Thanks for this Robert: I am not sure what you are really saying here especially with regard to attendance. I think the sole responsibility of attendance is probably by the parents but how can parents assure this if both parents are working and assume your kid goes to school if they are not there?
I 100% agree with you with regard to endless testing. I think a lot of good teachers left when this happened. I know 1 or 2.
Apparently the US spends more money on education than any other country in the world but Education is well below a huge number of countries.
I did have a daughter in the US school district and was appalled by her education. She was learning nothing. We had come from the UK at the time. Her Elementary school in a Canyon was fantastic mostly because a lot of parents were involved.
I don't live in the US now but in France where the system is OK/not brilliant but at least they are learning. I have met so many stupid Americans in my life and have always understood education is key.
You seem very confident that your daughter is learning and you are probably in a better position to judge than anyone else, other than her. I hope she is. However, I would have a lot of questions about whether what she is learning is truly part of a significant gestalt or integrated whole or whether she might be able to learn more and benefit more in a different situation. I am very skeptical about whether a classroom with a large number of other students, some who may not want to be there, is the best environment. I believe the crucial things are whether she believes she is learning and wants to attend, what her relationship with teachers is, and how they approach the students. In any case, I do not credit attendance laws or the schools with the successes of students. Schools more often undermine learning and success and students are frequently demoralized and cynical.
Determining if a student is learning is very iffy, in my opinion. I believe that personal interest in specific topics or fields and disciplines is necessary. When attendance is compulsory, many if not most students are not invested in the process and may lack motivation. Grades have very little significance in reality. It is paternalistic in any case to require attendance. Using force in schooling is counterproductive, insulting, and ineffective. To address your question; the fact is that when parents are working, a substantial number of kids miss a lot of school days and when they are not happy there, they check out mentally, regardless of the time spent marking time or doing time. Lastly, school is not education. Conflating the two is a huge mistake.
Thanks for this Robert: I am not sure what you are really saying here especially with regard to attendance. I think the sole responsibility of attendance is probably by the parents but how can parents assure this if both parents are working and assume your kid goes to school if they are not there?
I 100% agree with you with regard to endless testing. I think a lot of good teachers left when this happened. I know 1 or 2.
Apparently the US spends more money on education than any other country in the world but Education is well below a huge number of countries.
I did have a daughter in the US school district and was appalled by her education. She was learning nothing. We had come from the UK at the time. Her Elementary school in a Canyon was fantastic mostly because a lot of parents were involved.
I don't live in the US now but in France where the system is OK/not brilliant but at least they are learning. I have met so many stupid Americans in my life and have always understood education is key.
You seem very confident that your daughter is learning and you are probably in a better position to judge than anyone else, other than her. I hope she is. However, I would have a lot of questions about whether what she is learning is truly part of a significant gestalt or integrated whole or whether she might be able to learn more and benefit more in a different situation. I am very skeptical about whether a classroom with a large number of other students, some who may not want to be there, is the best environment. I believe the crucial things are whether she believes she is learning and wants to attend, what her relationship with teachers is, and how they approach the students. In any case, I do not credit attendance laws or the schools with the successes of students. Schools more often undermine learning and success and students are frequently demoralized and cynical.
Determining if a student is learning is very iffy, in my opinion. I believe that personal interest in specific topics or fields and disciplines is necessary. When attendance is compulsory, many if not most students are not invested in the process and may lack motivation. Grades have very little significance in reality. It is paternalistic in any case to require attendance. Using force in schooling is counterproductive, insulting, and ineffective. To address your question; the fact is that when parents are working, a substantial number of kids miss a lot of school days and when they are not happy there, they check out mentally, regardless of the time spent marking time or doing time. Lastly, school is not education. Conflating the two is a huge mistake.