Personally, I think the entire manner in which we educate our children needs to be revamped. In fact, in comparison to the rest of the world, I'd say we're a bit behind. My thoughts?
1. Do away with forced integration and redistricting. Study after study shows that student learn more efficiently when placed in an environment consistent with their upbringing. In otherwords, don't bus ghetto Tom into a school with suburb Larry or vice-versa. It makes no sense monetarily or educationally [sic].
2. Clamp down on the illegals diluting our schools. Standards are constantly being lowered to accommodate illegal immigrants. With the touchy feely "everyone is a winner" mentality in today's school systems, administrations would rather slow the pace at the cost of the many to satisfy the feeble minds of a few.
3. Enough with the college stigma already. It's overrated. Look, I've got an AA, two BS degrees, an MBA and a JD. I've been there, done it and got the pretty framed pieces of paper to prove it. Time after time I saw people who were in college simply because: (a) they were always told it was the thing to do; (b) Mommy and Daddy insisted and were paying for it; or (c) they had no other option. You know what? These people were just occupying space that they didn't want or deserve and that should have been filled by someone desiring it. If you don't want to go to college.....don't go. There is nothing wrong in any way shape or form with learning a vocation instead of earning a degree. This brings me to my fourth point.
4. Bring on the vocational education. No, not your dank, run down vo-tech campuses. I'm talking real high-end, serious vocational programs wherein students get the opportunity to pursue their true desires in an atmosphere that fuels the same. Take a page from our German or Icelandic counterparts. They've adhered to this program for decades with huge success. Student get to pursue their dreams and come out with a real skill that will do them well the rest of their career.
5. Finally, cut the crap. What do I mean? I mean, stop all the feel good, don't keep score, politically correct horse crap that's practiced in today's educational system. Stop rewarding mediocre performance and require the best attempt at perfection. I recently saw an interview on CNN with a public school teacher of 30 years. She said that a gifted student used to be one that was truly "gifted". Now days, she says a gifted student is one that will actually do their homework. The FCAT is not difficult and yes I've seen the test. It should be a moderate task at best, for today's students. You can bet the rest of the civilized world is producing students capable of handling this type of test. LEts not perpetuate the "lazy American" stigma with our children. Good Lord, we're the most powerful nation on earth. We should produce the most powerful minds as well.
I'm not saying this is a cure to everything. But, I know a thing or two about modern education and these are just my ideas on how to improve things. I'm wide open for suggestions and comment.
