Our fifth graders are being forced into this thirty-minute religious studies session on days when they already have six hours of classes. To make matters worse, they scheduled the elective German class during a different block on those exact same days, so my kid can't even make it to soccer practice—it’s either stuck in class at 8:00 AM or 2:00 PM if they're on the morning schedule.
So the schedule goes: school ends at 1:10, then there's religious studies at noon, a free period, and then German right after.
I've already submitted a formal request to withdraw them from the program.
You really should hear how these kids mess around on their tablets; honestly, I actually enjoy it because it gives us a chance to break down the nuances between irony, sarcasm, cynicism, and satire. We just dive into it through heuristic conversation—using an inductive approach, rather than some blunt, front-on lecture style.
I find myself once again contemplating the sheer absurdity of our current situation, though I suppose that’s become a bit of a hobby for me lately. There is a certain weight to these developments that feels almost too heavy to process, yet here we are, staring directly into the sun. It is quite a peculiar feeling, isn't it? One moment you think you have a handle on the trajectory of things, and the next, the ground shifts entirely beneath your feet. I sometimes wonder if I spend far too much time overanalyzing the cracks in the foundation, perhaps even more than is strictly necessary for a sane person, but then again, being "sane" in this climate seems like a rather low bar to clear. Still, one must attempt to maintain some semblance of order amidst the chaos. kaže: Wait, let me get this straight. Are you actually suggesting that I’m lying? Are you implying that for twenty-five years, we haven't been subjected to an endless, exhausting loop of "necessary changes," "modernization efforts," and "sweeping reforms" that—in reality—never actually change a single thing? Are you telling me I’m being dishonest when I point out that the latest headline regarding these much-touted reforms is simply labor unions demanding they delay implementation? And then there's the matter of the schools. Despite the constant whining in the papers about how our educational system is technologically obsolete, you conveniently failed to mention that you personally have no use for technology in the classroom and, quite frankly, can't be bothered to deal with the hassle of using it.
If I’m the one lying, then perhaps the flaw lies within my own character. But if these are all cold, hard facts, then we have to consider the possibility that the failure lies within the system itself. And which system are we actually talking about? Is it our education system? One that you, perhaps, are a part of? Or is it that peculiar, almost schizophrenic delusion held by those of you who claim to be "part of the system" only when you’re playing the victim—blaming terrible parents or unruly children—yet suddenly find yourselves entirely separate from that very same system the moment someone dares to critique the structure as a whole?
When it comes to the specific individuals within the system, I tend to reserve my judgment until I’ve actually crossed paths with them, whether that’s in person or through a screen. And look, I'll be the first to admit that some of them are truly exceptional people. But let's be realistic: a few standout individuals don't actually make a system good; they simply serve as proof that the majority of it isn't.
P.S. – Don’t forget to sign it. 😉 It seems we have reached yet another chapter in this ongoing saga regarding labor disputes and the precarious nature of modern employment. I was recently reading an article about the recent strikes involving unionized workers—specifically those within the transportation and logistics sectors—and it struck me how much our current economic climate feels like a powder keg waiting for a spark. The report details how these organized groups are pushing back against what they perceive as unsustainable working conditions and stagnant wages. It’s a classic standoff: the corporations, bolstered by massive profit margins, versus the people actually keeping the wheels turning. One can't help but feel a certain weary empathy for the workers caught in the middle. There is a particular kind of exhaustion that comes with fighting for basic dignity when you are up against institutional giants. Of course, the media tends to frame these events through a lens of pure disruption—focusing on the delayed shipments or the frustrated commuters—but that misses the underlying tension. We often ignore the systemic friction until it manifests as a headline. It makes one wonder if we are witnessing a fundamental shift in the American social contract, or if this is merely the inevitable byproduct of an economy that prioritizes efficiency over humanity. I find myself ruminating on whether these concessions will actually lead to lasting change, or if they are simply temporary patches on a deeply fractured system. It’s a bit like trying to fix a crumbling foundation by repainting the shutters; it looks better for a moment, but the structural integrity remains questionable. One hopes, perhaps naively, that the dialogue leads to something more substantive than just a momentary truce.
