Quote:
Originally posted by K.B.
Opinions, opinions opinions...........
I'm not opposed to a brain storming session but, what principals concepts and ideas have proven to work 100% of the time. What works well in other countries, what school systems work well for all kids and why?
On the other end, what things have shown to a high percentage that they don't work. Individual anecdotal occurances can add up, but what do the numbers say. Is politics helping the situation or hurting it? Is school/teacher bashing ever a good thing?
The current crop of youngsters are quite different from anything ever before. A product of our culture? Whatever the reason, the challenge to be a 100% effective teacher is a pretty big challenge with not too many benefits. The only real measure of successful teaching are the smiles and victories a teacher sees each day.
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Part 1: Competition works 100% of the time and makes all participants operate with greater efficiency and quality.
Part 2: Government monopoly fails 100% of the time. School and teacher bashing is good if it is deserved and advances the cause of allowing real competition between schools. Teachers unions routinely defend mediocrity, and sometimes even incompetence. People of modest means are unhappy with the product of government schools but have not the means to access private alternatives. The elitist ruling-class types don't care, because they have the means to opt out of governement schools.
Part 3: While kids are a product of our culture, I don't believe that kids are fundamentally different. Permissive or ignorant attitudes on the part of parents and other adults may make the kids behave differently, but given structure and discipline, kids will perform the same as the always have. If the inmates run the asylum, there is little hope that they will get a quality education in the process.