School Reform: Thoughts?

urbanorca8 said:^

It honestly breaks my heart to hear about kids failing middle school—you know, the ones getting straight Cs or worse because they just won't study. But let's be real: it’s usually kids from less educated families who are stuck—they aren't to blame when their parents can't help them navigate the coursework. The high achievers are almost always the ones with a parent or an older sibling at home who can actually walk them through a chemistry problem or hand down a reading list from years ago—which I think is great, though it definitely leaves some kids out in the cold without that support system.

urbanorca8 said:^

It honestly breaks my heart to hear about kids failing middle school—you know, the ones getting straight Cs or worse because they just won't study. But let's be real: it’s usually kids from less educated families who are stuck—they aren't to blame when their parents can't help them navigate the coursework. The high achievers are almost always the ones with a parent or an older sibling at home who can actually walk them through a chemistry problem or hand down a reading list from years ago—which I think is great, though it definitely leaves some kids out in the cold without that support system.

analogseal18 said:You have hit the nail on the head. And we are talking about a class of only twenty students. There is an overwhelming number of undisciplined kids in there, yet most of the teachers seem to lack the basic authority required to settle them down—not to mention they lack any actual mechanism for discipline. In fact, it feels as though some have simply given up entirely. Just today, a boy sitting right next to my daughter spent the entire math exam loudly muttering, "I have no clue what this is, this is insane..." When my little one tried to alert the teacher, the instructor merely gave him a mild reprimand, after which he continued his commentary in that same casual tone as if nothing had happened. In our day, she would have snatched that test away and sent him straight out into the hallway. And the kicker? This kid isn't even among the worst offenders.

Since the subject at hand is school reform, I find myself circling back to my previous stance: we ought to separate the students into distinct tracks—placing those who actually possess a desire to learn and behave appropriately into their own classrooms, away from those who view school as nothing more than a social club or a legal obligation to be endured.

Heaven bless the local music academy! One finds absolutely no such issues there, neither with the students nor with the instructors, who genuinely love what they do and strive to push their pupils toward excellence, both academically and personally.

Rachel Young3 said:And who exactly is going to be teaching a classroom full of absolute hooligans? 🤔

I just found out this year that under our laws here in the States, if a kid is still technically under their teacher's supervision, they aren't even allowed to be failed on a retake, let alone held back a grade...

Raymond Wright4 said:On one hand, this feels like déjà vu; it reminds me of the policies proposed by Šuvar.

On the other hand, very few parents are willing to confront the actual abilities—or lack thereof—of their own children, nor are they accepting of such an educational system.

The problem with today’s society—and our politics—is this desperate push to inflate how many people have degrees, even if it means watering down the standards to get there. We’ve reached this point where if you don't have a diploma, you’re basically invisible, whether it's in business or some random journalism program. It’s like being a chef, a baker, or a plumber is somehow a disgrace now.

Probably just some leftover relic from the old days, when you’d land a cushy government gig or a political appointment right after college and coast until retirement. Sure, let's all try that now! Except back then it actually worked; today, between the massive oversupply of degrees and the economy being a dumpster fire, it's just not happening.

We’ve basically reached a point where we’re dumping massive amounts of taxpayer money into churning out highly educated professionals that the economy doesn't actually need—people who end up becoming more of a drain than an asset. It’s pure absurdity: we’re out here scrambling to import skilled labor like masons, carpenters, and chefs just to keep things running, while on the flip side, you've got people with advanced degrees struggling to find decent-paying work in America. Most employers around here just demand a college degree for entry-level roles that don't even require one.

To those parents in the quote who aren't feeling this system—maybe try actually spending some time with your kid instead. You'll probably see better results that way.

Rachel Young3 said:And who exactly is going to be teaching a classroom full of absolute hooligans? 🤔

I just found out this year that under our laws here in the States, if a kid is still technically under their teacher's supervision, they aren't even allowed to be failed on a retake, let alone held back a grade...

Where's the link?

Jason Morgan said:Who cares who initiates it? Look at Germany—they’ve been running that kind of academic track system since after fourth grade.
I truly believe this is exactly what the American education system desperately needs right now, because, quite frankly, the current state of things is a total disaster.

Around here, that whole process of branching off basically happens at the tail end of elementary school, right when you’re being sorted into high schools based on your interests and your grades.
Honestly, we really ought to have handled this much sooner.
Even these supposedly "tailored" and individualized learning plans are nothing more than a joke. The reality is that we aren't actually adapting the curriculum to fit the children; instead, we’re just bending the teaching to suit the tests and oral exams. It’s because, frankly, there is simply no other way to make it work.

It’s quite a sobering reality, isn't it? I was just thinking about how some students—take those currently sitting in seventh grade, for instance—haven't actually mastered the fundamental basics. It’s a bit of a systemic tragedy, really. Without that core foundation, they find themselves completely adrift, unable to actually grasp the current curriculum, let alone build upon it to reach the next level. You can't exactly construct a skyscraper on a foundation made of sand, and yet, that seems to be the predicament we're facing.
I could tear them down if I really wanted to, but honestly, there’s just no point in bothering.
It strikes me as quite a profound failure of our educational system that students graduate from elementary school essentially empty-handed. They exit the system without having acquired any meaningful foundational knowledge, which is frankly disheartening. In an ideal world, they should have been transitioned into specialized programs designed for individualized instruction—environments where the curriculum is tailored to their specific learning pace. Instead of being left to flounder, these students could have benefited immensely from a more customized approach that actually meets them where they are.

