microscope by Child Protective Services or anything like that. It’s more that the mother herself actually admitted she’s struggling to keep things together within the system right now. It isn't quite as if we’re constantly being watched by social workers or anything—that's not really what was said to us—it's just that the little guy is heading off to school this fall, and things are just... well, they're complicated.

I suppose you aren't planning on staying on an official basis, if that’s even what you meant.
Well, I suppose they’ve finally got you right where they want you now, and honestly, if I were in your shoes, I might start thinking twice before trying to sidestep any more federal regulations or legal hoops in their territory... it feels like once those agencies have you flagged, there isn't much room left for maneuvering, I guess.😉

I suppose one might call her a lady of leisure, though I’m never quite sure if that’s meant as a compliment or just a polite way of saying someone has far too much time on their hands, which, in this day and age, feels like a bit of a luxury, doesn't it? Maybe. It’s funny how we label people based on how they spend their hours, as if there’s some definitive rulebook for productivity that we're all supposed to be following religiously, but I guess life isn't always about the grind. Sometimes, it's just about existing without a schedule pressing down on you, which is a concept I find somewhat elusive myself most days. kaže:
I was just sitting there, waiting for my turn, observing one of those social workers at her desk, and I couldn't help but notice how she spends her time. It’s a bit strange, I guess, because while I’m standing outside just waiting for things to move along, I can see right into her office, and she’s mostly just snapping selfies and scrolling through Facebook. It seems like quite a lot of her actual working hours are being swallowed up by social media, which feels a little off, maybe, considering what she's supposed to be doing, though I suppose everyone has their own way of passing the time when they think nobody is watching.

I suppose this sort of thing actually touches on the subject at hand somehow... though I guess it’s hard to say exactly how it all connects, if you think about it for too long. Maybe there's a link there, somewhere, but I'm not entirely sure.🤷

I suppose one might call her a lady of leisure, though I’m never quite sure if that’s meant as a compliment or just a quiet way of saying someone has far too much time on their hands, which, in my experience, usually leads to a very specific kind of restlessness. kaže:
I guess we aren't some kind of special case here, if that’s what’s actually bothering you.

Honestly, it’s really nothing to worry about, I suppose—nothing's weighing on me at all, so there's truly no need for any concern.
I suppose I’m just exercising my right to sit on the sidelines and voice some disagreement when it comes to certain parents who seem to operate under the assumption that they "know best" about everything.

It's a free country.

Andrew Wright2 said:Look, I'm not breaking any rules here. I got it in writing from the government that the enrollment was pushed back because my kid cleared every single hurdle they set out. I didn't dodge anything. They set the guidelines, we followed them to a T.

You're mixing up legality with fairness. Law and justice? Not the same thing.

There are plenty of bad actors holding positions in this country, messing with the system. This isn't news; it's been happening forever. But if the principal says it's a mess, the special ed teacher says it's a mess, the speech therapist agrees, and even the school district confirms it... then either they all need to be fired, someone's lying, or it really is a disaster.

Regarding that social worker—I'm just pointing out what people actually do during office hours. They get paid to WORK, not to scroll through Facebook and take selfies.

If I don't work, I don't eat. Simple as that.

Hey, feel free to keep venting. Nobody's stopping you.

It's not a disaster; it's perfect. All those Frupyin unicorns have apparently moved from CZSS over to the school system, which is probably why you haven't run into them.

urbantinker8 said:Do you think it would work if they waited until they were 8 instead of 7?
It’d be respected, obviously. 🙂
I mean, these experts don't really have a clue what's actually "best for the child"—that's something only parents can truly figure out.😉
You always did have an interest in geography... but I don't think there is a single country on this entire planet where kids don't start school until they're 8.

Of course parents decide. It's not like the government gets the final word, right? The state mandates schooling, which is fine and sufficient, but absurd regulations should be bypassable.

Starting at 6 is too early, 8 is a bit late, but it's a necessary evil to avoid the mess of starting at 6. Learning useless facts through bubetanje won't lead anywhere anyway, and the IRS doesn't have limited capacity, nor do the buses or planes heading to Germany or Ireland. The only thing in short supply is the number of quiz shows where our top-tier educated students could actually make money based on their American education, since they lack any other practical skills.

cosmiccrane14 said:My kid is far removed from this situation, so I can't say how I'd personally feel about it. But since everyone's sharing their own experiences, I’ll offer mine. Back in my class, there was this boy who started school with us at almost eight years old—way behind the curve—and we all gave him a hard time. We teased him and called him names because we just assumed he was starting late because he wasn't smart. Kids, man... if they want to pick on someone, they'll find a reason. Standing out for any reason in a classroom is never a good thing.

