Don't Stay in School (video/topic)

[Bengalholic]

I know this video is a few months old, and some have probably seen it or heard about it already, but I was wondering what your opinions are on the subject matter? This video (among other things) was actually used in our school district by students, and a handful of teachers, to start a discussion and ramp up support for including more transferable 'life classes' into the curriculum. So, what do you think?

[StLucieBengal]

I have long advocated for more life preparation classes in school.

Sadly that idea gets mocked here .

[fredtoast]

He wants to be taught in school who he should vote for? Yeah, that is going to be easy to do.

And how can we teach him about medicine if he doesn't want to learn chemistry or science?

How can we teach him about the compexities of finance if he doesn't want to learn basic math?

And what does he mean that he was "never taught how to get a job"? How exactly do you teach some one to get a job? Every school has career guidance and all sorts of advice about what jobs to pursue.

And how do you teach someone how to "pay for a child"? What exactly are we supposed to tell them about that?

[Bengalholic]

(11-07-2015, 03:26 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: I have long advocated for more life preparation classes in school.  

Sadly that idea gets mocked here .

I've always been an advocate of more 'life prep' type classes, at least as electives. I'm not saying that anyone should have to take them, but I would like to see them have that option.

[fredtoast]

And what school did this guy go to where the never discussed current events.

[StLucieBengal]

(11-07-2015, 03:36 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: I've always been an advocate of more 'life prep' type classes, at least as electives. I'm not saying that anyone should have to take them, but I would like to see them have that option.

Ofc ... When I was teaching we had outdoor education that included some survival training.

It was pretty cool. We lost a lot of life type classes when we sent them all to vocational school. Even though they arent vocational.

[fredtoast]

And the big question is.

Even if you don't learn this stuff in school then why are you better NOT going to school?

This video is ridiculous.

[StLucieBengal]

(11-07-2015, 03:41 PM)fredtoast Wrote: And the big question is.

Even if you don't learn this stuff in school then why are you better NOT going to school?

This video is ridiculous.

Can make a strong argument that you are better working in a field than going to college.

[RoyleRedlegs]

Too many people are going to college who shouldn't be.
You are indoctrinated from a young age now that you HAVE to go to college.
Part of me would have rather passed on traditional 4 year college and gone to a trade school or something.

[fredtoast]

(11-07-2015, 03:48 PM)RoyleRedlegs Wrote: Too many people are going to college who shouldn't be.
You are indoctrinated from a young age now that you HAVE to go to college.
Part of me would have rather passed on traditional 4 year college and gone to a trade school or something.

This I can agree with 100%.

College is a huge cost.  It is not the best plan for everyone.

[Bengalholic]

(11-07-2015, 03:35 PM)fredtoast Wrote: He wants to be taught in school who he should vote for?  Yeah, that is going to be easy to do.

And how can we teach him about medicine if he doesn't want to learn chemistry or science?

How can we teach him about the compexities of finance if he doesn't want to learn basic math?

And what does he mean that he was "never taught how to get a job"?  How exactly do you teach some one to get a job?  Every school has career guidance and all sorts of advice about what jobs to pursue.

And how do you teach someone how to "pay for a child"?  What exactly are we supposed to tell them about that?

There are classes like Daily Living, Parenting and Intro to Politics that are available in some districts, but not all. These types of classes at least attempt to address some of the 'how's' you've raised. Unfortunately, they're not available in all districts, such as mine. However, some are trying to get that changed.

[StLucieBengal]

(11-07-2015, 03:48 PM)RoyleRedlegs Wrote: Too many people are going to college who shouldn't be.
You are indoctrinated from a young age now that you HAVE to go to college.
Part of me would have rather passed on traditional 4 year college and gone to a trade school or something.

No amount of education can be better than real life expierence.  

Imagine if we had teachers who had to have real life expierence to be able to teach.

I would actually send my kids to a school like this.

[RoyleRedlegs]

(11-07-2015, 03:50 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: There are classes like Daily Living, Parenting and Intro to Politics that are available in some districts, but not all. These types of classes at least attempt to address some of the 'how's' you've raised. Unfortunately, they're not available in all districts, such as mine. However, some are trying to get that changed.

Personal Economics. 
After Junior year, every school should have 2 senior math classes. One continues to teach new maths and the other is personal econ which teaches practical real world applications of the things you learn up to your senior year. Balancing a check book, managing credit, how loans/mortgages/grants work. I took it in high school as an elective. It should be mandatory. 

[Bengalholic]

(11-07-2015, 03:41 PM)fredtoast Wrote: And the big question is.

Even if you don't learn this stuff in school then why are you better NOT going to school?

This video is ridiculous.

Did you even watch till the end. He isn't saying 'kids' shouldn't stay in school. He's saying some things shouldn't be mandatory and there needs to be more options. 

[RoyleRedlegs]

(11-07-2015, 03:56 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: Did you even watch till the end. He isn't saying 'kids' shouldn't stay in school. He's saying some things shouldn't be mandatory and there needs to be more options. 

School option and choice is the enemy of public schools though. 
The unions and the politicians they back fight it at every turn despite proof that it creates better learning environments for kids. 

[StLucieBengal]

(11-07-2015, 03:58 PM)RoyleRedlegs Wrote: School option and choice is the enemy of public schools though. 
The unions and the politicians they back fight it at every turn despite proof that it creates better learning environments for kids. 

They need to break the teachers union if schools are going to stay public.    They also need to stop funding schools with a tax levy.   We have too many admins and resources are wasted.

Plus we have proven that spending more money per student does not equal success.

[RoyleRedlegs]

(11-07-2015, 04:02 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: They need to break the teachers union if schools are going to stay public.    They also need to stop funding schools with a tax levy.   We have too many admins and resources are wasted.

I'm okay with taxes funding schools, there has to be give and take in every society for it to function. 
Schools are worth putting money into to better everyone. Better schools make entire neighborhoods better. 
The problem is where the  money is spent. Too much goes to the bureaucracy of schools. 

[Bengalholic]

(11-07-2015, 04:05 PM)RoyleRedlegs Wrote: I'm okay with taxes funding schools, there has to be give and take in every society for it to function. 
Schools are worth putting money into to better everyone. Better schools make entire neighborhoods better. 
The problem is where the  money is spent. Too much goes to the bureaucracy of schools. 

Terrific post. 

[Benton]

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along similar lines, I wrote a piece a few weeks ago about gun control and gun safety, and why we should have gun education in schools. The short if it was I had skeet shooting as part of a two week lesson in middle school Ag. Everybody had to take it and the teacher made everyone learn about gun safety. Even if you didn't shoot (and several students opted not to take part in the final test of safely retrieving, loading and firing the shotgun at skeet.

that district now offers nothing like that. In the past four years, they've had two accidental teen shootings. The class might not have prevented either (and honestly probably wouldn't have) but who knows.

two of the classes i use every day were life skills classes. Home ec and one called consumer math. It was how to balance a check book, simple interest, all that simple stuff you don't exactly learn in algebra. We need more of that. The majority of kids I see are unhireable because they don't know basics. My own son is in advanced classes at school and his councilor is encouraging him to become an engineer. He doesn't know state capitals. He's got know idea how many senators a stare has. He can't make a grilled cheese sandwich.

[fredtoast]

(11-07-2015, 04:02 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Plus we have proven that spending more money per student does not equal success.

Don't know what you are trying to say, but poorer schools tend to underperform better funded schools.

Obviously just throwing more money at the problem will not help, but taking money away is guaranteed to make it worse.

We need to increase funding along with reforming how that money is spent.