Posts by copperpuma11

mellowskipper said:

I suppose I should probably weigh in here—though I’m not entirely sure if anyone actually wants my take on this particular mess. It feels like we’re circling the same drain, doesn't it? I mean, looking at the way things are trending lately, it’s almost predictable, if you have the stomach for it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there’s a certain level of inevitability to these situations—a sort of slow-motion train wreck that everyone just watches while sipping their coffee. Maybe I'm being too cynical, or maybe I'm just seeing the patterns more clearly than most. It’s hard to tell sometimes. Anyway, I’ll just leave that hanging there. kaže:
🤣
I felt that impulse from the very first time I picked it up—I mean, I really did. To be honest, the book itself feels like a living, breathing bore. It’s just... tedious. I guess some epistolary novels actually manage to pull off a decent plot, but this one? Not so much. ☕

I seem to have this lingering habit—if you can even call it that—where I find myself powering through a book just to see if any little detail might accidentally show up on a test... I guess I just keep reading until the very end, sort of obsessively checking for those tiny plot points that could trip me up later.

Crime and Punishment is absolutely phenomenal.
Anna Karenina—well, that was just my impression at the time—what a total idiot.I have to say—honestly—that book was just... terrible. I really wanted to like it, but it was an absolute disaster from start to finish.

Yeah. You want to toss it under a train immediately. No hesitation. I read War and Peace instead.

Anthony Ward6 said:That and Cyclops are probably the worst.

Antigone was actually great in my book! 😳

Some books were just universally loved back then: Crime and Punishment. Even people who hated reading would pick that one up. Not to mention The Catcher in the Rye. It feels like filler to me now, I guess, but back then it was top-tier stuff.

I forced myself to give it another read in my thirties. I made it halfway through. I still have this intense urge to hit the author with an axe.

hiddendriver34 said:Now, some schools might actually operate that way, but there’s no rule or requirement stating that the faculty board has to be the one making the final call on whether someone sticks to the agreement.

Correction, I meant the grade-level council. It's actually backed by law. It specifically applies to categorized athletes under HOO guidelines. I agree it’s not strictly mandatory, but it is the established rule.

hiddendriver34 said:That’s just the professor being incredibly kind-hearted. Maybe there’s some elite tier of athletes mentioned in the official handbook that I’m completely oblivious to, but I’ve never personally dealt with an athlete who had to schedule special exam times like that.

From what I recall, the student submits a formal request to Nvidia and it usually gets approved. Once that happens, it isn't just a matter of goodwill anymore. Also, if memory serves, Home Depot typically releases those confirmations around November or December. The whole process takes a while.

Michelle Nelson4 said:Look, I’m not out here hunting for some perfect utopia. I’m just pointing out that the current setup feels unfair, much like how things used to be back when we were dealing with music programs. Honestly, it might be easier to just scrap those extra points altogether to ensure actual fairness, rather than pretending everyone is starting from the exact same baseline. From what I gather, the focus is shifting toward one-way instruction, which I assume is a necessary step if they want to make after-school activities more accessible by using school facilities in the afternoons. If that's the goal, then fine, I suppose that makes sense.

On another note, does anyone happen to have a direct link to that specific regulation regarding mutual accountability for categorized student-athletes? I'm trying to figure out if this is a nationwide federal standard or if it's handled at the local school district level. I've been digging through the archives, but there is just so much noise online—mostly outdated links and old news articles—that I ended up going in circles without finding anything useful.😵

Section 81

https://www.law.com/z/317/Title-IX-Education...

It says something similar in Title IX about how this can be facilitated. I'm not sure where the specific details are laid out.

Noah Diaz said:Of course they don't work; masks aren't some magic shield against infection.

Last year, hospitals became massive hot zones for outbreaks, despite everyone wearing hazmat suits, masks, face shields, goggles, and N95s.

Even if they did work, they wouldn't matter. Kids just treat this like a common cold. They wear them under their noses, tucked under their chins, or just holding them in their hands to show they have one. They keep them in their pockets—dirty, crumpled, sweaty. Once they leave the mandatory mask zones, they sit together in cafes or at the park, sharing sandwiches and sodas.

The bottom line is that forcing people to wear masks isn't helping. It would be much more effective to pass laws requiring all new school buildings to have proper ventilation. Instead, we're building architectural disasters that look like goldfish tanks, with zero functional windows.

coastalorca43 said:Wrap up the school year and start packing those cables.
Let them reform, reorganize, or shuffle things around however they want, because the current education system clearly isn't built to handle a pandemic, and the principals and administrators simply haven't risen to the occasion.
As of tomorrow, an entire high school class is stuck staying home for online learning. Why? Because one student tested positive, even though they weren't even physically at school yesterday.
With a massive 60-hour delay, they’re forcing an entire classroom into isolation, completely ignoring all the previous announcements stating that only the students sitting nearby would be affected.