I knew plenty of people who started at 6, and every single one of them was a worse student.
I partially agree—to avoid being messed with at school, students have to carry themselves the right way and earn respect.
What specifically was he lacking by starting at nearly 8? Was he rejected by the IRS? Did anyone tell him he wasn't good enough for college? Or too old for a job?

Andrew Wright2 said:That extra year should definitely take some weight off his shoulders regarding school. Not just my take, either—it’s just how the whole process works out.

Look, he won't suddenly turn into some child prodigy overnight, but life'll be a hell of a lot easier.

This is the bottom line. If a parent thinks their kid should start at seven instead of six, that needs to be respected. All those self-proclaimed "experts"—and the ones panicking about declining birth rates and their own job security—can foam at the mouth until they hit their meager Social Security checks for all I care.

Andrew Wright2 said:Same old story. We asked for a delay, we got one. NASA is just busy drafting their statement. We aren't exactly pioneers in making excuses.

I'm not projecting my anxieties onto my kid—if I were, she would've already moved to Germany to live with relatives on her dad's side and finish school there.

Our school system is what it is... pretty much lagging behind in most cases. Honestly, even some of the people working in it.

I've seen how things work in the United Kingdom and Germany. Compared to them? We're stuck in the Dark Ages. Bottom line.

Oh, please. Our school system is the absolute best in the world. You can learn anything except the stuff that actually matters. After graduating here, you could win any trivia night anywhere on Earth.
And don't even get me started on the teachers. Just wonderful.

Lawrence Torres56 said:I don't know about all this, but I certainly am not raising my kid to obsess over fake friendships, nor am I teaching them to feel like they need to hang out with bullies who use blackmail as a social tool. Thank God for small mercies, right?

Plus, I’m driving my kid to school every single day, picking up a bunch of other kids along the way too, and honestly, I have never once heard them discussing religion, let alone judging someone because they didn't show up to Sunday service or aren't religious. There are kids of all different faiths—and even little atheists—in that group.
So, if the kids in your circle *are* actually talking about faith, shouldn't that be even more reason for you parents to sit them down and explain that it doesn't matter if they aren't believers? Why should they feel any shame over it?

Believe it or not, the church isn't the one pulling the strings here; it's pure politics. Honestly, it's not even that hard to explain things clearly to a kid, provided you actually have the willpower to do it.

Both the church and politicians are in this together. They both run on money and influence, trading favors in a symbiotic loop because the payoff works for both sides.

It's easy to explain things to someone else's kid.

Lawrence Torres56 said:Look, we aren't raising kids to live and die by what everyone else thinks; we're raising them to build their own damn perspectives.
And honestly, if a kid ends up traumatized just because someone suggested they skip religious studies class, then the parents really dropped the ball here, don't you think? They ought to take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask themselves what they actually did to themselves and their own kid to leave them that vulnerable.

You're right on that point, but it’s never that simple when it’s your own flesh and blood. The Church knows exactly how to exploit that, which is why they play the games they do.

Lawrence Torres56 said:Look, those are just excuses, not actual reasons,
so what if someone "might" say something? It's a big deal, right? 🤣
If we follow that logic, does someone just jump off a skyscraper because some random guy on the street tells them they should?
Or, are we really any better than the people who would supposedly "label" us, considering we basically think anyone from a different background is somehow less important, so we're just terrified of being lumped in with them? 🤔

Who’s to say it’s about "discomfort" and not just straight-up human stupidity?
That weird human urge to just gossip around and stay silent when we actually ought to speak up... it's just a sign that these people are more interested in following the herd than actually forming their own thoughts.
It’s like what Gustave Le Bon said way back when:
"The ease with which certain opinions become common stems from the inability of the majority to form their own opinions based on their own reasoning."

They won't "maybe" say it; they definitely will. Besides, even if someone doesn't fall for it, they'll certainly pass those same lines down to their kids. That's where the sudden passion for social activism really kicks in.

mistydrifter55 said:What is all this yapping about? 🤣

At my local school, at least back when we were enrolling, nobody ever bothered to ask if we wanted religious studies held on campus or over at a church.

