Obstacles to Improving the American Education System

[FlashToso]

Lets get math and science professionals create videos and software for everyone to benefit from not just one classroom. Wouldn't a free library help all? Look at Khan Academy that Bill Gates promotes as the future of education. I find it embarrassing that a simple set of homework videos is considered valuable. What does that say about our school resources??!!!

Teacher need to take their blinders off. Stop complaining about TVs and video games and start using them to help learners.

[FlashToso]

Walmart reduces costs by buying in bulk. Our education system can't because we focus on local issues and solutions. Education needs more choices and lower costs. This will not happen without thinking big. Don't offer scholarships, lower costs!

[FlashToso]

The US DOE is not allowed to help and become only an instrument of interference. The NEA should look to improve learning, not protecting jobs. We need to look at education, not schools. We need teachers to notice how mass communication can improve effectiveness and quality. Industry improves quality and price while educators ignore why and how.

Look at entertainment and see why we prefer movies to live plays. We find great quality and low costs. Let students see a lecture more than once.

[technoway]

Teachers get paid very little for the first three years they teach. Here they start only slightly above what garbage collectors make! After that, the teachers salaries increase to be more commensurate with what a college education merits, although mathematics and science majors still get paid less than they would in industry.

If communities didn't lay off teachers with experience to save money, the unions wouldn't have to exist. But, communities have, and would do that without the unions.

[rrhynes]

@technoway Most "garbage collectors" are paid pretty damn well these days, when you consider retirement and benefits.

[lelangir]

Have any of these fools actually taught? Ever? They're just using "education" as a discourse tool here to pontificate on "oh boo hoo we need smaller government!" etc. This debate has nothing to do education. It's a jerk circle on republican ideals on government. Ron Paul was the closest...because the answer is that god damn simple!

[cpblackangel88]

Romney really does annoy the crap out of me. He's just such a suck up with everything he says and does. All he does is act like an ass,play politics, and talk about bringing both sides in. He positioned himself as a conservative which he's in my opinion more liberal than Mccain if you look at his history and not just on Social issues. He used to liberal on healthcare,taxes,spending, and a few other things. To all the conservative out he's playing you. And I think they're starting to realize it.

[crappysoda1]

oh ho ho this is RIGHT on

[IAmJustRd]

What else am I suspossed to do? People have tried to talk me out of it, I have tried to talk myself out of it a few times but it's like the one thing that makes sense.

[IAmJustRd]

You are so correct! As a future teacher who lives in a state who has a extreamly sad education system due to the fact they only want teachers to teach to the WASL, our standardized test, I am appalled. Teachers teach to the WASL because they have to. It's sad because now you have to pass the damn test to graduate and not enough students can. So what did they system do? Make alternative to pass it, not make sure students are learning.

[hotpelmen]

Soviet system was pretty effective.They had a ministry responsible for theoretical+practical research into various methodologies,developing standards,developing curriculum for each grade,educating teachers,enforcing the standards nationwide. Teachers still had freedom to have their own style but at the same time were provided with well-tested detailed professional guidelines.Can't imagine individual school boards competing with that level of professionalism.Point is:need to learn from the world!

[YogaNate79]

According to the THES world rankings, the United States has 7 out of the top 11 universities arounf the world. Harvard is #1. So abviously, we are doing something right.

[Vidda90]

This is a complicated issue that should be left up to the states

[tabooeoo]

The castles of Europe are still erect the Great Wall of China hasn't fallen yet.The Greeks and the Romans were great architects and so were the Incas,Mayans & Aztec's.

The Spanish Main once ruled the seven seas but please tell me what have the blacks achieved.Harvard University was established in 1636 & William & Mary was established in 1693.

[xfvkemosx]

learn to anthropology

[egginanest]

"Conservatives beat liberals only when we challenge their outdated positions, not embrace them. This is not a time for philosophical flexibility, it is a time to stand up for what we believe in. Together we can carry the conservative banner all the way to the Whitehouse." -Fred Thompson-

[gringo5555]

Mitt Romney will be the next President. Huckabee---you are kidding me. Ron Paul has some good ideas as does McCain, but Romney has the resources to battle and beat Hilary.

[gfunkvt30]

To say that the federal government would give the best tools and methods for States is idealistic. It's basically subsidizing a method that is NOT the best. How can States compare systems to see which is best when they are all similar because the Federal government is channeling each State in one direction? Obviously Tancredo and Ron Paul gave the best answers.

[Majisto]

I get really tired of people like Mitt Romney talking about free markets but not actually understanding that a free market is one completely devoid of government intervention at any point

[jamesjwilsonsr]

Where is the problem there?

[Majisto]

Mittens doesn't advocate a free market, he advocates a pro-business market.

[jamesjwilsonsr]

I agree with that [btw, mittens, I like, haha]. I'm just speaking in regards to Majisto speaking against free markets as if they are bad things. I am just curious what is so bad about a free market.

[UniqueWhat]

Huckabee's success as governor was giving free higher educations to the children of undocumented aliens. Thats just what we need, the legal middle class strapped with school loans until their 40, and the new illegal middle class paid for by your income taxes. (Arkansas is a welfare state after all, so its the rest of us paying for their programs.)

[UniqueWhat]

Make schools compete but don't give the government the reigns or all our kids will succeed at taking a stupid test and fail at life.

[chukmaty]

Thompson smacked the NEA good, he had a strong debate but I wonder if it is too late for him.

Great comments by Tancredo on the Department of Educations ineffectiveness.

Huckabee's comeback to Tancredo was genius.

Romney's low blow towards Huckabee was cheep, but his following response was strong.

[s7rugg1e]

Thompson is ok because he will win South Carolina.

[Majisto]

I don't know if Thompson will win SC, Huckabee's got a 7 point lead on him last I saw, and the 5 people behind Huck are all within 6 points of each other, Thompson being at 17% and Paul being at 11%.