mellowskipper said:I mean, if they pack everything in before 2:00 PM—lunch included—who could really complain? As far as I'm concerned, it’s perfectly fine. Honestly, even if I had to pay extra for that lunch, I suppose I wouldn't mind one bit.
They set the end time for the older grades at 2:40 PM. It’s a slight improvement over 3:30 PM, but still quite late. They'll just end up bringing homework home and studying anyway...
So, May 12th in Chicago. Only one minor issue—the weather might be unpredictable. It's scheduled for Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM... The kids might even head over with their class 😁
A few organizations and associations finally weighed in on the online consultation, and not a single comment was positive 😛 Today, the American Mathematical Society, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, various teachers' unions, and even parent groups have submitted their stances 👍
It will be interesting to see if they actually listen to any of it
It's a given that most women flock to teaching because the lifestyle suits family life. If the husband pulls in a solid salary, working at a school means being home after four or five hours instead of eight, leaving plenty of time for domestic duties
But honestly, that perceived advantage over other careers is evaporating now that remote work and flexible hours are becoming standard everywhere In my firm, anyone with young kids just works from home when they get sick. They don't even bother calling in sick; the boss knows they won't be at 100% capacity, but they'll hit at least 50%. It saves everyone the headache of finding coverage, and the essential tasks still get done—it’s a win-win for both the employer and the staff
If you have that kind of flexibility plus a 20% higher paycheck, why on earth would anyone choose teaching? You'd be working significantly less than an 8-to-3 shift, yet you're still hauling grading home and spending nights prepping lesson plans
shadowtiger0 said:Honestly, kids these days pretty much figure this stuff out on their own anyway.
I'm with MH on this one—language majors are essentially humanists by trade, so coding isn't really their vibe, nor is it particularly necessary for them.
I wouldn't be so sure about that...
There are countless applications available today that could streamline daily workflows, yet so many people remain completely unaware of them. Most can't even navigate advanced features in Word, let alone Excel... Let's just say I won't be mentioning Power Apps...
It all could have been handled back in high school... ☕
Sarah Hall53 said:Is it even worth forcing a language academy kid into programming?
It doesn't need to be coding in every single high school... It could just be tailored for general tracks—things like mastering MS Office, digital literacy, or navigating various apps. There is plenty to cover without needing to write code...
I wonder what you call people who obsess over those little crescent cookies... 😁
Switching gears to tech education—I honestly don't see why they pushed for computer science to start so early in elementary school. It would make much more sense if it were mandatory starting in middle school, from 5th through 8th grade.
It’s a disaster how little computer science is offered in high school. General studies or language academies probably only get one year of it. Unless you enroll in a STEM academy or some specialized vocational school for electrical engineering or web design, you basically never touch a computer.
Wouldn't it have been smarter to make it mandatory for middle schoolers and then keep it as a core requirement throughout all four years of high school? ☕
mellowskipper said: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.
I agree.🙂
Personally, I would introduce electives by 7th or 8th grade... maybe one hour of fundamentals, plus two hours for those actually interested in going deeper.
northerntiger9, the shortage of quality teachers stems from negative selection, low salaries, and an endless mountain of paperwork. Toss in difficult parent interactions and a lack of actual accountability, and you see how everything is connected...
Not a single comment on the public consultation supports this idea—maybe one out of nearly 500 if you count the outliers... everyone else, from teachers to parents, is against it.
People, please get involved. You just need to register before
Sarah Hall53 said:but we aren't talking about some chill after-school program with games and downtime here—this is actual instruction. I mean, mandatory classes, remedial sessions, enrichment programs... just class, class, and more class.
I see the problem. That’s why I’m saying maybe it works for first and second grade, but after that 👎
What they’ve proposed is an absolute disaster; kids will stage a revolt if they're stuck in school from 8 AM to 5 PM. 😵
Sure, the little ones in first and second grade might manage some after-school care filled with games, but anything beyond that is pointless... and they want to extend this through eighth grade. What on earth are seventh and eighth graders supposed to do sitting in a classroom all afternoon? Everyone will lose their minds...
My kids can barely wait to get home and decompress after sitting in those rigid school chairs all day. Just thinking about it is exhausting... Then there's the food situation. Even if the cafeteria serves decent meals, these older kids are hungry constantly. Who is going to provide high-quality nutrition for everyone?
And don't even get me started on the teachers. These geniuses plan to have one teacher covering the entire day for the lower grades; that person is going to be a nervous wreck by noon.
I fail to see the logic here. Is the goal just to reduce enrollment at the Department of Education colleges? They'll just collect the tuition and then leave fifty schools in shambles... Is there any actual reasoning behind these proposals?
The most pathetic part is that our local school actually wants to sign up for this mess. I have to use that word because it truly is a mess. I can only hope this "experiment" doesn't actually happen... 🤦
My son is studying both English and German, but there is zero chance he’ll choose German as his primary language in high school. He claims English is much more intuitive and prefers it; most of his classmates have already given up on German entirely. They're planning to either stick strictly to English or pick something else once they reach prep school...☕
It is unfortunate, I suppose, though it's likely easier to ace an English exam than a German one on the SATs. That might be exactly why they are avoiding it as a major...
Still, if he enrolls in a vocational program now with just one language, it will be far easier to pick up German later at a language institute than starting from scratch...
There is a massive difference between losing one hour commuting to school or work and losing three... You end up with less sleep, more exhaustion, and enough stress to ruin your day before it even starts. Nothing else gets done.
It’s not comparable. And if you think otherwise, try navigating public transit—or even just driving—through New York City during the morning rush from 7:00 to 8:30 AM. See how much time you actually have left.
My only gripe with vocational schools is how heavily gender-segregated they can be.😁 Technical tracks are mostly guys, while nursing or medical programs are almost entirely women.
Because of that, I’d actually prefer a traditional high school setting where there's at least some social mixing, even if my eighth grader isn't exactly interested in girls yet...😵
It’s honestly baffling why girls wouldn't consider computer science; it's an incredible field, and so many girls from prep schools end up studying at MIT or Georgia Tech anyway.
mellowskipper said:Did everything just grind to a halt during COVID? Maybe. But this year, there really isn't any excuse for things staying closed—not anymore. I’m personally hoping we finally see those open campus days or maybe even some kind of local high school fair. Just keep an eye on the local news outlets or the district portals... I don't know what else you'd check, honestly.
Starting May 1st, just monitor the websites of the schools you're interested in.👍
It all comes down to the demographics... urban centers require significantly higher scores than the suburbs, and New York City is likely the worst case scenario.
The entry threshold for computer technicians climbs by about two points every year; in New York City, if you aren't an honor student, you're basically out of luck.
My boy won't even consider prep school... he says he has no interest in studying everything, just the things that actually matter to him.😁