Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Public schools are a joke and beyond the social aspect provide little value.

This is false.

you bet...

Public schools are better than parochial schools and both are way better than home schooling.

for learning?

Yeah. Home school is so poorly regulated in a lot of places that parents can teach kids nothing or even transparently false superstitious nonsense and not be breaking any laws or suffer any consequences. Bill Gothard's "Advance Training Institute" curriculum ("wisdom booklets") used by a lot of homeschoolers for decades, for example, is a joke.

Homeschoolers typically score better than both public and private school students on standardized tests and there are plenty of public school students being taught false superstitious nonsense.

Home schooled = unschooled

Anonymous wrote:The schools aren't bad, [b]they're just not equipped to hire and retain quality teachers[google] so teachers are leaving, plus kids have emotional disregulation/trauma they can't articulate coming out of the pandemic that at this point, they've been repeatedly punished for and schools don't have the resources to help with that.

AKA underfunded/understaffed/overworked.

It was not good pre-pandemic. It is worse post-pandemic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in NOVA and the school situation is depressing. The biggest problem I see is that teachers can't control the behavioral problems of kids (not blaming teachers btw) so not a lot of learning is happening and the whole school environment is just really stressful for kids. I was honestly thinking about moving but I hear complaints about this from people in many different places. Are there any places in the US where this isn't the trend?

US school ls sucked before pandemic.

I had a thread on here about how we have tried multiple public schools and now I have to spend thousands of $$ in a private school AND(!) tutors just for my kid to have an equivalent to an average education that I got for FREE in another country.

After years of US schooling I realized that it’s the teachers that suck and the curriculum. The teachers are not trained to teach properly. And they’re afraid to fail kids.

I’ve been teaching for a very, very long time. It’s not the teachers. Failing is occurring at the district level. Teachers have to deliver curricula that is poorly designed and they have to do it without resources in overstuffed classrooms. Teachers can’t fail kids because their districts don’t allow it, as you can see in 50% minimum and excessive retake policies. Teachers then take the hit because parents, like the misled PP, blame them for the many variables outside of their control. It’s easy to blame teachers because the teachers are a visible representation of the system.

We have a system in which people who have barely taught or have never taught are in control. They make the decisions, which are often misguided. I have seen decades of initiatives come and go, each one designed by an “expert” and each one was going to save education. This is not the teachers’ fault; they suffer just as much as the students.

Much of this rings true to me—my teaching has only 8mproved in the last 20 years, but I am so much more hamstrung by the requirement that I comply with various initiatives and curricula that go against what what I know is best practice. Add to that the insistence of admin that I not just tolerate but accommodate absolutely atrocious behavior in a few students that makes it almost impossible for the other students to learn, and it’s a disaster.

However, I worry that the newest teachers aren’t learning best practice and effective teaching skills, and then I see them burn out and take positions as facilitators, coaches, and admin—and that makes me worry for the future.

I’m the PP. I’ve seen the same with our new teachers. They burn out quickly and then apply for non-classroom based positions. One of my coworkers was a struggling teacher for 4-5 years, and is now an instructional coach.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in NOVA and the school situation is depressing. The biggest problem I see is that teachers can't control the behavioral problems of kids (not blaming teachers btw) so not a lot of learning is happening and the whole school environment is just really stressful for kids. I was honestly thinking about moving but I hear complaints about this from people in many different places. Are there any places in the US where this isn't the trend?

US school ls sucked before pandemic.

I had a thread on here about how we have tried multiple public schools and now I have to spend thousands of $$ in a private school AND(!) tutors just for my kid to have an equivalent to an average education that I got for FREE in another country.

After years of US schooling I realized that it’s the teachers that suck and the curriculum. The teachers are not trained to teach properly. And they’re afraid to fail kids.

I’ve been teaching for a very, very long time. It’s not the teachers. Failing is occurring at the district level. Teachers have to deliver curricula that is poorly designed and they have to do it without resources in overstuffed classrooms. Teachers can’t fail kids because their districts don’t allow it, as you can see in 50% minimum and excessive retake policies. Teachers then take the hit because parents, like the misled PP, blame them for the many variables outside of their control. It’s easy to blame teachers because the teachers are a visible representation of the system.

We have a system in which people who have barely taught or have never taught are in control. They make the decisions, which are often misguided. I have seen decades of initiatives come and go, each one designed by an “expert” and each one was going to save education. This is not the teachers’ fault; they suffer just as much as the students.

Much of this rings true to me—my teaching has only 8mproved in the last 20 years, but I am so much more hamstrung by the requirement that I comply with various initiatives and curricula that go against what what I know is best practice. Add to that the insistence of admin that I not just tolerate but accommodate absolutely atrocious behavior in a few students that makes it almost impossible for the other students to learn, and it’s a disaster.

However, I worry that the newest teachers aren’t learning best practice and effective teaching skills, and then I see them burn out and take positions as facilitators, coaches, and admin—and that makes me worry for the future.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in NOVA and the school situation is depressing. The biggest problem I see is that teachers can't control the behavioral problems of kids (not blaming teachers btw) so not a lot of learning is happening and the whole school environment is just really stressful for kids. I was honestly thinking about moving but I hear complaints about this from people in many different places. Are there any places in the US where this isn't the trend?

US school ls sucked before pandemic.

I had a thread on here about how we have tried multiple public schools and now I have to spend thousands of $$ in a private school AND(!) tutors just for my kid to have an equivalent to an average education that I got for FREE in another country.

After years of US schooling I realized that it’s the teachers that suck and the curriculum. The teachers are not trained to teach properly. And they’re afraid to fail kids.

