Posts by John Palmer9

Susan James said:Yeah, we have this computer science class that the school keeps announcing only to cancel three competitions in a row—or, let's be honest, it's mostly just kids playing video games. Still, she can go ahead and claim she was the one who successfully brought the curriculum to life. And now, on top of all that, she’s actually acting offended because they're cutting back on the computer science hours.

If she were actually in power—though thankfully, the President was polite enough to give her a nod of thanks instead—things would look very different. 🙏 🙏We probably would have transitioned to full-day schooling by 2021. She actually finished drafting her strategic roadmap back in 2020 and had already started all the prep work for the CN.
I ended up skipping that one because my kid was already a bit too old for it, but I’ve heard people talking about how during her term, teachers at the local elementary schools had to deal with all that remote learning chaos. They were basically expected to send home piles of creative assignments via email, acting like they were running an after-school program from their living rooms—all without ever checking if the families actually had reliable high-speed internet at home. It felt like she just assumed every parent was working remotely and had nothing better to do than spend the entire day playing school with their kids. For those of us with children in public school, it honestly felt like we were stuck in an endless cycle of supervised playtime instead of actual parenting.

One silver lining to the pandemic was that it actually hit the pause button on everything happening around the CN. My only real concern is how much of that budget has ballooned since those documents were first drafted back in 2020. It feels like we’re now in a position where they have to rush through spending it all during this 23/24 cycle for what they're calling an "experiment"—even though, if you ask me, it doesn't feel like an experiment at all.

Given how much the US tech job market is struggling right now, I guess we should probably let people with just a bachelor's degree teach computer science in schools, provided they actually follow the curriculum correctly.

I think everything should be looked at on an individual basis, and we really ought to respect people's choice to participate.

Back in the day, my former colleagues learned Italian from their grandmothers—who actually grew up in Italy, back when things were different. I guess if you compare the value of sitting through a full day of school versus just hanging out with your grandma while she teaches you a language, the latter might have its perks.

One of my colleagues used to work through her high school math homework, specifically set theory, with her father, who was a mechanical engineer. He would always point out how much set theory actually matters to the philosophy of mathematics.
In high school, they didn't really teach that specific part of math with much creativity. So, maybe there's some real value in working through your assignments alongside someone who actually knows their stuff.

nimblelynx7 said:It’ll be interesting to see if even half of these people actually follow through on their resignation threats.

My take? In the end, there won't be any actual change—just a lot of collective whining before business continues as usual.

Our well-known historian Darko Dukovski, who holds a PhD, ended up working at an Elementary School. I guess that’s just how the job market looks for anyone with degrees in sociology, history, political science, or philosophy...

For me, the real example is my mother. She only finished fourth grade, but right after WWII, while she was part of the League Women, she used to tutor kids who couldn't attend school because of the war. Eventually, those kids caught up with their own age groups, some even went on to college, and later they’d thank her, saying things like, "you were such a wonderful teacher to us." So, I suppose for a teacher, it’s more about your personality and how you connect with people than whether you have a master's degree.

northerntiger9 said:Sure... you have to overhaul everything from the ground up—not just slap some pink paint on the facade and add another floor.😬

Right now, it’s more profitable and way less stressful
to just stock shelves at IBM or Target than to deal with kids.

Citing:

"Salaries for all full-time teachers will exceed $3.25"

It looks like maybe it actually pays better

cnn.com/education-dept-announces-teacher-salaries-will-top-12000-dollars

Sarah Hall53 said:And then you'll have some student from an American public school crying about how "if only the teachers would actually stand up and teach us something..."
Honey, we did... while we were being paid to do it.

This kind of school system is our future, and honestly, maybe we don't even deserve better.
I just hope anyone who can find a way out of this mess grabs their bags and leaves—leaving the rest behind so someone like Harvey Weinstein can just keep padding his own paycheck and hiking his hourly rates.

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.

Susan James said:😕
😕
😕

So, are they basically sending assignments home so parents can tutor their kids ahead of time?
If that's the case, what is the point of school anymore?

I imagine one grandpa might say, "I'm heading over to help the neighbor fix his basement waterproofing—he'll pay me, and my grandson can just learn about circular motion in class." Another might go along with the idea mentioned above, which honestly seems better than sitting in a park arguing with other retirees about putin. Then there's a third type who sees his grandson studying a figure like Husein-kapetan Gradašćević in history class and just hands him this great article: stav.ba/veliki-bosanski-ustanak-1831-gradascevic-se-uputio-prema-travniku-sa-4000-ljudi

As Mao Zedong used to say, "neka cvijet stotina cvijet."

Susan James said:Why exactly is that such a good idea? Could you explain a bit more instead of just dropping links?

