What's wrong with our schools, and what could be right

[Leananshee]

Remember playing "guns" as a kid, and anything and everything, from a stick to a tube from some paper towels could be a gun, complete with the "pew, pew" sound effects? Well, read this BS:

http://thenewamerican.com/culture/e...ol-prompts-punishment-for-public-school-pupil

So, never mind that special interests have driven out real discipline in schools, taken out methods of instruction that were proven to work, and are so bloody worried about kids' "self-esteem"(tm) without actually making them work to earn it. The school environment is now torn between over-reactive ultra left and ultra right, one pulling garbage like the article above, the other trying to push religious doctrines like creationism into the schools and drive out real sex education while the teen pregnancy and STD rates go up. And who loses out? The kids.

Now here's an example of a school system that works, and why: It pushes equity in opportunity rather than excellence. Mind you, I said equity in OPPORTUNITY. Americans will try and confuse that with equal performance. Fuck "No Child Left Behind". Can't be done. Here's the article:

http://www.theatlantic.com/national...gnoring-about-finlands-school-success/250564/

 

[MoonOwl]

Nice find.

 

[Accountable]

Remember playing "guns" as a kid, and anything and everything, from a stick to a tube from some paper towels could be a gun, complete with the "pew, pew" sound effects? Well, read this BS:

http://thenewamerican.com/culture/e...ol-prompts-punishment-for-public-school-pupil

So, never mind that special interests have driven out real discipline in schools, taken out methods of instruction that were proven to work, and are so bloody worried about kids' "self-esteem"(tm) without actually making them work to earn it. The school environment is now torn between over-reactive ultra left and ultra right, one pulling garbage like the article above, the other trying to push religious doctrines like creationism into the schools and drive out real sex education while the teen pregnancy and STD rates go up. And who loses out? The kids.

Now here's an example of a school system that works, and why: It pushes equity in opportunity rather than excellence. Mind you, I said equity in OPPORTUNITY. Americans will try and confuse that with equal performance. Fuck "No Child Left Behind". Can't be done. Here's the article:

http://www.theatlantic.com/national...gnoring-about-finlands-school-success/250564/

Love that article! On the surface, though, we go for the same things with our public schools:

Since the 1980s, the main driver of Finnish education policy has been the idea that every child should have exactly the same opportunity to learn, regardless of family background, income, or geographic location.

Some of the difference is undoubtedly cultural. Cultures are difficult but certainly not impossible to change. Another difference may not be so easy to overcome. Finland is a small, sparsely populated country. Helsinki only has about one million people. The Finnish model should work in the Midwest, Alaska, and our smaller states. It would be interesting to see a state adopt such a system to show it can be done. Of course, we'd have to pry control out of Washington micromanagers' clawing grip first.

I'd be surprised if our more congested cities would be able to adopt the system, but that doesn't mean that it shouldn't at least be tried.

The article doesn't address the typical parental involvement in Finnish families. I wonder if it's even necessary in their education system. It's absolutely critical in ours.