School Reform: Thoughts?

This is the kind of education system we actually need:

Kakadu said:I can't speak for other military bases, but mine seems—perhaps with an excessive amount of anxiety (😬)—to be entirely preoccupied with Loomen

Alright, you self-proclaimed experts and experimentalists,
the frontline troops are arriving this September.

Loomen* is a fine name, I suppose,
as far as I know, things stay smooth there.

The mentors look after us, watching our backs,
though occasionally they hand out a few treats.

It’s a good thing we’re all here together,
since we really are the school of hard knocks.

We had a truly wonderful time,
see you all very soon!
🐔🐔🐔

Nicholas King said: Alright, you self-proclaimed experts and experimentalists,
the frontline troops are arriving this September.

Loomen* is a fine name, I suppose,
as far as I know, things stay smooth there.

The mentors look after us, watching our backs,
though occasionally they hand out a few treats.

It’s a good thing we’re all here together,
since we really are the school of hard knocks.

We had a truly wonderful time,
see you all very soon!
🐔🐔🐔

Is that supposed to be sung to a banjo or a country ballad? 😁

No, they sing it along with some choreographed dance routine and the burning of millions in taxpayer dollars.

Nicholas King said:No, they sing it along with some choreographed dance routine and the burning of millions in taxpayer dollars.

I haven't actually seen this myself.

😂 😂 😂 😵

That little song 🙄 isn't just some trivial excess—it’s actually a perfect microcosm of the massive, gaping holes left by this so-called "reform" that its architects are so loudly boasting about.

Ideally, there should be some sort of exhaustive breakdown here detailing all the delusions and sheer incompetence reflected in both the "song" and the entire meeting itself—which, let's not forget, cost taxpayers a cool million dollars net—but honestly, I don't even know where to start. Instead, just try to imagine the pure parental horror when your kid comes home from this "reformed school" having achieved nothing more than some tragic little ditty like this... (and I'm not just talking about the brain-dead rhymes, but the completely botched rhythm too—for heaven's sake, at least count the syllables so you can see how the line "because school is life, that's who we are" ends up with an extra 🙂) as their sole educational milestone...

Calling this a reform is a massive stretch.
I’ve sat through all the training sessions and town halls they've thrown at us so far.
Honestly, this "reform" is so trivial it barely deserves the title.
It’s hard to wrap my head around the idea that we might just keep getting progressively worse ministers—especially when they have a background in education—but here we are. Always keeping us on our toes!

Jason Morgan said:Calling this a reform is a massive stretch.
I’ve sat through all the training sessions and town halls they've thrown at us so far.
Honestly, this "reform" is so trivial it barely deserves the title.
It’s hard to wrap my head around the idea that we might just keep getting progressively worse ministers—especially when they have a background in education—but here we are. Always keeping us on our toes!

I was actually wondering what specifically is being reformed here and what kind of changes we can expect for the kids next year...

Susan James said:I was actually wondering what specifically is being reformed here and what kind of changes we can expect for the kids next year...

Well, looking at my specific field of study, it’s quite literally just a rebranding of the grading components.
We’re basically just deciding which parts get a numerical grade and which ones get qualitative feedback.

As for other departments, I couldn't say, but this particular "reform" is a bit of a joke.

Did anyone catch the news program tonight?

The host gave such a beautiful tribute to Loomis—and everything else mentioned, too.

Honestly, it was just heartbreaking.

Jason Morgan said:Calling this a reform is a massive stretch.
I’ve sat through all the training sessions and town halls they've thrown at us so far.
Honestly, this "reform" is so trivial it barely deserves the title.
It’s hard to wrap my head around the idea that we might just keep getting progressively worse ministers—especially when they have a background in education—but here we are. Always keeping us on our toes!

results

Antonio Šiber: Secretary Divjak brought nothing but buzzwords🙏🙏🙏

That’s a pretty weak example you've got there.

Learning outcomes aren't some trendy buzzword—they're actually a way to ensure skills remain comparable and people stay mobile in the workforce. More importantly, they serve to dismantle the old-school feudalism still lurking in our schools, where teachers basically hold unchecked power to test knowledge and hand out grades however they see fit.

The second issue is that, in practice, these learning outcomes are nothing more than dead ink on a page. Knowledge assessments lack any kind of external validation, leaving grading entirely up to subjective whims—usually based on sentences that start with, "Well, they need to know this FOR ME..."

Nicholas King said:That’s a pretty weak example you've got there.

Learning outcomes aren't some trendy buzzword—they're actually a way to ensure skills remain comparable and people stay mobile in the workforce. More importantly, they serve to dismantle the old-school feudalism still lurking in our schools, where teachers basically hold unchecked power to test knowledge and hand out grades however they see fit.

The second issue is that, in practice, these learning outcomes are nothing more than dead ink on a page. Knowledge assessments lack any kind of external validation, leaving grading entirely up to subjective whims—usually based on sentences that start with, "Well, they need to know this FOR ME..."

I'd honestly let a colleague from one of those high-end experimental magnet schools explain to you exactly what this reform entails.

It seems like you're carrying quite a few biases regarding the American education system.

I honestly don't see how the abstract concept of learning outcomes—which, by the way, isn't some localized invention—has anything to do with whether or not I actually grasp the specifics of this particular reform.

What I’m laying out here isn't a matter of bias or personal prejudice; these are simply cold, hard facts, not subjective opinions.

Besides, here’s a little challenge for you all: this forum is absolutely crawling with educators—so why don't all those professionals whose knowledge assessments are subject to external oversight before they're even administered step up? I'd love to see them write down exactly how they define a grade given to a student in a clear and concrete way. Let’s just take a single grade like a "passing" mark, for instance.

Alright, enough with the bickering already. Can we get some actual info here?

I’ve got one kid in third grade, and they'll be heading into fourth this fall.
What kind of changes are we looking at?
Is this happening to everyone, or is it still just that mess with the AFL experimental program they started this year?

So, just to get everyone on the same page regarding the upcoming changes—next year, the curriculum overhaul only hits the first and fifth graders in elementary school (though, if you're looking at biology, chemistry, or physics, that'd be the seventh grade equivalent), plus the incoming freshmen in high school. For those kids already in the advanced science tracks, they’ll just keep doing things the way they always have, while everyone else follows the old system.

Ugh, thanks a lot. 👍

If there’s one thing I seriously want to stay far away from, it’s those school reforms. 😁

We'll probably just crash into it eventually😁

Look, I know, I get it 😁 but we aren't there yet. Not even close. 🙂

If you can't stomach these reforms, then I suppose you have no business living here in the first place 🙂.