The whole system is a joke. Honestly, they might as well just keep everyone home for a year while they actually build up some real capacity—both physical and staffing—because what we're seeing right now is totally senseless.

That isn't standard procedure. I was just in a classroom where a rapid test flagged one positive case, which was later confirmed by a PCR test. That student and two others are home now. Everyone else stayed at school.

driftingtinker said:The thing is, you've got two different setups sharing the same lab space here. With one, you're basically told to just stand back and watch from a distance, while with the other, kids are constantly breaking or just straight-up destroying things. 🙂

It works out fine if there are only two people. We spend a lot of time debating why or how something got wrecked or fried, but you have to actually let them handle the equipment, otherwise what's the point?

driftingtinker said:The whole theory was just that the probes and the gear were too delicate to handle.

They’re so incredibly organized that their workshop sessions have been scheduled in four-hour blocks for years, even though three hours would be way more than enough. I guess that’s why the morning shift doesn't even bother showing up for the first hour, and then the afternoon crew gets sent home an hour or two early.

Right. You can't generalize here. The technical schools vary wildly, ranging from places with basically nothing to those that are actually well-equipped.
A colleague recently demonstrated some MIT exercises at a professional conference using an online simulator. She does this because her school doesn't have any physical gear. I remember back in the day—it was a long time ago—we had exactly one oscilloscope at our school. Getting permission just to press a button on it felt like a huge privilege. 😁

driftingtinker said:So, yeah, this specific school has a reputation for being good, but some things are just impossible to pull off.

Last year in the electrical engineering classes, three years in a row, an entire class failed basic instrument measurement. My wife really tried her best, sketching everything out and all, but you just... you have to see it and touch it, you know? In the end, she "accidentally" finished her exam early, and they barely scraped by with D's. 🙂

They did lab exercises by just staring at the instruments because it was impossible to disinfect them between periods.

Meanwhile, during regular lectures, they're using those exact same tools without any disinfection at all. And that's where the obvious problem starts—they forgot the theory ages ago, they have zero hands-on experience, so every single period someone is either short-circuiting something or setting something on fire. 🙂

So the professors who actually give a damn about the labs just gave up and started handing out grades whenever they felt like it.

Yet, somehow, they take math, physics, or history super seriously.

His friend is doing a three-year trade program, and he spends most of his time on internship at a local shop, regardless of what the curriculum says.

By the time he hits high school, 60-70% of them will be in universities, which is basically their only shot at getting any decent knowledge.

I could swing coming in on the off-shift to knock out a four-hour block every couple of weeks. It would just need to be a mutual agreement, assuming there’s an open lab and I can actually make it in. Once I'm done, I'll clean all the gear so it's ready for the next group.

velvetskipper11 said:Students are sitting there alone in their desks—and honestly, being forced to wear masks isn't even the worst part, especially toward the end of the day—but now high schools are getting hit with notices about inspections because they aren't following "safety protocols" strictly enough. For instance, in Charleston, they’re switching back to remote learning, despite the fact that there isn't even a single case of COVID in the schools.
People are reaching a breaking point—both teachers and students alike—because the CDC keeps dropping these mandates without any actual justification. It’s as if they think face-to-face education is completely worthless, making it perfectly acceptable to just run wild and harass kids and the entire school system with these erratic whims. It’s unbelievable.

And they have the nerve to threaten schools with penalties, acting like these institutions are multi-billion dollar corporations—like those big pharma companies they seem to adore. They don't stop to ask how much unpaid time and personal resources people have poured into making this chaotic mess of a system actually work. Instead of making things easier for the kids, they’ve decided to opt for a little bit of terror.

Basically, schools are living under the thumb of a quasi-expert group that cares more about statistics than actual medicine, showing zero concern for human well-being or health. I actually took a moment to Google the official reasoning behind forcing certain groups back to online classes, and here's the quote: "Based on the opinion provided by the CDC, remote learning is considered an acceptable way to maintain education for certain age groups, given that a significant number of students and staff are currently in isolation or self-isolation. By transitioning to 'Model C,' we reduce daily travel via public transit, thereby decreasing overcrowding on buses." So, according to these idiots, forcing vocational students into online learning is a reasonable move? What exactly are they thinking? All to prevent potential crowds on a bus? It's pure incompetence, and these clueless people are destroying an entire generation.

Maybe some epidemiologist reading this can answer one question: Do you realize that not every school is a prep academy? Have you ever even heard of a vocational school? How on earth is online learning "appropriate" for someone training to be a chef or an auto mechanic? Don't you think these kids have suffered enough from your reckless destruction of the economy, and now you're stripping away their actual education too?

