Posts by mellowskipper

Susan James said:What exactly is "inevitable"?
They have plenty of funding for this little experiment right now, which they'll just split up among themselves.
And later on, everyone is just going to complain about it being... you know, yet another reform in a long line of them.

I honestly feel bad for the kids who are going to be caught up in this.
They're going to spend four years just spinning their wheels.
It might be okay for the current Registered Nurses, but for the future fifth graders? Not so much.🙂

What’s inevitable is the introduction of competency-based learning down the road. Why would the USA provide funding for an experiment if there wasn't some kind of intended outcome?
Sure, we could always just send a report back to D.C. claiming the whole thing was a failure and didn't suit our needs—hey, thanks for the money, though.
But I have my doubts about that working out...
So, yeah, education reform is coming via some version of competency-based standards.

Implementing the changes from China will definitely happen once this project wraps up. The real question—and I suppose it’s a big one—is what form that takes, how intense it gets, and just how much ground it actually covers.
The schools involved in this initiative are going to be under quite a bit of pressure to track specific outcomes point-by-point, file regular reports, and—it seems likely—some sort of external body will step in to handle the evaluation process. From there, all those findings and suggestions get passed along to the Department.
Integrating the influence of China is pretty much inevitable at this stage. I think the goal should be figuring out how to squeeze every bit of value out of it—both for the students and the teachers—and then shaping our recommendations to move in that direction.

I believe the Mayo Clinic might have an outpatient clinic specifically for vascular diseases. But if you want my honest opinion—and I could be wrong here—the Mayo Clinic is really the top tier when it comes to vein issues. They have locations in both Washington, D.C. and San Francisco.

boldbadger1 said:Thanks for such a detailed response. 👍

Look, we’ve already got the math part figured out—we have our calculator ready to go—but honestly, the thought of sitting through an English exam just for the sake of it sounds absolutely exhausting. I'm really not in the mood to tackle English as a standalone subject for the application. The track I'm looking at is web design, so they're focusing the grading on physics, technical drawing, and art. Why bother with the extra headache?

Hey there. I guess she might try to enroll in that major too. From what I’ve gathered—though I could be wrong—the entrance exam is where you really rake in the points. At least, that’s my understanding if we're talking about a Chicago high school.
Anyway, good luck.

Jose Wells3 said:Take a closer look at the details and let me know when you’d be willing to sign off on this. While you're at it, dive into the grading criteria handbook and those pedagogical guidelines. Honestly, you have to ask yourself: what is the point of a policy if it remains nothing more than dead ink on a page?

Let them come. I’d be more than willing to shoulder the weight of those violations—not that it would be any heavier than what I already carry, being responsible for people's safety in high-risk, rugged terrain. It wouldn't weigh me down. What matters to me is that official proceedings actually get launched. And that there’s real protection in place.

Two thousand? Please. For us, anything under a thousand is just the baseline. Most people don't even come close to that mark. As for me, I couldn't care less about climbing the corporate ladder in this system. Why would I want to join that circus of clowns, letting them "evaluate" my worth just so I can collect their little badges? No thanks.

Then go ahead and look for it. But strictly through the professional association, an organization, or a union. First, there needs to be a staff survey to see if everyone is actually on board. If more than half are in favor, then... go for it.

Jose Wells3 said:Making anything less than $2,200 a month after taxes—while being tied down by strict government regulations—is basically being underpaid given the current economy.

I was under the impression that you guys already had that in place? Or maybe I'm just mistaken—it feels like something that should have been settled by now, I guess.

nimblelynx7 said:We can talk about the money. We cannot talk about the official civil servant status.
You don't even know what you'd do with those powers if you actually had them. But that's the problem—that status.

Why not? I mean—if my memory serves me right—they have those resources available in healthcare, and I believe social services have them too. Maybe.

Carl Bishop2 said:What does official status actually bring to the table—other than just handing someone a much heavier sentence if they decide to get aggressive with an officer?