It was just a checkbox on the registration form: do you want religious education, extra German classes, or nothing at all?

Basically, nobody asks you anything.
Parents aren't even consulted on where those religious classes should actually take place.
So, what kind of "voting" are you people talking about if nobody is even allowed to speak up against the established rules?

Back when I was in school, the local public schools and churches worked hand-in-hand on religious studies. They practically swapped attendance records for sacraments effortlessly. Mass was always scheduled right at the start or end of the school year, and missing them resulted in unfair absences...

Because you’ll be branded a traitor, not an American enough, or even worse—a Mexican.

James Alvarez2 said:So what's even the point?
We're still gonna have kids with a whole year between them. 🤷

There isn't any date shift that actually fixes this... 🤷

The goal is just to make sure someone born in January doesn't have to wait an extra year just because they hit their birthday, but once you pass January 31st, you can't honestly claim they belong to the same group as those born the previous year.

It’s obvious the older kids will have an easier time in school. Honestly, I don't see any point in shoving six-year-olds into classrooms. Given our top-tier American education system, one single year won't make a dent; they'll have plenty of time to memorize Kazakhstan's GDP by heart.

James Alvarez2 said:So does that mean kids born Feb 2nd, 2017, end up in the same grade as kids born Jan 29th, 2018?

I was just looking at it as a fallback option. It's meant to prevent someone born in January from being stuck waiting an entire extra year just because of the calendar. The goal is to have everyone born between January 1st, 2017, and January 31st, 2018, start together—essentially bumping the group size from 6 to 7.

Ryan Stewart8 said:It's not gonna bridge the gap that much, though; you could still end up with a ten-month difference between kids. 🤷

But I guess my main point is that most kids are actually ready for school by about 6.5 years old. Sure, waiting until they're 7 or even 7.5 means they'll be a little more intellectually mature—though maybe not more mature than some other six-year-olds out there—but that extra maturity isn't necessarily the deciding factor for starting first grade, since the kid was likely ready for those classroom demands a year ago anyway.

What's the rush, then?

James Alvarez2 said:So how do we fix it?
Besides just "skipping" grades, which our system isn't built for.

The threshold needs to move from 1.4 down to 1.2. It makes more sense. It won't solve everything, but it'll soften the gaps.

I agree that physical size isn't the deciding factor for school—intellectual capacity is—but you can't deny that an average seven-year-old is cognitively ahead of a six-year-old.
Regarding physical strain: kids today are lugging backpacks that weigh up to 30-40% of their body weight. For context, look at OSHA regulations regarding maximum weight limits for workers. Just to clarify, no one is legally allowed to force teachers to haul 40-pound loads from home to school every day.
In my view, pushing things back by one year won't cause any real harm. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if someone graduates at 17, 18, or 19.

Michelle Nelson4 said:I honestly cannot wrap my head around this whole idea that someone born in February 2011 is somehow at a disadvantage or "pitiful" just because there are kids born in April 2010. It makes zero sense to me!

Personally, I was born in April, and even though I started school just under the age of six and a half, I never once felt behind or had any issues whatsoever. My own child was born in January and also started at 6.5—she’s consistently getting top marks, she’s one of the most athletic kids in her PE class, and her best friends are actually nearly a year older than she is. She fits in perfectly. So, in my experience, a child starting at 6.5 instead of 7.5 isn't an inherent problem at all.

Actually, I saw a bit of a scene the other morning at daycare. I was dropping off my youngest right when a mom was there with her son, who didn't start kindergarten last year. Most of the group has just turned five, so they're basically celebrating their seventh birthdays by the time they hit the big leagues. Anyway, it was such a dramatic moment—the poor little guy was crying his eyes out because he didn't want to go to daycare, and his mom was just desperately trying to convince him that he only had to hang in there for a little while longer. And really, they still have another year of playing mostly with five-year-olds before the real transition happens...

And I don't understand how a kid born in Feb 2011 and one born in April 2010 are even considered part of the same school generation. There's a ten-month gap there. You can't convince me those two groups are the same or that the difference doesn't matter.

Back when I was in school, the struggling students were always the ones who started at age six; they were physically smaller than the rest of us. Plenty of my former classmates who have kids now are complaining because they actually listened to some "expert" advice and sent their children to school at six.

I don't see why everyone is rushing. The IRS hires whoever they can find; they'll never run out of people. As if one extra year is going to change anything, and once it starts, there's no turning back.