Controversial Opinions: School & Education edition

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should rely primarily on multiple teacher recommendations for admission to gifted programs at the middle and high school level, and there should be fewer seats overall. Most students being accepted to programs are simply academically advanced, due to early education benefits and often also intensive supplementing outside of school. Truly gifted students who pick things up quickly, think above and beyond and around everyone, and just have killer minds are few and far between. But really, they NEED a very different type of learning than they get now and would benefit from a true cohort.

As a middle school teacher I've dealt with 30-50 students per year applying to HS programs. Maybe 20 were really strong academically, 7 or 8 would be accepted, but only 1 or 2 were actually gifted.

I think there needs to be a more challenging curriculum available to any student who benefits from it, gifted or not. My kid is not gifted but he gets his math concepts the first tie he hears them, yet he is to sit and wait for others to catch up. There are no gifted programs where we are and he needs to be truly gifted in order to say have instruction together with higher grade level kids.

+1. Everyone should have access to the challenging curriculum. It's not fair to lump hard working students who get A's in with problem students in regular classes. The hard working students can often keep up and excel in gifted classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Special Education funding is a drag on school systems and they should not be required to provide it.

DCPS spends 25% of its budget on special education. I can list at least 15 things that that money would be better spent on.

So would happen to kids whose parents can only afford public education and need services?

They'll find a way. I think they'll find they don't "need" as many services as they're demanding. Or they'll do it themselves.

This is simply awful. I hope you don’t ever have any SN kids. Total lack of compassion and understanding.

There are kids who can't speak English... and no esol teachers
Bathrooms with no doors on the stalls
Chemistry classes... and no chemicals

But those kids aren't white so I geuss they don't matter

This is because of drugs and sex. Middle schoolers giving BJs in bathroom stalls.

[Anonymous]

Disruptive kids should not be in the same classroom as kids who are able to behave in the classroom. I don't care what the reason is...if you are disruptive you need to find an alternative classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Disruptive kids should not be in the same classroom as kids who are able to behave in the classroom. I don't care what the reason is...if you are disruptive you need to find an alternative classroom.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Disruptive kids should not be in the same classroom as kids who are able to behave in the classroom. I don't care what the reason is...if you are disruptive you need to find an alternative classroom.

+1

+2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Direct instruction is better than experiential learning, since it's better taught.

+1000

- a teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one cares where your kid goes to college.

Your child going to a prestigious college does not reflect glory on you as a parent.

The best college for particular kid is a college that helps the kid find a sense of meaning and purpose in life and work.

All unpopular opinions around here, I know.

LOVE THIS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. It had much more challenging STEM and smarter, more driven kids.

Class size wasn't smaller, I'll give you that.

We don't believe that STEM is the be all and end all or that elementary school children should be "driven" or that there are children (or people) who are not smart.

That is the exact attitude that I am glad to be away from.

OMG. Yes. I am sooooo over the obsession of STEM in the parents in this area. I get it, STEM is important and if your kid gravitates or excels in this area AWESOME. However, that doesn't mean that non-STEM areas of study and interest aren't JUST AS VALUABLE. Stop pushing STEM down our collective throats! I

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. It had much more challenging STEM and smarter, more driven kids.

Class size wasn't smaller, I'll give you that.

We don't believe that STEM is the be all and end all or that elementary school children should be "driven" or that there are children (or people) who are not smart.

That is the exact attitude that I am glad to be away from.

If you are aware of the tech. aces happening around you, success in the future is going to be based on your aptitude in the hard sciences and math. Its going to be all STEM and even the management folks need to be good at STEM. WAKE UP.

Wrong. Its not all about this. STEM is very important, but being able to manage and succeed requires so much more. There are of course very technical jobs that require hard core STEM knowledge, but honestly if that's all you bring to the table you will not be as successful in the long run. Ask an hiring manager or HR person STEM knowledge is not what makes successful candidates or employees in the long wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Special Education funding is a drag on school systems and they should not be required to provide it.

DCPS spends 25% of its budget on special education. I can list at least 15 things that that money would be better spent on.

So would happen to kids whose parents can only afford public education and need services?

They'll find a way. I think they'll find they don't "need" as many services as they're demanding. Or they'll do it themselves.

You, PP, are a horrible person. Sorry, no other way to say it. I can only hope to GOD that my kid never comes in contact with your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. It had much more challenging STEM and smarter, more driven kids.

Class size wasn't smaller, I'll give you that.

We don't believe that STEM is the be all and end all or that elementary school children should be "driven" or that there are children (or people) who are not smart.

That is the exact attitude that I am glad to be away from.

If you are aware of the tech. aces happening around you, success in the future is going to be based on your aptitude in the hard sciences and math. Its going to be all STEM and even the management folks need to be good at STEM. WAKE UP.

Wrong. Its not all about this. STEM is very important, but being able to manage and succeed requires so much more. There are of course very technical jobs that require hard core STEM knowledge, but honestly if that's all you bring to the table you will not be as successful in the long run. Ask an hiring manager or HR person STEM knowledge is not what makes successful candidates or employees in the long wrong.

HR employees are some of the dumbest employees out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. It had much more challenging STEM and smarter, more driven kids.

Class size wasn't smaller, I'll give you that.

We don't believe that STEM is the be all and end all or that elementary school children should be "driven" or that there are children (or people) who are not smart.

That is the exact attitude that I am glad to be away from.

If you are aware of the tech. aces happening around you, success in the future is going to be based on your aptitude in the hard sciences and math. Its going to be all STEM and even the management folks need to be good at STEM. WAKE UP.

Wrong. Its not all about this. STEM is very important, but being able to manage and succeed requires so much more. There are of course very technical jobs that require hard core STEM knowledge, but honestly if that's all you bring to the table you will not be as successful in the long run. Ask an hiring manager or HR person STEM knowledge is not what makes successful candidates or employees in the long wrong.

HR employees are some of the dumbest employees out there.

On a semi-related note, the HR people at the FCPS substitute office are the absolute worst and should all be fired for incompetence and rudeness. This may or may not be a controversial opinion; the school board at least seems to think they're awesome but I'm not sure anyone else agrees.

[Anonymous]

AI is going to make much of the STEM field obsolete. Sorry guys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Special Education funding is a drag on school systems and they should not be required to provide it.

DCPS spends 25% of its budget on special education. I can list at least 15 things that that money would be better spent on.

I still think they should spend money but special education and ESOL services are bankrupting Fairfax County. People actually shop around school districts. You don't need a Cadillac plan when a honda civic will do

And yet the parents with advanced/gifted kids want the Cadillac plan and aren't at all satisfied with the Honda Civic. Why shouldn't parents of special needs kids want the same?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most accelerated kids are garden-variety bright, not gifted.

Is this ever true. I was recently invited in to a fb parents group for "gifted" kids and it is mostly filled with questions from parents with es aged students trying to figure out how to get into the accelerated programs.

In America, most success is from grit, not high IQ. So I'm not sure why you think this is a controversial or an especially keen insight.

American k-12 education is a joke, anyone with SOME motivation can ace all their high school classes. Over 50% of American high school seniors have an A average. All A's and a decent ACT/SAT score gets you into UMD/UVA. Grind a little harder and you're in top 20 private territory.

I disagree. I see a lot of people "succeed" in getting into good colleges and getting well-paying jobs as a result of being born to families with plenty of money and good connections. These are not necessarily the smartest people or the people who work the hardest; they are the people born into wealth and privilege. When they make mistakes, the consequences are muted by their family's money and prestige. They continually "fail upwards."