Re: lousy High School education

On Thu, 17 May 2007 11:14:48 -0400, "Randolph M. Jones"
<rjones@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

J. Hugh Sullivan wrote:
On Wed, 16 May 2007 11:38:02 -0400, "Randolph M. Jones"
<rjones@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

J. Hugh Sullivan wrote:
On 15 May 2007 11:46:38 -0700, Jaybyrd <jaybyrdbird@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On May 15, 2:18 pm, mianderso...@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
On May 15, 2:11 pm, estebanJ <sjar...@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
"Only one-quarter of high school students who take a full set of
college-preparatory courses - four years of English and three each of
mathematics, science and social studies - are well prepared for
college, according to a new study of last year's high school graduates
released today by ACT, the Iowa testing organization.....Those who had
not taken this minimum curriculum fared even worse: only 14 percent
were judged ready for college work in all four subject areas, while 36
percent were not prepared in any."
Having taught high school and having been invited to visit a number of
classes over recent years and invited to discuss WWII a number of
times I am less than impressed with the ability of teachers.

I have not attended a class (admittedly somewhat limited) where I
could not explain something the teacher could not. That shouldn't
happen in his/her subject area since I have been out of college for 57
years.
So your standard is that every teacher should know exactly the same
things as J. Hugh Sullivan plus a little bit more? Curious.

I don't expect to be more knowledgeable in their areas of expertise,
interest or current trivia.

I think math teachers, for example, should be able to answer any math
question I could - and more - because my math knowledge has atrophied
over the years from lack of use. I find that most people can't even
balance their check book to the penny every month - the bank asks if I
need to know my balance when I make a deposit in one of the accounts
(as if they knew what checks are outstanding).

Well, there's an awful lot to know out there, including an awful lot of
math. I imagine there are things you know that most or all math
teachers should know. But I credit you with some pretty full life
experiences, so I'm not sure I'd judge someone as incompetent just
because you happen to know a couple of things in their field that they
don't. I don't pretend to know the sum total of "lay-person" computer
science knowledge...I don't *think* that makes me incompetent as a
computer science teacher.


This really takes more words than I want to take time to write...

Sticking with math, I think high school math has boundaries. One is
not supposed to be a math genius with a high school diploma. So, I
thought it was ridiculous for me to tell a HS math teacher there was
an easier way to solve a problem - she insisted there was not - and I
showed her. That should not have happened because I learned it in high
school.

I don't expect to compete with teachers on their subject EXCEPT I do
have years of practical and successful management experience that adds
dimensions to many subjects. Most teachers have, comparatively,
limited opportunity to apply their expertise in real life.

Maybe I have false expectations - teachers impressed me in the 30s and
40s. I want them to impress me now I am too often disappointed.

I think English teachers should be able to pronounce and spell words
better than I. I think they should write more clearly and explain
better - it's their area of expertise. People here use words
incorrectly on purpose and that's funny - but not being taught the
difference between lose and loose or there and their is absurd.

Or maybe I have the whole thing wrong - perhaps it's not incompetent
teachers, it's that they have imbeciles for students. Maybe you could
clear that up for me.

I couldn't tell you.

In the above I was intentionally guilty of generalities - the same
that I accuse others of doing. I doubt that I could compete with
anyone here in computer ability. That only makes me incompetent in a
single area - but it really galls me that I can't seem to learn as
much about computers as my son who is an expert.

I am more impressed with the teachers in the private schools in the
Dallas area than any in public schools.

A college kid at the grocery store yesterday asked my wife whether two
quarts of milk was a better buy than a half gallon. Normally it is but
not yesterday. It is unthinkable to me that even a junior high kid
couldn't figure that out. It speaks poorly of teachers - or students
who get passed regardless. (Did you think I would say
"irregardless"?).

Or parents? I agree...I'd hope a college kid would be able to do what
you describe.

One of my sons is a college grad, the other is not. If they couldn't
figure out the milk deal than I failed - I was supposed to teach them
how to figure things out.

My problem is that I think each generation should be better than the
last in every important respect and I am disappointed far too often.

I appreciate your honest and non-combative tone.

Hugh
.

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