The union is pushing for an extension, and honestly, I can see where they're coming from. It’s all because... The SEC hasn't done a single thing to properly train or educate our teachers.It’s truly remarkable how he maintains that particular persona in the media, despite everything we know to be true. It’s always the same old story, isn't it? "Just hang in there, buddy, once we throw you into the furnace, it'll all work out." Honestly, watching him navigate that infamous Loomen platform feels like a regressive trip back to my college days, staring at repetitive methodology and pedagogy assignments. I feel like an absolute idiot sitting here watching this unfold; I mean, I can interpret outcome tables perfectly well without needing a specialized digital interface or a fancy badge to tell me what the data says.
Moving forward.
Modernization isn't about handing out tablets, for heaven's sake!
Our entire educational system needs to be razed to the ground and rebuilt from scratch. It’s long overdue. We need a complete overhaul that actually delivers on:
Specialized schools or segregated classrooms for children with intellectual disabilities and specific learning needs—it’s a heavy subject. These kids simply cannot keep pace with the standard curriculum, and the resulting sense of isolation, inadequacy, and insecurity is incredibly real for them. It isn't just a feeling; they can see, quite plainly, that they are falling behind their peers. But frankly, why should the SEC care? They seem perfectly content to play pretend with this whole "inclusion" movement while these students suffer.
Honestly, if we want to actually fix this mess, we need to stop talking in circles and start looking at the numbers. We should be hiring ten times the amount of special education specialists we currently have on staff. It’s not just about classroom support, either—we absolutely need to station a full-time psychologist in every single school across the country. It’s common sense, really, though I suppose common sense isn't always common these days.
We really need to take a hard look at how many hours are allocated to specific subjects in the curriculum. It’s frankly absurd—we’re spending more time on religious studies than we are on music, art, shop class, geography, or even science in the fifth grade. It feels like a complete joke from the Department of Education.
We really need to strip away most of the fluff from the curriculum and actually force kids to use their brains. Now, bear with me here—because I know exactly how this is going to play out: once we move toward standardized testing reform, there’s going to be an absolute uproar from parents. They'll start complaining the second we stop prioritizing rote memorization and mindless fact reproduction. Once grades inevitably dip because students can't just regurgitate a textbook, they'll finally have to face the music. They'll realize they don't actually have a house full of child prodigies; they just have perfectly average kids.
Once the entire federal leadership has been completely overhauled and they finally appoint someone to head the SEC who actually has experience beyond working at a local high school, then—and only then—will we have something worth discussing. This so-called "reform" isn't actually reforming anything at all; it’s nothing more than a superficial layer of makeup applied to an old face.
They haven't actually changed a single significant thing, aside from rebranding everything with fancy new titles. Honestly, the internet infrastructure across the entire country is absolute garbage. Laptops and computers? A distant dream. Projectors? Forget about it. We’re still scrambling for copier paper and chalk. There is zero logistical support to actually implement any of this; the only priority seems to be feeding the press a narrative that every teacher is thrilled and the pilot program was a resounding success. Now, I don't personally know all the teachers—though I certainly know enough of them—but I can tell you there are plenty who were part of the experimental group this year and are actually quite happy with the reforms. But the higher-ups? They just want to announce that we'll be handing out tablets, as if that's the magic fix! Oh, wow, tablets! Because clearly, that was the one thing standing between us and a world-class education system. Tablets! Why didn't anyone think of that sooner? 🙄
6. We need to implement a standardized testing system for high school admissions, where entry into specific vocational tracks is contingent upon passing specialized entrance exams. This would effectively address the issue of...
7. ...those frankly delusional parents who insist their child is a literal prodigy deserving of nothing less than a perfect 4.0 GPA.
8. I’m also calling for the introduction of formal suspensions and actual American-style detention for all those "precious little angels" who are labeled as "troublemakers," "hyperactive," or just "spirited." We need to afford teachers the authority of official public servants. To hell with mere warnings and reprimands.
9. If you look online, you'll find countless articles about nations that are actually BACKTRACKING ON TECHNOLOGY. They spent years convinced that digital tools were the absolute pinnacle of modern education, only to realize—based on recent studies—that it was actually causing cognitive regression in students. Does anyone here actually understand the fundamental necessity of drawing, handwriting, or tactile modeling? Do you have any inkling of how these activities shape the brain? Compare that to the mindless staring at a glowing screen. There is no comparison.
10. In case anyone feels the need to lecture me on my language, let me be clear: if your only response to my points is to complain about my swearing, it simply proves you have no substantive argument left to make (which makes sense, if you don't actually work within the system and know what we're dealing with). Besides, I am Jason Morgan in this thread, and I will swear on this forum whenever I see fit.