It's just a complete devaluation of education. You're disrupting children's stability and routines, harassing parents and teachers, and threatening underfunded schools—the ones barely scraping by—with fines, all just to reduce bus traffic. Is that supposed to be normal? 🤦 They are absolutely insane.

In my specific class right now, four students tested positive and two have already recovered out of 20 total kids, plus me as the teacher. This is in Charleston. The symptoms are just your typical flu stuff. A colleague of mine still hasn't bounced back from his dose, even though his symptoms were mild too.

So, you're talking nonsense.

Three-year programs are still holding up. I don't know the exact details, but they are functioning.

It’s two sides of the same coin. On one side, you have students being chased for grades instead of actually learning anything. On the other, teachers are buried under endless paperwork instead of just being allowed to teach.

Amanda Hughes37 said:wanderingbadger44 might be a decent person, but her way of talking about her job is just grating... honestly, it’s hard to listen to.

A few months back, she messaged me here following a debate with others regarding remote learning—complaining quite loudly about how much it hurts her heart that my kid, or anyone else's, won't master fractions. As if the rest of us believe a child's entire existence hinges on a fraction.

All this, mind you, while we're in the middle of a deadly pandemic questioning what the last two school years have even meant for us.

Then there are those comments suggesting nobody should care if someone misses out on their dream college because they caught the flu or tested positive for... well, you know... bad luck. Apparently, it isn't their job to make sure that happens.

I think wanderingbadger44 and a handful of others are just trying to burst our bubble regarding the fairy tale that professors are deeply in love with their students and their subjects—that they're willing to go above and beyond for everything...

It doesn't exactly roll out smoothly for them. People still have this outdated idea that it's just a hobby for wealthy socialites or ladies with nothing better to do with their time.

Austin Garcia said:And honestly, it shouldn't just be a one-time thing at the start; regular assessments would be so beneficial. There are certain teachers who seem to completely burn out after only a couple of years on the job 🙄
I can't help but recall a statement made by a certain "educator" here, claiming everything remains under control at an educational institution as long as there aren't more than half bad teachers. Apparently, having up to fifty percent subpar staff is acceptable, and only when it exceeds that threshold should any action be taken 🤦
It really serves as proof for how many treat this as nothing more than a paycheck—hardly a noble calling or a passion they choose to highlight unless it's convenient for them...
It is quite difficult to witness when they fail to engage in the shaping of young minds, missing the chance to provide guidance that could mean the world to some, or to offer the kind of encouragement that helps others solidify their life plans and gives them momentum... children often form deep bonds with their mentors, seeing them as much more than just someone who puts up with them because it's a job...
I don't want to sound hyperbolic, but the lives of these children do depend on them, as they serve as such vital components in the process of molding independent individuals...
Of course, I am certainly not referring to everyone, as I personally know several wonderful day teachers, but there are enough people who remain perpetually dissatisfied with everything that the students end up being the ones who suffer...

It’s like when you go in for that pre-employment screening and have to sign off confirming you aren't out of your mind. You know, that sanity check before they hire you.

Nicholas King said:In quite a few instances, you’ve proven yourself to be part of that quiet majority of educators who—unlike the loud minority—actually love their profession and the kids they teach.

That is precisely why your statement is such a massive fail.

The reason for all this "barking" 🙄 isn't because anyone actually believes teachers are the ones who can or should change the system. The reason for the "barking"—to use your own colorful phrasing—is that so many teachers here feel the rules set by the Department are perfectly fine and truly the only way forward, and they're using comparisons between the SAT and getting a haircut to dismissively shrug off the idea that someone might (quite unnecessarily) get easier access to their preferred college major.

Revisiting the whole "barking up the wrong tree" thing.

In the previous thread, we slid easily from talking about general students to students with accommodations, and that's where the incompetence was exposed.

Amanda Hughes37 said:There's no need—at least not from me right now—to lecture everyone on how life is unpredictable and that the SAT is just one day in a long existence.
The reality is simple... the SAT and university admissions are structured such that if you don't enroll during your freshman year, you could lose the chance to attend your preferred school.
Every stakeholder involved needs to do everything within their power to accommodate anyone who wants to take the exam during this window—regardless of location—and actually solve the problem.
There are always a limited number of such students; even if many are ill, not everyone is desperate to hit a specific deadline. But for those who refuse to miss out, we should make it possible for them to participate.

I’m seeing a lot of skepticism regarding taking the SAT outside of the main testing centers.

Taking exams at home. During home-based SAT administration, the proctors arriving at the
test-taker's residence wear surgical masks and hand sanitizer, maintaining a 2-meter distance from other
household members and the student. If the student is immunocompromised, the proctors conducting the
SAT at the home will also wear disposable gloves in addition to masks. The student himself
follows the recommendations of the specialist physician managing his primary condition. Taking the SAT
in a hospital setting follows the specific protocols of that facility.