Everything around here feels like it’s been flattened into one mediocre, indistinguishable blur. Honestly, we need an urgent overhaul to categorize things into bad, mediocre, and excellent. As it stands, the actual instructional hours and the quality of teaching aren't meeting anyone's needs—not even their own.

For those who truly excel, life tends to become rather monotonous.
If I decide to dive into more advanced material just to keep them engaged—because, let’s face it, they find it genuinely interesting and challenging—the rest of the class ends up suffering for it. It's a bit of a catch-22, isn't it?
It seems everything is just an uphill battle for the folks in Middle America lately. Everything feels heavy.
It is utterly beyond comprehension for those who lack any sense of quality.

It really does a number on one's motivation. Honestly, it’s quite detrimental to the whole drive to get things done.

Look, I’ll be the one to say it: go ahead and try to design a curriculum where students actually learn something and stay engaged. Just good luck with that. How on earth are they supposed to grasp any of this when the material is fundamentally incomprehensible to them? It’s a lost cause if they can't even follow the logic.

It truly breaks my heart when the most brilliant and genuinely kindhearted students are the ones who suffer. These kids have both the capability and the drive; their struggles aren't born from laziness or a lack of character, which makes it all the more frustrating. Honestly, I feel we ought to be setting them apart for specialized support. We should be giving our educational psychologists and teachers a clear mandate to prioritize these students—not just for their own sake, but for the long-term stability of our country and the integrity of our entire education system.

Why bother watering down the curriculum for everyone when you can just focus on the kids who actually have what it takes? It’s pointless to drag down the high achievers just because some students won't or can't keep up. If they can't handle the standard coursework, there are plenty of other ways to deal with it—retaking a grade, hiring private tutors, or getting parents more involved at home. And if none of that works, we might eventually have to look at separating students by ability levels.

Setting all that drama aside, can a teacher actually call Child Protective Services if a kid is falling behind or bombing their classes? If so, has anyone actually seen that happen, and what was the fallout?

Nicole Morgan55 said:The problem with today’s society—and our politics—is this desperate push to inflate how many people have degrees, even if it means watering down the standards to get there. We’ve reached this point where if you don't have a diploma, you’re basically invisible, whether it's in business or some random journalism program. It’s like being a chef, a baker, or a plumber is somehow a disgrace now.

Probably just some leftover relic from the old days, when you’d land a cushy government gig or a political appointment right after college and coast until retirement. Sure, let's all try that now! Except back then it actually worked; today, between the massive oversupply of degrees and the economy being a dumpster fire, it's just not happening.

We’ve basically reached a point where we’re dumping massive amounts of taxpayer money into churning out highly educated professionals that the economy doesn't actually need—people who end up becoming more of a drain than an asset. It’s pure absurdity: we’re out here scrambling to import skilled labor like masons, carpenters, and chefs just to keep things running, while on the flip side, you've got people with advanced degrees struggling to find decent-paying work in America. Most employers around here just demand a college degree for entry-level roles that don't even require one.

To those parents in the quote who aren't feeling this system—maybe try actually spending some time with your kid instead. You'll probably see better results that way.

Where's the link?

Why bother watering down the curriculum for everyone when you can just focus on the kids who actually have what it takes? It’s pointless to drag down the high achievers just because some students won't or can't keep up. If they can't handle the standard coursework, there are plenty of other ways to deal with it—retaking a grade, hiring private tutors, or getting parents more involved at home. And if none of that works, we might eventually have to look at separating students by ability levels.

Setting all that drama aside, can a teacher actually call Child Protective Services if a kid is falling behind or bombing their classes? If so, has anyone actually seen that happen, and what was the fallout?

Rachel Young3 said:I don't have a link yet
I heard about this from my mentor at school and some old college friends who are already teaching out in the field
I'm definitely going to grill her for more details on the whole thing...

Jason Morgan said:

Jason Morgan said:That’s spot on. In elementary school, kids in grades 1 through 4 don't actually sit for summer school or make-up exams; they just move up to the next grade even if they have a failing mark. It happened a few times last year.
To give you a concrete example, there was one little guy who moved from second grade to third grade despite carrying a failing math grade that he'd been dragging along since first grade.😵
Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue what the logic is behind that system.

Nicole Morgan55 said:

urbantinker8 said:I think I could manage it too.😳🥳

But honestly, I’d probably end up working myself to death, you know? Between prepping lessons at home and actually teaching them in class, it feels like a lot.
It isn't impossible, per se, but it's just incredibly exhausting.

I suppose I might even be willing to take on one of those really difficult classrooms, if only because I feel like it would be its own kind of challenge.
I wouldn't say no to a bigger paycheck, obviously, though if I really had the choice, I’d probably just go for the seniority credits instead.😬