Education Reform thread

[BmorePat87]

(09-22-2020, 07:08 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I think funding issues aside, they need to go away from standardized testing and default college prep and focus a bit more on life skills.

I don't know how it is in other areas, but here they have gotten rid of nearly all life skill classes. There's no shop, no home ec, etc. We currently have an education system where you're required to learn Algebra II and Pre-Calculus, but how many people ACTUALLY use any of that in their daily life? The vast majority of the population will never again use it in their life after they graduate. Meanwhile they're graduating without the ability to change their oil/a flat tire, without the ability to create a budget, cook a simple meal, do a simple sewing fix, etc.

Also need to make trade schools more of a valid life path rather than portraying it as a place where kids not smart enough for college go. Years of "you'll need to know this for college" and "if you want to live a successful life, you need a college degree" vs a single day visiting a trade school as a Sophomore while it's painted in a mediocre-at-best light. Easy to see why there's a shortage of skilled trade workers. Also can't help but imagine it increases the number of people who go to college because that's why they've been told all their life they need to do, find out it's not right for them and don't finish the degree, but now have some student debt with nothing to show for it.

Maryland requires: 1 algebra class, 1 geometry, 1 other math class, and be enrolled in 4 years of math total. 

But my county has it set up so you have to go: algebra I, geometry, algebra II. All other math classes are more advanced than that. No business math at all. There's a financial literacy math, but it's not a math credit. It's frustrating. 

To graduate, you have to select one of these routes:

-2 years of language
-2 advanced tech ed classes
-2 years taking a 1 class at the career tech school (engineering, architecture, auto tech, nursing, etc)
-2 years of career research/skills with work release senior year
-apprenticeship program

so in that area, there's a lot of great options. Still, there needs to be more vocational options, because the career tech school has limited slots. 

Agreed with standardize testing and college prep. My state requires financial literacy be taught, so my county shoved it into the last two weeks of my American Govt class. I've been using that unit to push community college and vocational options.