In America, we have digital gradebooks that parents check multiple times a day (I know some people who basically just sit there hitting refresh). There are also apps that send notifications from the portal because if you have more than one kid in school, logging in over and over again can be a real pain.
What exactly would teachers be expected to send home to parents on a Friday afternoon? 🤔

Well, I guess it’s all laid out there. For instance, it mentions how parents get a message on Friday at the end of the week detailing what the kids worked on and what’s coming up next."

It’s like getting a notification that they're covering circular motion in physics next week, so I can sit my little princess down and give her a full lecture on it. She’ll probably just look at me like, "Wow, Grandpa is so smart." Then, when a notice comes through saying they're studying the history of the Comintern, I guess I'll just start preaching the glories of the Comintern right then and there.

The way they handle the first four grades over in Norway—getting parents more involved like this—it seems like a pretty solid idea, I guess.

6yka.com/skola-u-norveskoj-prvaci-imaju-jedan-domaci-nedeljno-pet-predmeta-a-roditelji-svakog-petka-dobijaju-izvestaj

Adam Diaz67 said:I where would you even cut, since you have to make cuts somewhere.

On the other hand, what's the actual goal here? What specific skills are kids supposed to walk away with by increasing psychology and sociology hours? Because based on what you mentioned, you could achieve that without adding more class time—you’d just need to tweak the curriculum and focus more on how this stuff actually works in the real world.

Besides, understanding how society functions on a deep level isn't just about sociology. It’s a mix of several different factors studied across multiple fields.

I was thinking about a case recently—a bright student, just graduated high school, who basically hit a wall this year because she felt her mom preferred her brother over her. Looking at the situation, it seems pretty clear the mother just isn't great at communicating. If the student had studied something like interpersonal communication within families, she might have realized, first, what healthy communication actually looks like, second, that some people just aren't naturally good at it, and third, that being bad at talking doesn't necessarily mean someone is a bad person.

Adam Diaz67 said:I where would you even cut, since you have to make cuts somewhere.

On the other hand, what's the actual goal here? What specific skills are kids supposed to walk away with by increasing psychology and sociology hours? Because based on what you mentioned, you could achieve that without adding more class time—you’d just need to tweak the curriculum and focus more on how this stuff actually works in the real world.

Besides, understanding how society functions on a deep level isn't just about sociology. It’s a mix of several different factors studied across multiple fields.

So, everyone touches on it a little bit, but I guess nobody really gets into the deep, comprehensive stuff.

mellowskipper said:What’s the actual point of increasing funding for psychology and sociology?
I mean, what does that even get us in practice?

I guess when you consider how much an individual can actually gain from having a solid grasp on both individual and group psychology in this day and age...

It’s kind of the same with sociology—understanding the deep, underlying ways society actually functions.

Students might just be able to teach themselves as they grow up. It's not like they need 😒

Susan James said:An English teacher is covering math at a school in Florida

I honestly believe she knows her stuff, and the kids will be fine. If they hit a wall, parents can always step in to help out a bit—whether that's through tutoring or just sharing what they know.

It’s honestly unrealistic to expect someone with a degree from Harvard University to jump into a temporary substitute role in an elementary school, especially when their field is in such high demand. We put out job postings every few months, but we just can't get anyone to apply.

I think the school found a decent workaround for the bright students (they'll have another teacher to lean on), but we really need to realize that pushing for reforms without actually increasing teacher salaries is a losing game.
Since certain specialists are clearly in short supply, I don't see any other way besides paying them more. That's why forcing computer science on everyone doesn't make sense—not everyone is built for it—just like paying for religious studies instructors for all eight years isn't practical. And don't even get me started on adding extra elective subjects.
We need to redirect the funding differently.

Of course, we should also thank the "helicopter parents" who want everything perfect; the reality is that most people don't choose math education as a major, and even those who do often have no interest in working in public schools.

I suppose what matters most is that the teacher is a solid mentor—someone who understands pedagogy, psychology, and just has a good head on their shoulders—because foxnews.com/we-are-all-born-mathematicians
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The high school system, especially the prep schools, probably needs a total overhaul:

1. English should be mandatory every single day for an hour.
2. Physical education needs to be a daily requirement, one hour every day.
3. Second languages should be strictly elective. It seems like a real issue when kids lose interest in
history, math, or physics... and being unmotivated to learn a specific
foreign language just makes everything three times worse.
4. We should probably quadruple the hours dedicated to Psychology, both for individuals and groups.
5. There should definitely be more time set aside for Sociology.

