Top Stuff That Needs to be Fixed in the US?

[woodsrider]

What are the problems related to the educational system? Who on here had children go to a public school and get a poor education? My son is an 8th grader and a public "city" school. He already has an Algebra 1 credit, is currently taking Geometry, French 1, and Honors Freshman Integrated Science. He has also scored fairly high on his ACT. Now some of that is genetics (his mom is really smart - just has poor taste in men), but mostly he is a product of the public school system. I don't think it is the education system so much as it is cultural.

 

I do believe that some funds don't get distributed to some inner city schools in some states, but because of KERA it doesn't happen as much in Kentucky.

 

It took 2774 of them but you finally made a post I agree with. I am not saying the system is perfect but I am a firm believer that a child will get out of education what their parents see they get out of it. I will say that I believe the feds need to get out of the education business and let the states handle their own.

[Clyde]

What about education would you want to fix? I agree we have major problems with the educational system, but it's also mostly related to entitlement issues.

 

I don't follow the "entitlement issues" comment.

[gchs_uk9]

What are the problems related to the educational system? Who on here had children go to a public school and get a poor education? My son is an 8th grader and a public "city" school. He already has an Algebra 1 credit, is currently taking Geometry, French 1, and Honors Freshman Integrated Science. He has also scored fairly high on his ACT. Now some of that is genetics (his mom is really smart - just has poor taste in men), but mostly he is a product of the public school system. I don't think it is the education system so much as it is cultural.

 

I do believe that some funds don't get distributed to some inner city schools in some states, but because of KERA it doesn't happen as much in Kentucky.

 

I agree with this completely. I think a public school education can be as good or as bad as you make it. We've had students come through our schools, work very hard, and leave with a good education well-prepared to enter universities across Kentucky and in other states. And we have some that don't do anything and ultimately can't spell cat. But so much of that is cultural - the parents see no value in education and they don't impress upon their children the importance of a good education.

[Clyde]

There are a few issues regarding public education. Unions are one. They promote mediocrity among its base in many cases. Secondly, it's a relative measure. Some say "my child is a good student at a public school so ergo the system must be good." Good? The issue is how does it compare to the rest of the world? A recent study showed that the US was way down the list in performance in key areas BUT they were #1 in the area of "how do you feel about how well you do?"

 

For the record, I include private school education in this generalization as well. Private schools do not have a monopoly on "average" teachers.

 

Our focus needs change. We seem to be looking at education as one item on a list of many to do in life. We're looking to get our "check mark" and move on. It should be the foundation of our future life and, thus, we should strive to find the best people to lead AND promote the best environment to do so. Less rigid. Less teaching to a standard test. More creative thinking. More challenging curriculum.

 

My post is not meant to offend those that are already great teachers. We simply need more of them and we do that by changing the way we value the position and the outcome.

[Voice of Reason]

I can't back this up with facts or a better alternative. Just call it a gut feeling. But if there were one thing I would change in this country it would be election and election funding laws. Our elections have become so much about big money, the power of incumbency and attack ads, that I feel like reform is needed there. And once we have elected officials focused again on being statesmen and governing versus winning the next election, many of the issues listed above will get fixed.

[sportsfan41]

What is at the top of your list?

Government spending waste?

Oil dependence?

Illegals?

Drugs?

The education system?

The welfare system?

Taxes?

Other?

 

and how would you propose to fix your top item?

 

I hate it when you all post something like this. I wanted to just say you put the 2 most important at the top, we'll get to the rest later........... but I can't.

 

Illegal's are a problem, but not sure where I'd rank them, I wouldn't say I'm worried about "illegals" as much as I'm worried about national security, I know that can be taken as a sort of riddle but I think most understand what I mean.

 

Drugs are bad, but we're fighting a battle that no one is winning. Should we stop fighting it? No! Should we fix/figure out what and how we're going to fight it(you know that awesome PC word; reform)? Ummmm DUH!

 

The Education system, this should be in the top 3, I'd almost put it at one or two, but the two top problem's in my mind keep making this #3 on the list, so we need to fix the others in order to be able to better approach/adjust/fix the current education system.

 

Welfare, well I think that should be taken care of when we fix our government spending problem, yes some people need it and it's not my place to say they shouldn't have it(I think those in need should be cared for), but YES ALOT OF PEOPLE ABUSE IT. Yes it is my place to judge/call them out on it because I/taxpayers are paying for it. It sickens me that we have people living on the street's and other people living off the gov't waiting for their next check to get a fix. That's not what the welfare system was intended to be.

 

Taxes goes back to spending, I think if you fix the other problems, society won't even notice what they're being taxed or why, and yes I'm kidding. But dang if you got that far down the list and made the right improvements there would be alot of happy people.

 

Top item would be spending and I'd cut the crap out of some stuff so much that my approval rating would be HORRRRRRRID, but ya know what, I'd fix it. I'd hope that just like spanking a child or taking something away from a child my constituents would recognize that I was doing it in their/our best interest because it HAS TO BE DONE.

[sportsfan41]

With all of the talk about education I agree public schooling is what you make of it and I've tried stressing that to my girlfriend that wants our kids to have their cake and eait it too..... Anyways I managed getting by in a public school, my best friend did the same and works for Procter and Gamble(full ride at UK via the 34 on his ACT), I have other friends working in fields that in high school we didn't even realize existed. I do believe that it is what you make of it, however I know that I was able to achieve my level of education(graduating from college) because of the core values placed in me by my family. Not every child is afforded that same opportunity to have a good family. I feel like one thing that could help this and I'm sure I could catch some flack for saying it. Take the teachers straight out of college that had that support system that helped them get through it all so maybe they can help the kids they'll be working with. I'm saying give incentives to teachers for going to area's that the gov't recognizes has a high single parent/no parent/horrible parent enrollment. Make it a compass test, whatever it takes to make it right and offer tax breaks/credits for the years that they stay within that school system. I know it's a long shot, but there are problems out there and I know that the kids being influenced by the problems at this point can't really fix them.