My kids actually showed more brain activity during a quick 15-minute breathing exercise than they did during 45 minutes of actual, meaningful screen time. It’s wild. They’re out there vaping just to feel some kind of rush, trying to find any way to feel alive because they're so completely checked out. Honestly, those damn tablets are ruining them.
We all really need to take a hard look at what we’re doing here, because honestly, we’re all complicit in this mess.
When you see the way people talk to each other—how we adults fail to back one another up or even try to find any common ground—it’s painfully obvious why our kids look down on us. They aren't wrong to think we’re just a bunch of toxic caricatures who have nothing left to teach them.
Nobody here has the moral high ground. What we actually need is cooperation, and you can't get that without actual goodwill. You don't get it by sitting in an armchair scrolling through the internet and Reddit.
Speaking as someone working within the AFL-CIO, I can tell you straight: the truth lies somewhere in the middle, and the fault lies with everyone except the children. I honestly don't know which group is worse. Is it the incompetent educators who pocketed people's money and time but never actually apply their own garbage theories to real teaching? Or is it us parents, who clearly don't understand the learning process at all and—God, it hurts to even admit this—can barely hold a meaningful conversation with our own kids? Then there are the teachers telling students they're hopeless failures and resisting every single bit of progress, the publishers churning out the most useless textbooks in history, the mindless little bureaucrats who found a comfortable niche in this whole farce, or maybe it's just me, watching it all unfold and trying my hardest not to lose my mind or walk away from everything.
We don't need another "reform." We need a revolution. We either need raw force or massive amounts of love, but I'm terrified that the latter has completely vanished from us as human beings—and I'm scared because eventually, I'll have to tell the kids that.
Robert Rodriguez9 said:They're broke. 🙄 And on top of that, they keep whining about discrimination. 🤣
Publishers are getting dispatches straight from the Vatican regarding updates to non-religious textbook content, and now they want me to foot the bill for catechisms too? Honestly, they can just pay for it themselves.
To implement any meaningful reform, we would first need to conduct an exhaustive, side-by-side comparison with how things are done on the ground elsewhere—an exercise in due diligence that, quite frankly, will likely never happen. We are talking about massive structural shifts: overhauling the entire scheduling system, pouring a mountain of capital into physical infrastructure and updated equipment, and finally exploring the feasibility of one-way instructional models. It’s a monumental undertaking, really. It seems to me that if we are actually serious about a meaningful overhaul of our education system, we aren't just talking about minor tweaks or a few new textbooks. No, to truly modernize our schools and prepare students for the real world, we would need billions upon billions of dollars. It’s a staggering figure, I know, but one cannot expect a complete structural revolution on a shoestring budget. With all due respect, the lot of them are absolute morons. We’re still stuck with two whole hours of religion, while geography and science have been squeezed down to just ninety minutes for fifth and sixth graders. Honestly, what a complete joke of a reform. It’s absolutely maddening. Well, it finally happened. The textbooks for the reform have landed on our desks. I must give them credit where it's due; from a purely aesthetic standpoint, the visual overhaul is striking. The graphic design is entirely different, lending the whole thing a much more polished and serious tone. However, I’ve already committed the actual substance to memory, and frankly, it’s the exact same old story—not an ounce of reform to be found in the content itself. Absolute garbage.
My own textbooks (from my freshman year of high school) look like a disaster, and honestly, we barely even use them. Especially the language ones. Plus, since the curriculum changed halfway through a six-month period, half the material isn't even there.
At first, I thought, okay, the concept isn't bad. The learning outcomes are clearly highlighted, there are some decent texts, it feels fresh—but then I saw Goethe taking up sixteen damn pages, and I felt like I wanted to set him on fire right in front of my students.
And once I actually started working with them... My God. And don't even get me started on the quality. It's top-tier stuff, clearly. 😁
As for teaching resources, library equipment, projectors, or chalkboards? Don't even get me started; the conditions are prehistoric. And tablets? Give me a break.
I’m honestly reaching my breaking point with this whole religious education thing, and frankly, I’m getting sick of having to explain to my son why he’s stuck at school for six hours instead of five just because of someone else's arbitrary whims.