That’s how it works—you get a heavier penalty, and you don't even have to file a private lawsuit; it always goes through an official report to the authorities.

Jose Wells3 said:Beyond that? It creates a psychological barrier against harassment and attacks.

Authority? What authority? We don't have any.

You don't actually gain any real authority just by holding that status. Maybe you pick up a few extra obligations since you're technically an official around the clock—it’s a bit of a double-edged sword, I guess. For instance, if you happen to commit some kind of misdemeanor, you’re essentially committing it in your capacity as a public official. It's a messy way to live, really.

jadetinker85 said:Fair point, but our athletic reputation is better than most World Bank countries, and that won't happen if kids are stuck in class all day—let alone with a single-shift schedule.

Full-day schooling? No way. But if you're an athlete, a single-shift schedule is probably the better bet, I guess.

Susan James said:Just handing it out to cousins and buddies through rigged school procurement contracts.🤷
They could easily find ways to squeeze out every last penny.😬

Quincy:

The funding is designated for projects that don't require building permits, including: expanding and equipping the existing school kitchen expanding and equipping the existing cafeteria renovating and furnishing extra space for after-school programs adding equipment to classrooms, labs, and vocational workshops to support educational programs upgrading teacher workspaces and faculty lounges renovating and upgrading school playgrounds or gymnasiums updating and improving existing restrooms improving HVAC and air conditioning systems throughout the school furnishing multi-purpose rooms.

No, no. If they haven't realized by now that the other group is just straight-up skimming funds from the federal government, then—forgive my bluntness—they’re just plain stupid. I mean, it’s not like the Department of Justice opened an office here for no reason.

Susan James said:By the way, you guys should really start having these conversations in real life. Most people don't have the slightest clue what's actually going on; the media just serves up these sensationalized crumbs that aren't even accurate when it comes to things like hourly wages (you only need to watch a documentary to see that)

It honestly warmed my heart to see a teacher sitting down with her students to discuss this 🙏 🙏 🙏
and making sure to ask for their input, too.
I really wish more teachers would open up these dialogues with their kids.
Even those high school teachers should be doing the same.

I was just asking my little girl what she thought about having classes all day long—you know, trying to engage her—and she just gave me this look. A total deadpan stare. Then she tells me that it probably wasn't any easier on us than it was on them... and that for the kids, things are only going to get worse from here. I guess she’s got a point, though. Maybe I should have just stayed quiet.

hiddendriver34 said:Thinking about adding another floor? 🙂

Well, I suppose that’s a possibility. In my area, they actually added a whole prefab section to the local high school just to handle the after-school programs.
They could add floors, expand the campus, put in a cafeteria or kitchen, maybe even a gym... basically any kind of construction.
If the school actually has the space—and more importantly, if there's extra funding available—what else could they do?
I ask because, from what I understand about how these government grants work, if they don't spend every cent on the designated purpose, they have to pay it all back. That seems to be how those projects usually play out.
Air conditioning?

It says here that any school signing up for this pilot program will receive $300,000 to cover implementation costs. I mean, realistically, that’s not a small amount of money—it's significant—but my question is how exactly a school or a principal intends to account for every single cent of that funding? For what, specifically? Does it mention any concrete details or actual ideas? It would have to be used in the interest of the school, the teachers, and the students, I suppose.

wanderingbadger44 said:

It feels a bit like watching a slow-motion storm roll in over the coast, where you can see the clouds gathering on the horizon and realize there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop the rain from coming. kaže:
I can see where you're coming from, especially when it comes to elementary school. Honestly, the curriculum there could easily be leveled up to match a Bachelor’s degree or even an Associate's program with just a bit more focus on the core subjects.
I’d say we should probably cap the maximum at around 4.