[Plato]

I don't follow the "entitlement issues" comment.

 

Things like No Child Left Behind when there are those who choose to be left behind...

My kid worked hard and deserves and A (when they may have worked hard and still deserved a C)

Social promotion of a student who didn't earn the promotion.

I know my kid has 30 unexcused absences/owes $200 to the cafeteria/cursed out three teachers this year/etc - but he still deserves to go to the prom and walk at graduation.

AND

This bad teacher needs to make as much as this good teacher becuase they've been here the same amount of time.

Tenure entitles me to this teaching position.

 

These types of entitlement issues are some of what undermines the educational system imo.

[rockmom]

What is at the top of your list?

Government spending waste?

Oil dependence?

Illegals?

Drugs?

The education system?

The welfare system?

Taxes?

Other?

 

and how would you propose to fix your top item?

 

I think that several items can be tackled at once because they're intertwined.

 

I will attempt to give a high-level overview of my thoughts, knowing that they aren't as detailed as they could be.

 

We complain about spending, and look for ways to cut, but probably the single biggest thing that could reduce spending is streamlining government. Even more than cutting programs, streamlining would create savings. It would immediately create redundant departments. With that, the greatest expenditure to any business would be crystal clear....payroll. Streamlining would give the government the opportunity to pare payroll. Streamlining would also produce a new, more effective way to identify fraud and waste in programs. For instance, if the social aid programs were all administered in one data base. In my vision, a person newly seeking federal assistance would fill out one "pre-identifier" information form on the internet. From this, a determination could be made as to which programs this person might qualify for, and then a "match" list created. Then, one caseworker would handle all aspects of the deeper investigation into the application, including double-checking the information supplied by the applicant. Further, I envision a data base where the applicant themselves are not responsible for submitting information such as wages, financials, etc. An applicant would fill out their job history/information, then the caseworker would be responsible for e-mailing the employer to log onto a secure database and verify the information entered by the applicant. The employer would have to verify their own EIN + company PIN to access the info.

 

At intervals, the computer could generate a review and send out alerts to the employers to log in and update any information that may be necessary. I envision a 6 month review, a 12 month review, etc.

 

This same database could be used for pretty much all social aid programs. Once a person created a "file" for themselves, all future activity would be in one place. If they apply for unemployment, then instead of them bringing back a signature from a potential employer, they would give their ID# to the employer, and the employer would log on to the database and verify the applicant had been there seeking work, and then choose from a list the result: Not hiring, Don't hire felons, Not qualified for open positions...etc.

 

That would be my very first step.

[mcpapa]

Unneccesary war, nation destroying and subsequent rebuilding.

 

Let's migrate away from dependence on petroleum.

[Alabama Larry]

Former, whats the ages of your kids? UK yours too. Eight and under, most stuff is over their heads.

[Flotsam]

Unneccesary war, nation destroying and subsequent rebuilding..

 

Agree. When the Republicans were in charge - horrible. When the Democrats took over - horrible. Do we have to send our troops to every fight that breaks out anywhere in the world? We are now making noises about nosing into the mayhem in Syria. Libia is a powder keg. We are stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan into perpetuity. During major sporting events there is frequently a reference to the broadcast being carried on Armed Forces Radio to American troops deployed in more than 150 countries around the world. What are we doing with troops deployed in more than 150 countries? Bring them home to their families. The empire is broke.

[mcpapa]

Agree. When the Republicans were in charge - horrible. When the Democrats took over - horrible. Do we have to send our troops to every fight that breaks out anywhere in the world? We are now making noises about nosing into the mayhem in Syria. Libia is a powder keg. We are stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan into perpetuity. During major sporting events there is frequently a reference to the broadcast being carried on Armed Forces Radio to American troops deployed in more than 150 countries around the world. What are we doing with troops deployed in more than 150 countries? Bring them home to their families. The empire is broke.

 

Agreed on both counts. Republican administration brought us there, and much to my dismay, Democrat administration kept us there.

[formerkywrestler]

Former, whats the ages of your kids? UK yours too. Eight and under, most stuff is over their heads.

He is 3 or 21...depending on how you look at it.

 

I'm a little confused on how this is related to the thread.

[SSC]

There are a few issues regarding public education. Unions are one. They promote mediocrity among its base in many cases. Secondly, it's a relative measure. Some say "my child is a good student at a public school so ergo the system must be good." Good? The issue is how does it compare to the rest of the world? A recent study showed that the US was way down the list in performance in key areas BUT they were #1 in the area of "how do you feel about how well you do?"

 

For the record, I include private school education in this generalization as well. Private schools do not have a monopoly on "average" teachers.

 

Our focus needs change. We seem to be looking at education as one item on a list of many to do in life. We're looking to get our "check mark" and move on. It should be the foundation of our future life and, thus, we should strive to find the best people to lead AND promote the best environment to do so. Less rigid. Less teaching to a standard test. More creative thinking. More challenging curriculum.

 

My post is not meant to offend those that are already great teachers. We simply need more of them and we do that by changing the way we value the position and the outcome.

 

I agree. I also think kids get way too much time off school. My biggest thing too is the most important thing they should be learning in school is human nutrition and fitness as youngsters all the way through. As they get older personal finance and real world survival skills should be added and as a junior and senior it should be a huge part of your year.