It’s absolutely disgraceful. They act like those extra 45 minutes before a kid gets to head home doesn't matter at all, yet they claim to support "family-friendly" scheduling? It's a joke.
urbantinker8 said:I might as well just say: I told you so. Back in early 2016...😛 No, I wasn't out in the middle of Times Square that day, and I wouldn't go back there again if I could help it. I guess they all just love seeing their own faces on TV and hearing themselves talk, especially Jokić. 🙂
I don't regret going at all—honestly, I’d do it all over again. I don't think the reform itself was poorly conceived. I actually find myself agreeing with Jokić on this one; he made a great point about how this doesn't need to happen overnight. We can take more time to debate the details and really polish things up, but we absolutely have to keep moving forward.
I wasn't even there for him, honestly. I was mostly doing it for other people—for my kids and for myself. If you're asking if I'd go back? Yeah, I would. Just like I said before.
urbantinker8 said:What are you even talking about here? Where on earth is someone actually covering a new book every week?🙄
And it's not like you're the only person in the entire world dealing with "books" and "tests." People really do seem to lose their minds over every little thing these days, I guess.🤣
I caught a segment on Jokić on TV the other night, and man, what a total demagogue—the people in Congress don't even come close to his level of manipulation. It's all just noise, really; they probably should have stuck with me instead, but hey, look at them now.🐔
He really showed his true colors. I've been following him since the very beginning and I used to back him; I was always willing to actually sit down, read his stuff, and listen to what he had to say. But lately, it feels more and more like he’s just a malicious, corrupt guy who lives for self-promotion. He’s got this awful complex.
I watched his whole run on the fifth day and he came across as such a massive narcissist.
And that whole bit about reading a book every week? Yeah, that couldn't be further from the truth.
Honestly, you could draw it out for them in perfect detail, but people still won't see it. They'll just find 10,000 different ways to keep throwing bones like this.
hiddendriver34 said:@MonotypeCorsiva, we actually did exactly what you’re talking about. We sat him down and asked if he wanted to take religion classes at school. 😁 Since he had absolutely no clue what that even meant, we gave him the full rundown—explained that it’s where you learn about God, the church, and all that stuff. Back then, he was right in that "does God even exist?" phase with a million questions running through his head, so he was pretty hooked.
He’s still taking those classes, too. He’s in fourth grade now, and honestly, every year we ask him if he wants to opt out. He just has this philosophical streak in him, I guess. During almost every single lesson, he fires off a million questions that leave his teacher in a bit of a tight spot. Just a couple of days ago, he told me he might actually switch religions once he’s studied enough about other faiths.
He’s an atheist, for the most part, while I’m a theist, but I don't really feel the need to label myself as a member of the HBC anymore.
That last sentence really sums us up 😂
We told our kid he could go to just one session to check it out and then decide for himself. I checked in with the teacher first, he went to the class, and as soon as the hour was up, he brought the textbooks back.
Richard Perez3 said:Chill, I'm just messing with her. It reminded me of how our teachers back in school were always nitpicking us, saying it's our "native language" but our "motherly feelings." Honestly, I have no clue if that even makes sense.
Does 😬 mean absolutely nothing anymore? :cri:
I guess I’m just losing it—maybe I haven't seen a smiley face in so long from all the nonsense going on in my head that I've forgotten how to use them.
Both suffixes actually exist in the language. Yours is just much less common, but there’s really no need to go around correcting people—especially not in a situation like this. Both versions show up in the linguistic corpus, though her way of doing it is far more frequent in everyday usage.
Honestly, there’s just no point in reading assigned school books to kids who are still actually trying to master the basics of reading. If they need help, read it along with them—it makes no difference if you have to lend a hand. At the end of the day, that book is their responsibility, and it's supposed to be the benchmark for their teacher to see how much progress they're making. Just don't overcomplicate things or step in too much!
We caught it last night, and honestly, it was pretty decent. Even with all the trashy elements and those modern tropes they use when casting characters nowadays, it’s still a fun watch. But man, I still have a soft spot for Waterworld.
driftingheron70 said:😲Which higher grades are we talking about here? Seriously, parents actually sit down and read required reading lists with their older kids? Man, I am clearly living under a rock when it comes to this stuff... I guess I'll eventually figure out how people actually handle school life for their kids. My little one is only in first grade, so I still have plenty of time to catch up on how this all works, haha.🙂
Personally, I think that's way worse than slapping a kid, but hey, maybe I'm just not wired right...
Check out this thread; there are actually people here who disagree with the mainstream take on these tests. For instance, Mary Smith is pretty vocal about her criticisms regarding how they approach PISA—specifically how they interpret the data and pull conclusions without considering the broader context of the testing process.
Daniel Perez6 said:I actually have to disagree with you on this one.
