I can't sleep, so I'm blogging.
"Life sucks and then you die," has been a common quote I have heard and said since I was in my 20's. This week, I feel like life couldn't get any "suckier."
Truth is, the stress level with teachers is rising higher and higher. Teachers jobs are now going to be tied to achievement with end of course exams. We have to blame someone when little jimmy can't read. Parent who never read to their child, or invested time in reading specialists and seeing that their child was in school EVERY day...oh no..not their fault one bit! Governments that tie precious money to buy books and supplies so that little johnny isn't reading something written in the mid 50's that is out of date and stereotypical of the era, well, that isn't their fault! But schools and teachers that work their asses off, required to keep students in school .. sorry HOLD STUDENTS HOSTAGE in school without any regard for what is best for the kid, oh and make them ALL graduate, well hey.. its OUR fault.
You know..sometimes little johnny is happier if little johnny is learning a trade that will put a roof over his head and food on the table. Little johnny may not WANT to go to college, and frankly at the price of tuition these days, why should they pay that much for a crap shoot chance of getting a real paying job in their field?
But tomorrows economy demands college educated people!
Well you know what.. FINE..educate WELL the ones that are truely college ready, and let those that are career technical or vocational FREE to be what they need to do! The most disruptive students I have seen in school are disruptive because they just are not happy where they are? How many adults willingly continue in a job if they aren't happy. We already know how many dump a marriage if they aren't happy, so WHY are we forcing college on kids WHO by the way, you put a hammer in their hand and give them meaningful work will become the most polite, respectable and well adjusted kids you ever saw?
We are going to STILL need plumbers.
We are going to STILL need carpenters.
We are going to STILL need all tradesmen and no they do NOT need college degrees.
They need a highly specific technical program that teaches them the math, reading, science and other stuff and turns them loose on a job site in the afternoon. They are productive, they are willing to learn because it is in small exposure amounts, and for many who ARE the bread winners in their family, it supplies a source of income.
Instead of getting in trouble in school or out in town, they are making a decent wage, learning a valuable skill and feeling darn good about themselves. AND ISN'T that what real education is all about? Achieving something?
Stop distracting the college kids...lets us teach them to the standards we were taught too.
Stop holding back the vocational students that are talented with mechanical and construction skills. Let them work. If they are making money, they are paying taxes and they are supporting society and not being a burden.
OR....
Continue to do it our way. Force them to stay in school, fight with them to behave,if they even make it to school and BTW get NO support from parents at home, and watch them move from the school room to the jail cell in one easy step.
There is a good reason we refer to the local county detention center as "High School North."
Sorry for the typos. This is a rant and I SHOULD be asleep!
"Life sucks and then you die," has been a common quote I have heard and said since I was in my 20's. This week, I feel like life couldn't get any "suckier."
Truth is, the stress level with teachers is rising higher and higher. Teachers jobs are now going to be tied to achievement with end of course exams. We have to blame someone when little jimmy can't read. Parent who never read to their child, or invested time in reading specialists and seeing that their child was in school EVERY day...oh no..not their fault one bit! Governments that tie precious money to buy books and supplies so that little johnny isn't reading something written in the mid 50's that is out of date and stereotypical of the era, well, that isn't their fault! But schools and teachers that work their asses off, required to keep students in school .. sorry HOLD STUDENTS HOSTAGE in school without any regard for what is best for the kid, oh and make them ALL graduate, well hey.. its OUR fault.
You know..sometimes little johnny is happier if little johnny is learning a trade that will put a roof over his head and food on the table. Little johnny may not WANT to go to college, and frankly at the price of tuition these days, why should they pay that much for a crap shoot chance of getting a real paying job in their field?
But tomorrows economy demands college educated people!
Well you know what.. FINE..educate WELL the ones that are truely college ready, and let those that are career technical or vocational FREE to be what they need to do! The most disruptive students I have seen in school are disruptive because they just are not happy where they are? How many adults willingly continue in a job if they aren't happy. We already know how many dump a marriage if they aren't happy, so WHY are we forcing college on kids WHO by the way, you put a hammer in their hand and give them meaningful work will become the most polite, respectable and well adjusted kids you ever saw?
We are going to STILL need plumbers.
We are going to STILL need carpenters.
We are going to STILL need all tradesmen and no they do NOT need college degrees.
They need a highly specific technical program that teaches them the math, reading, science and other stuff and turns them loose on a job site in the afternoon. They are productive, they are willing to learn because it is in small exposure amounts, and for many who ARE the bread winners in their family, it supplies a source of income.
Instead of getting in trouble in school or out in town, they are making a decent wage, learning a valuable skill and feeling darn good about themselves. AND ISN'T that what real education is all about? Achieving something?
Stop distracting the college kids...lets us teach them to the standards we were taught too.
Stop holding back the vocational students that are talented with mechanical and construction skills. Let them work. If they are making money, they are paying taxes and they are supporting society and not being a burden.
OR....
Continue to do it our way. Force them to stay in school, fight with them to behave,if they even make it to school and BTW get NO support from parents at home, and watch them move from the school room to the jail cell in one easy step.
There is a good reason we refer to the local county detention center as "High School North."
Sorry for the typos. This is a rant and I SHOULD be asleep!