I’ve been teaching for a very, very long time. It’s not the teachers. Failing is occurring at the district level. Teachers have to deliver curricula that is poorly designed and they have to do it without resources in overstuffed classrooms. Teachers can’t fail kids because their districts don’t allow it, as you can see in 50% minimum and excessive retake policies. Teachers then take the hit because parents, like the misled PP, blame them for the many variables outside of their control. It’s easy to blame teachers because the teachers are a visible representation of the system.

We have a system in which people who have barely taught or have never taught are in control. They make the decisions, which are often misguided. I have seen decades of initiatives come and go, each one designed by an “expert” and each one was going to save education. This is not the teachers’ fault; they suffer just as much as the students.

If you can afford it, move to a better school district. The problems are localized.

Anonymous wrote:My Canadian cousin is an art teacher and is on disability at the moment thanks to a middle schooler. The kid has also put three other staff members on disability.

Western countries seem to be taking the brunt of classroom problems thanks to bad parenting/home situations.

The west has grown feeble and weak while Asia has remained academically demanding and strong.

No, I am not joking. This trend does not bode well for the future of the United States.

I agree. It’s not the pandemic, it was bad before. Teachers have to waste all their time doing pointless trainings, dealing with IEP meetings and evaluations during instructional time, bad behaviors and the parents don’t care (he’s the schools problem at school!), and reviewing for standardized testing. The have no control over curriculum at all. We are literally told the writing prompts we must use!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in NOVA and the school situation is depressing. The biggest problem I see is that teachers can't control the behavioral problems of kids (not blaming teachers btw) so not a lot of learning is happening and the whole school environment is just really stressful for kids. I was honestly thinking about moving but I hear complaints about this from people in many different places. Are there any places in the US where this isn't the trend?

US school ls sucked before pandemic.

I had a thread on here about how we have tried multiple public schools and now I have to spend thousands of $$ in a private school AND(!) tutors just for my kid to have an equivalent to an average education that I got for FREE in another country.

After years of US schooling I realized that it’s the teachers that suck and the curriculum. The teachers are not trained to teach properly. And they’re afraid to fail kids.

Here's someone that gets it.

Anonymous wrote:I'm in NOVA and the school situation is depressing. The biggest problem I see is that teachers can't control the behavioral problems of kids (not blaming teachers btw) so not a lot of learning is happening and the whole school environment is just really stressful for kids. I was honestly thinking about moving but I hear complaints about this from people in many different places. Are there any places in the US where this isn't the trend?

US school ls sucked before pandemic.

I had a thread on here about how we have tried multiple public schools and now I have to spend thousands of $$ in a private school AND(!) tutors just for my kid to have an equivalent to an average education that I got for FREE in another country.

After years of US schooling I realized that it’s the teachers that suck and the curriculum. The teachers are not trained to teach properly. And they’re afraid to fail kids.

Anonymous wrote:None of the homeschooled kids I know have ever taken a standardized test. For some, that's part of the reason they homeschool their kids. The testing in public schools is excessive.

In Virginia, a composite score in the 4th stanine on a standardized test is used to show proof of progress. Most homeschoolers take those tests. While some may opt out and show progress another way, many public school students can do the same.

However, of those that do take those tests, homeschoolers outperform
https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-does-homeschooling-compare-to-public-school-5075997

“Similarly, according to the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), students educated at home typically score 15 to 30 percentile points higher than public school students on standardized tests for academic achievement.1
For Black students, the numbers are even higher. Black children who homeschool score 23 to 42 percentage points higher on standardized tests than their counterparts in public schools.3

On the ACT, a test used nationwide for college admissions, composite scores for homeschooled students fluctuated between 22.3 in 2007 and 22.8 in 2014. (The highest possible score is 36.) Though not as high as scores from private school students, these rankings were 1.4 to 2.2 points above the average public school student.”

I strongly doubt the IBLP/ATI home school crowd were taking a lot of standardized tests based on whatever they were learning through their "Wisdom Booklets."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in NOVA and the school situation is depressing. The biggest problem I see is that teachers can't control the behavioral problems of kids (not blaming teachers btw) so not a lot of learning is happening and the whole school environment is just really stressful for kids. I was honestly thinking about moving but I hear complaints about this from people in many different places. Are there any places in the US where this isn't the trend?

Ban cell phones in school (not just in class) and behavior will improve considerably.

This. There was a school system that did this and grades and behavior improved. I'll look for the article later.

Allow them flip phones for emergency use only. Cheaper to own so doesn't favor rich kids and way harder to use for bullying and nefarious things.

I also think parents should get together (though the PTA) and sign social media pledges. Kids and their parents would pledge for the kids not to be on social media. Schools can’t force kids off social media but if kids pledge to be off themselves and stick to these pledges bullying will decrease. Wait until 8th has suggestions on how to so this.

OP here. The middle schools that I have taught in do not allow cell phones during the school day and the rule is well-enforced. The behavior is still bad. Not every kid, of course. This is that a situation where three or four kids make learning impossible for all the others.

I think banning cell phones is a start but boy oh boy it is not a panacea.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:None of the homeschooled kids I know have ever taken a standardized test. For some, that's part of the reason they homeschool their kids. The testing in public schools is excessive.

You realize there is a spectrum?

I don’t necessarily think it’s that great that the kids you speak of have never been tested.

This is pretty funny… homeschoolers are in the room for SAT, PSAT, ACT, APs. In fact, these kids were the most penalized by the elimination of SAT subject tests because colleges demanded them. Lots of parents have tests administered, like ITBS. But it would be ridiculous to have elementary kids show up to take tests on Chromebooks they have never touched before. And honestly, most of us teach traditional math so those tests would be irrelevant. Choice of curriculum is kind of the point of homeschooling.