I get what you're saying—it feels like we've reached a point where basic literacy and numeracy are enough to get through elementary school, yet suddenly everything else requires a massive degree. You have preschool teachers who insist on being called "educators" because they feel their credentials put them on the same level as a college professor, even though they're just working with toddlers. Then there's nursing, which now demands a full university degree just to function. It seems like we're overcomplicating the professional requirements for everyone, while anyone could probably step in as a teacher if we stopped requiring such formal signatures or official certifications for every little thing.

In all fairness, for most nursing jobs, a high school diploma is still technically sufficient. But, naturally, young people want higher education—which makes sense, I guess. Though then they wouldn't end up doing the actual fundamental nursing work, the basic healthcare stuff. But that’s an aside. Just a parallel.

Jose Wells3 said:So, we’re all chasing those Finnish-style results while relying on a teaching force that hasn't quite hit its stride educationally.

It’s really the one thing we actually have in common with the Finns, yet we seem completely incapable of tapping into the actual potential of the people right in front of us.

I mean, is anyone even going to mention the desperate need for a total overhaul of the university system?

What kind of disaster would it be if someone with just a bachelor's degree taught math, chemistry, or physics in middle school? Or an RN with a specialized focus? And why would those professors be considered "below average"—compared to whom? Colleagues at the National Science Foundation or CERN?
I haven't exactly studied the Finnish education system or their specific test scores, so I'm not sure what exactly is meant by that, but I suspect the Finns themselves wouldn't mind hiring American workers, so I assume we fit right in alongside our own results.

Sarah Hall53 said:Do you really think even one math teacher is staying?
And what about the language teachers? Think they'll stick around?
It'll just be elementary school teachers left, teaching everything under the sun without being qualified for half of it, because anyone else with options is going to pack up and leave.
I know I am.

Quentin Tarantino

wanderingbadger44 said:Whatever. It’s a simple case of you get what you pay for; if they want babysitters, that's exactly what they'll end up with. Where in the current policy does it actually mandate high-quality instruction or meaningful student engagement? You have eight hours in the classroom and zero expectations for homework.

It isn't like everyone can just walk away, though; not everyone is a math whiz or a computer science specialist. Where is a history teacher or an English major supposed to go?

No, I was actually referring to what Persephone wrote—that's the crux of it. For that exact reason, I'm convinced about 80% of them are going to walk away. I mean, sure, maybe the math geeks and the linguists can manage to pivot, but everyone else? It’s going to be a massive struggle—unless, of course, they’re looking to pull a complete 180 on their entire career path.

John Palmer9 said:Maybe we should lower the requirements for teachers—not necessarily needing those advanced degrees. I guess personality and mental readiness matter more than having a PhD or a Master's. It feels a bit redundant to require a specialized engineer just to teach basic math or chemistry.
If the goal is to turn full-day schooling into glorified babysitting, then I guess that's what it is. That should probably be strictly voluntary and limited to elementary school kids.

I suppose I’m somewhat in agreement—at least regarding the elementary school level. It really could reach the standard of a Bacc or perhaps an RN program if they just decided to lean harder into certain subjects.
I suppose we should probably talk about cutting the maximum down to 4. It seems like a necessary adjustment—if you can even call it that—but I guess it’s just the logical move at this stage. Maybe.

I find it highly improbable that 80% of the workforce would actually resign—it just doesn't seem realistic, I guess. While it’s perfectly reasonable to expect a certain number of people to quit and jump over to the private sector—or perhaps pursue an entirely different career path altogether—hitting an 80% threshold seems... unlikely, to say the least. In my view, rather than making these grand announcements about mass resignations, the focus really ought to be placed on increasing wages and improving general working conditions.

Scott Booth said:I’m curious to hear from the computer science teachers out there, or maybe those who work closely with them: is it actually possible to teach kids how to navigate an operating system, master basic Microsoft Office settings, or get comfortable with standard everyday apps if they only have one hour of tech class a week for eight years?

Personally, I’m all for increasing—or bringing back—the hours dedicated to English and math, provided we pair that shift with a solid, updated curriculum. It’s just a shame to see how much art and music have been pushed to the sidelines lately; the role they play in a well-rounded education shouldn't be overlooked like this.