Take these favorites, for example: Raymond Chandler: Three in Brooklyn unknown: The Long Run unknown: Fear on Maple Street unknown: The Hero.
Those were just some random examples, but I wouldn't go so far as to say people don't appreciate American literature. Back in high school, we read Without the Third (by Milan Begović), and honestly, everyone loved it. We spent hours debating it in class. I later picked up his novel about Giga Barićev which is excellent. 😍
I've been following this thread for days now, and my take remains the same: the problem isn't really the reading list itself, it's how the material is actually taught in the classroom.😁
You really need to pick up Quartet and June in the trunk—trust me, you won't regret it.
Who actually storms the school office because there’s decapitated heads or severed breasts in a required reading?😁 Or bitten-off hands in an elementary textbook?
the lack of reading habits at home is just as much to blame
Fine, but what is the point of having those kids in a dedicated reading hour? If Mom and Dad don't read, if they never read to them, if there isn't a single book in the house, and their own IQs aren't exactly staggering—what's the goal? Why sit them in a reading period instead of letting them kick a ball around on the playground? What's the actual utility? To ensure they can answer one extra question about whether they'll watch The Chase? Why waste their time, the teachers' time, electricity, fuel, lightbulbs, or chalk?
here is yet another proof of how clueless you all are regarding these wonderful new methods, outcomes, and "innovations" we're constantly bombarded with at workshops and seminars
I'm not talking about that nonsense. I'm talking about proactively following findings from memory and learning psychology, cognitive science—about a biology teacher actually pulling research from high-quality, peer-reviewed journals on science pedagogy from the internet, rather than being oblivious to their existence entirely.
I'd bet anything that the vast majority of your colleagues attending those pretentious, overly ambitious "professional development" sessions haven't the slightest clue about test-enhanced learning or spaced repetition. They likely don't know how to take effective notes, and even if they do, they aren't passing it on. Unless they teach psychology, they probably know nothing about working memory limits or strategies for long-term encoding.
And they don't know because nobody in education cares about using science as a tool to uncover reality, nor is there any belief that a teacher's job is to master and apply these tools to make learning more efficient. It doesn't interest them because it doesn't impact their personal lives; most people don't learn anything unless they absolutely have to, mostly because they possess the curiosity of a common houseplant.
You're close, really, but you have to keep in mind that even if someone wants to improve, they need the actual capacity, the time, less paperwork, and better support teams to point them toward new research—like articles on how the brain actually processes learning. Instead, they’re stuck filling out forms and preaching non-violence while every kind of bullying and aggression is blooming right under their noses in schools and society.
I have a colleague who gets a sabbatical for professional development, similar to how university professors get a research year. She takes a year off from teaching her classroom, still receives her full salary, but she's required to publish a paper, attend workshops, and focus on self-improvement, all while being completely removed from the classroom setting.
Look, you have plenty of individuals who genuinely want to grow and understand that education has to be an evolving process, not something static. But damn, even the most stubborn, most creative ones eventually burn out. And if you ask them why? Every single one of them will tell you it's because they're working in a collective with zero support, dealing with unhelpful principals, and then facing pressure from parents. The system is what it is; you can only change it from the inside, by fighting for it in the teachers' lounge. There isn't any other way.
Honestly, any debate is just a waste of breath until we actually get down to the merits of the matter (I had to 🤣). The question driving this entire thread should be the alpha and omega; once we answer that, everything else regarding which books make the reading list starts to fall into place.
I’ve spent my entire academic career listening to this exact argument, and I’ll say this: I side with anyone who believes that required reading shouldn't just be a parade of canons and classics. It shouldn't be used as some tool to force-feed students a specific "taste"—in fact, I think trying to shape their preferences like that is dangerous and reckless. And lastly, it shouldn't be used as a crutch for teaching literary history.
In my view, the curriculum needs to offer variety to suit different tastes—otherwise, how can a student even develop a sense of taste in the first place? Reading should spark discussions about why we need books at all, how they've survived as one of humanity's greatest achievements, and how they help refine our living language while offering entertainment and fresh perspectives on the "other." Yes, there needs to be careful selection, and sure, there should be a core set of essentials, but for God's sake, there has to be some breathing room too.
Ideologies, dissecting themes, forcing some imaginary narrative line onto kids to guide them through a book... forget all that. As a teacher, what actually excites me is hearing what they can teach *me* about the world they live in today, rather than me lecturing them about eras that are long gone and dead.