"...Accessing the SAT during the current epidemiological situation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, only applicants who show no signs of acute respiratory illness may take the SAT. Symptoms can include: fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, etc. Additionally, anyone under a self-isolation order or those confirmed to have COVID-19 are barred from testing. Students denied access for either of these reasons must be allowed to test during a makeup period according to instructions from the Department of Education.
..."

Please go bark at someone else's tree.

Michelle Nelson4 said:I’m not really sitting here wondering what the future holds for glassmaking as an industry, but I suspect most kids currently enrolled in vocational high schools aren't particularly concerned with it either. If they actually cared about the history or the deeper context of their craft, they would have shown some interest back in middle school and opted for a different specialized academy altogether.
First off, we need to distinguish between whether these students are genuinely interested or not. Because let’s be honest—if they *are* interested, there are countless ways to master the trade without needing a formal diploma to get started.

If they aren't interested, why on earth are we forcing every single fifteen-year-old to make this impossible choice? It shouldn't feel like they have to decide between studying history or risking being stuck without a high school diploma entirely.

Continuing their education later is definitely an option through evening programs, and it should be available to anyone who has to step away from traditional schooling for any reason. My only gripe is that these programs shouldn't cost a fortune. It’s simply not true that they lose their shot at a degree; it just becomes a bit more demanding because of the credit requirements and catching up on missed coursework. Honestly, what’s stopping our standard high schools from letting students who missed certain classes make up those credits through a single intensive course or perhaps by adding one extra semester to their regular schedule?

Nothing actually stops them, but it rarely works out. Ever since this policy was put in place, we see maybe three to five students like that every single year. Only one student ever actually managed to make it through and get into their senior year on the regular track.

nimblelynx7 said:Is an online forum debate really a benchmark for life? I know for a fact that the year or date of the Battle of Gettysburg won't matter to me, since I'm certain I won't be working as a history professor. I won't be a geography teacher, and I definitely won't be opening a manufacturing plant in Uganda, so I won't need to look up GDP data. It's the same deal with literature.
If those were the only useless facts taught in school, it wouldn't be a problem, but unfortunately, that isn't the case.

When we asked our elementary school teachers what we'd actually need, the answer was: "You'll learn that in high school." High school teachers said: "You'll need that in college." And college professors usually just changed the subject when asked those kinds of questions.

So now students are to blame because the curriculum is too easy? Where does it say vocational schools have to be dumping grounds? Once students start writing the code and designing the entire educational system, then sure, blame them. Until then, they are victims and unwilling witnesses.

Here’s a real-world example. My brother finished a vocational program for carpentry. Since I stood in for my parents at a few parent-teacher meetings, I had the chance to see what they were actually learning. It was a disaster; the math was barely middle school level. Everything seemed fine until his company bought a CNC machine for $150,000 that operates on polar coordinates. You can literally design and carve anything you want in wood, but it requires using a polar coordinate system.
We didn't even touch stuff like that in technical school; I first encountered it in college. Even the boss—a master carpenter—had no clue how it worked. When the three of us finally sat down at the machine, I spent literally 15 hours explaining how to work with polar coordinates without using double integrals (actually, without using any calculus at all). I managed to boil it down to basic geometric shapes and the Cartesian coordinate system.

Clearly, if they designed that machine specifically for "their" carpenters, we're living in two different universes compared to the West.

So you weren't using complex numbers in polar form to solve AC circuits?
And what does double integrals have to do with any of this?

Dana Diaz8 said:Fine

Kids can start high school at fourteen. And if you tell people you're going to a prestigious prep school, the general consensus is that you're some kind of genius.

We can save the debates about faith and belief for another thread.

Why should every prep school student feel forced into college if they already know finding a job after graduation will be an uphill battle? And why should a kid from a four-year vocational program, who wants to continue studying their trade, be pushed aside by the prep school crowd?

Is this still consistent with what was mentioned in the signature?

rowdypanther12 said:I’m not sure if I’ve gone too far by advocating for universal education up to age 18. I haven't fully researched all the nuances, but it honestly feels wrong that a kid could potentially derail their entire future just during middle school.

In what way? From what I've seen, you could already mess things up in plenty of ways back then. I don't think these new rules actually change much. It isn't a massive step forward, unless you count the shift in how they handle digital applications.

High school electives can be pretty confusing for kids. Honestly, the timing for how these choices are presented isn't ideal at all.

Take vocational schools, for example. They have general classes, but then there’s this elective block made up of specialized subjects. Some of those are mandatory, while a small portion is truly elective—meaning the school picks options based on what students want and what resources they actually have on hand.

Students also have to choose between religion or ethics classes.

As for the idea that you can just opt in and out whenever you feel like it? That’s not how it works. Once a subject is selected, it becomes a requirement just like any other class on the schedule.