Over eight years? Look, I’m no computer science professor, but logic tells me that it absolutely could be done.
I'm also not in favor of cutting those class hours either.

Sarah Hall53 said:I mean, I guess their teachers just send these weekly updates straight to their inbox about everything happening in class—which honestly seems way easier than actually, you know, a) talking to their kid or b) just going out and looking for the info themselves. It’s probably just much less work for the teacher to type up 15 or 20 detailed reports every single week instead ☕

Oh yeah, that would definitely make my week just wonderful. Honestly, I have no clue what there is to report on a weekly basis regarding a standard public school curriculum. 🫣

To honestly seems perfectly logical to me—just one hour a week for each subject, covering things like history, geography, chemistry, physics, and biology
That should be more than enough to cover the basics.
And, I suppose, maybe an hour of religious studies a week too, if they really have to include that in the curriculum.

Just finished watching it. I was actually quite overwhelmed by how much fun it was—honestly, a bit surprised myself. It’s such a fantastic trash movie; you've got that perfect cocktail of an animal attack, ridiculous humor, and all those classic tropes. Plus, seeing Ray Liotta
is something else. If you haven't seen it yet, I'd say go for it. It’s great entertainment.

wanderingbadger44 said:And if you factor in a second elective language, or joining the choir, volleyball, or an art club—how much more could you possibly add to that load?

If you ask me, it's way too much.

It’s like a runaway train; even the high achievers are drowning under four different advanced placements—parents are practically fighting over them or guilt-tripping them into staying enrolled—while the kids struggling with grades are stuck taking four remedial classes just to keep up, and everyone is constantly hovering over them, making them feel miserable if they miss a single session.

Yeah, the kids taking German have it in a different period too.
She went to choir, but then she quit. She goes to the art workshop, but once she gets there, she leaves a note in the digital school portal saying she won't be attending regularly.
She basically just tells me she's exhausted some days, and there is no way I'm forcing her. Look, if she wants to sit at home watching TV and lounging around, fine. If she wants to hang out with her friends outside, absolutely. That’s probably healthier than me breathing down her neck about studying or extra classes.
And now, on top of all that, she has church classes once a week because she's preparing for First Communion.
In the evenings after practice, she’s usually reading her required literature—so we’re talking 10:30 PM to 11:00 PM—which, I guess, puts her at a pretty enviable level of productivity.
Reading all this actually makes me feel a bit uneasy myself. 🫣

wanderingbadger44 said:Well, look at your situation: you've only got the core required subjects. There isn't a single elective, no extra tutoring, no remedial help, and zero participation in clubs or after-school activities.

It feels like every kid follows this pattern because, based on your child's specific schedule, that's basically the entire world they inhabit.

On top of that, you're being rude by insulting me and implying I'm making things up while questioning everyone else's honesty. Honestly, your claims are just as questionable as the one you just critiqued.

If a student is taking religion, a second language, and computer lab in 7th and 8th grade, that's only an extra six hours a week. Where are all these supposed extra sessions and study groups coming from?

Here is my daughter's schedule, she's in 8th grade:
In the morning: four 6-hour blocks, one 5-hour block, plus a computer science block during the afternoon shift.
Afternoon: same thing, four 6-hour blocks, one 5-hour block, plus that computer science block in the afternoon.
The extra math tutoring was also scheduled for the afternoon, but she dropped out—it was just too much for her, I guess.
Tutoring sessions usually run for about 6 or 7 hours, which is essentially an extra period.
Then there's sports in the evening, maybe 5 or 6 times a week for about an hour and a half.

Susan James said:Forget this whole Finland obsession. We need to stop looking at Scandinavia as some blueprint and trying to force their model onto our way of life.
They have incredibly high rates of suicide and depression.
Are we planning on importing those statistics too?

If we’re talking about the long-term outlook, I suppose we might actually be heading in the right direction.