Being a teacher really takes a certain level of patience, psychology, and just having the right kind of personality. It seems a bit odd to me when someone with an engineering degree in math ends up teaching in a school. I guess it’s a bit like seeing a philosopher, an engineer, or even a film critic move to the States and end up driving a cab or waiting tables. Maybe any high schooler who actually understands math could teach it at the elementary level, provided they have the right pedagogical skills and a good way with kids.

I've seen enough times where a math engineer can be pretty uninspiring and just not very effective at teaching high schoolers.

mellowskipper said:All art schools are like that, really—even our Shell institute in New York is the same way. >

I actually ended up being obsessed with graphic design.

Great article, really good story.

The entrance exam carries the most weight here. There are two tracks: academic and athletic. If she wanted to go the athletic route, it would be based on school grades + the entrance exam + points from the athletic association.

I'm quite concerned given that she's an IP student, and I honestly feel she might be better off—and certainly less stressed—in the vocational program rather than the traditional academic track.

We are definitely planning to attend the Open House at both the vocational school and the local arts academy. Let her see things from that perspective too.
In my day, the vocational school had a bit of a bad reputation—much like how people used to view companies like General Electric—but times change. Based on the curriculum, I'd say it's modern, and with the right prep work—which all the academic kids do anyway—you can easily ace the SATs and get into most colleges.
Given the current state of the elementary schools, I think we're prepared for just about any kind of teacher or teaching method.

It’s wild seeing how much some people make who graduated from those tech programs and now work for companies supplying Tesla, handling major repairs for power plants all over Europe and the rest of the world.
I suppose the key is mastering the trade and getting your English down. Teaching isn't just about facts anymore; it's about mentoring and actually motivating kids, which is what we expect from educators today. It used to be that families or churches shaped the youth, then it was the hyper-politicized government, and nowadays... well, it's different.

Some folks are more pessimistic, like the well-known Korado Korljević:

"– We find ourselves on a path toward chaos, where the knowledge offered in schools is almost entirely irrelevant for unlocking the solutions to that chaos. The era of the digital revolution was fleeting, perhaps the shortest in history, creating a series of dramatic shifts that have left us stuck in a sort of civilizational blind alley."

istriaterramagica.eu/na-predavanju-korada-korlevica-kome-pripada-budućnost

mellowskipper said:My daughter originally wanted to go into graphic design for web work, but her school basically brainwashed her into thinking it was for losers—telling her everyone there was just out to cause trouble.
Now she’s insisting on going to an academic high school because, apparently, that's where all the "smart" kids go. I suppose she's just terrified of looking unintelligent.
It's a mess.

You should probably show her this article right away
cnn.com/success-stories/how-designing-school-newsletters-saved-my-career

I mean, you look at someone who studied hospitality, taught themselves coding and web design, and then actually built a successful IT business out of nothing... I guess a vocational track focused on design could be a pretty solid choice, really.

Larry Walker24 said:And that’s exactly why I’m sitting here in 5th grade losing my mind because these kids can barely read—let alone read anything worth mentioning. It happens because teachers, feeling the heat from pushy parents, take the easy way out and just hand out passing grades to kids who are clearly drowning. And boom, you've got your "problem" students showing up in middle school.

😲 It seems like things in the US education system might be even more of a mess than parents realize.

I suppose how you motivate kids and handle their upbringing really matters. Teaching methods have come such a long way these days that you could probably introduce something like chemistry to children who are only just starting to master reading and basic math. For instance:

kids aged 7-8 example-science-curriculum.com/kids-7-8/chemistry

kids aged 9-10 example-science-curriculum.com/kids-9-10/chemistry

I guess a lot of kids who ended up being held back a grade eventually turn around and blame their parents for not letting them move ahead sooner.

Quincy:

I guess maybe things are getting a little bit fruity around here. kaže: It’s all just drama, as usual. I guess it feels like you go straight from daycare to prison; life's pretty much over.🙄

Times have changed quite a bit, I suppose; families used to be much larger and more multigenerational back in the day, with grandparents and extended relatives all playing some kind of role in raising the kids. Nowadays, it seems like parents just lean on the local public schools for everything, though those institutions seem mostly interested in being strictly academic, almost as if they've decided that providing any kind of guidance or moral upbringing isn't really their responsibility anymore.

If a school happens to have two first-grade classes, I guess they could just quietly agree behind the scenes to designate one specifically for kids who need a bit more support. It might mean there wouldn't be any real need to delay their start at school, maybe.

@ Razer93

I don't know about parents, but I guess life just feels a whole lot better when you're living by the coast in that California climate. Big cities in the Midwest feel more like work camps to me.

It’s just a drop in the bucket for Putin; he’ll probably just end up unifying the Russians around him, telling them, "See? This is what happens when you deal with a decadent West—it's us versus them, the defenders of traditional values."