"Capt. JG" wrote in message
...
I think it starts, as you said, with instilling the desire to learn in kids
from their parents. So, part of it is to try and keep families together, or
if that's not possible,

A lofty goal, to be sure, but we already have three or four generations of
people (crossing all racial and ethnic lines, by the way) who are convinced
that the two-parent home is obsolete and that education is pointless. The
situation is exacerbating, not remitting.

ensure that single parents have enough bandwidth to help their kids and
still earn a decent wage.

Care to translate your "bandwidth" analogy into English?


We need to pay teachers more, since this will attract better teachers.

Numerous studies have demonstrated redundantly that money is not the prime
motivator in attracting individuals to certain professions, teaching
included. But tying the teacher's hands with respect to discipline, leaving
him prone to litigation, open to student abuse, and hating his/her job is
hardly conducive to attracting quality individuals to education. Once again
the *solution* of throwing money at the problem is and has been a failure.

We need to test kids, but not put the emphasis of teaching to the test.

Of course, all this smacks of socialism, but actually it makes good
business sense.

Education in the USA is highly socialistic already, so what's the big deal.
A proper identification of the problem is the answer, however. Too bad that
every time the problem is examined under a microscope and the real issues
are unearthed, the political correctness police prohibit airing and dealing
with them. Heaven forbid that we might examine the drawbacks of
single-parent families, cultural anti-education biases, etc.

Max

"Maxprop" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Capt. JG" wrote in message
...
I think it starts, as you said, with instilling the desire to learn in
kids from their parents. So, part of it is to try and keep families
together, or if that's not possible,

A lofty goal, to be sure, but we already have three or four generations of
people (crossing all racial and ethnic lines, by the way) who are
convinced that the two-parent home is obsolete and that education is
pointless. The situation is exacerbating, not remitting.

Well, you may be right, but one has to fight against the tide, else be drawn
along with it.

ensure that single parents have enough bandwidth to help their kids and
still earn a decent wage.

Care to translate your "bandwidth" analogy into English?

Not having to have three jobs to make ends meet, so that they actually have
time to spend with the kids.


We need to pay teachers more, since this will attract better teachers.

Numerous studies have demonstrated redundantly that money is not the prime
motivator in attracting individuals to certain professions, teaching
included. But tying the teacher's hands with respect to discipline,
leaving him prone to litigation, open to student abuse, and hating his/her
job is hardly conducive to attracting quality individuals to education.
Once again the *solution* of throwing money at the problem is and has been
a failure.

Something being a prime motivator has only a little to do with making it
financially viable for people take on a profession.

I don't think raising teacher salaries can be defined realistically as
throwing money at a problem.

We need to test kids, but not put the emphasis of teaching to the test.

Of course, all this smacks of socialism, but actually it makes good
business sense.

Education in the USA is highly socialistic already, so what's the big
deal. A proper identification of the problem is the answer, however. Too
bad that every time the problem is examined under a microscope and the
real issues are unearthed, the political correctness police prohibit
airing and dealing with them. Heaven forbid that we might examine the
drawbacks of single-parent families, cultural anti-education biases, etc.

I think we would all benefit from knowing the answers. However, just because
someone is a single parent does not preclude doing a good job with one's
kids.

"Capt. JG" wrote i

Care to translate your "bandwidth" analogy into English?

Not having to have three jobs to make ends meet, so that they
actually have
time to spend with the kids.


Three jobs? Why would they need 3 jobs? When we planned to have
kids we decided that Mom would not work till the kids were at
least 14 YO. Sure this meant sailing a Mac instead of a Swan,
driving a Dodge van instead of a Beemer, but you've got to get
your priorities straight.
Too many have it the wrong way today.


--
Scott Vernon
Plowville Pa _/)__/)_/)_

People make choices. Scott's wife and Scout both
made the choice to teach. From what I've picked
up about both of them, they would probably both
continue for next to nothing.
I made the choice to teach sailing. I do it for
next to nothing. In my experience of hiring and
managing instructors, the ones who make more
demands (wages, benefits, working conditions, etc)
are also the least effective instructors. And if
I meet one of those demands, there's always
another.
S.

"Scotty" wrote in message
...
:
: "Capt. JG" wrote i
:
: Care to translate your "bandwidth" analogy
into English?
:
: Not having to have three jobs to make ends
meet, so that they
: actually have
: time to spend with the kids.
:
:
: Three jobs? Why would they need 3 jobs? When
we planned to have
: kids we decided that Mom would not work till the
kids were at
: least 14 YO. Sure this meant sailing a Mac
instead of a Swan,
: driving a Dodge van instead of a Beemer, but
you've got to get
: your priorities straight.
: Too many have it the wrong way today.
:
:
: --
: Scott Vernon
: Plowville Pa _/)__/)_/)_
:
:

Hey Steve, please email me. Might have an offer you can't
refuse.



DSK

I just want to add that I was outraged when I heard that there was a
memorial service for that murderer in LA after he was executed.

I may be morally opposed to the death penalty, but to honor a
convicted murderer who showed no remorse whatsoever, and who was the
leader of huge criminal organization, was disrespectful to the people
who lost loved ones due to his actions.

I find it hard to believe that those doing the memorializing couldn't
find a more worthy person in or out of prison.

It was an absolutely disgusting display.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

In article ,
Scotty wrote:

"Capt. JG" wrote i

Care to translate your "bandwidth" analogy into English?

Not having to have three jobs to make ends meet, so that they
actually have
time to spend with the kids.


Three jobs? Why would they need 3 jobs? When we planned to have
kids we decided that Mom would not work till the kids were at
least 14 YO. Sure this meant sailing a Mac instead of a Swan,
driving a Dodge van instead of a Beemer, but you've got to get
your priorities straight.
Too many have it the wrong way today.

Some people are less fortunate than you by having a job that pays less
well than yours. I know a guy with five kids. Both parents work at
least two jobs, with my friend having sometimes worked three when his
youngest had leukemia and he and his wife had inadequate health
insurance.



--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Scotty" wrote in message
...

"Capt. JG" wrote i

Care to translate your "bandwidth" analogy into English?

Not having to have three jobs to make ends meet, so that they
actually have
time to spend with the kids.


Three jobs? Why would they need 3 jobs? When we planned to have
kids we decided that Mom would not work till the kids were at
least 14 YO. Sure this meant sailing a Mac instead of a Swan,
driving a Dodge van instead of a Beemer, but you've got to get
your priorities straight.
Too many have it the wrong way today.

Perhaps you weren't working a $6/hr. job, Scoot.

Max

"Maxprop" wrote in message
nk.net...

"Scotty" wrote in message
...

"Capt. JG" wrote i

Care to translate your "bandwidth" analogy into English?

Not having to have three jobs to make ends meet, so that
they
actually have
time to spend with the kids.


Three jobs? Why would they need 3 jobs? When we planned to
have
kids we decided that Mom would not work till the kids were at
least 14 YO. Sure this meant sailing a Mac instead of a
Swan,
driving a Dodge van instead of a Beemer, but you've got to
get
your priorities straight.
Too many have it the wrong way today.

Perhaps you weren't working a $6/hr. job, Scoot.

Point noted.

SV

"Capt. JG" wrote in message

Well, you may be right, but one has to fight against the tide, else be
drawn along with it.

Agreed. I just don't know how to go about it. Throwing money at the
problem has proved ineffective. More money is probably needed, but a viable
plan should be formulated first.

Not having to have three jobs to make ends meet, so that they actually
have time to spend with the kids.

Very true. It is a major problem with the working poor.

Something being a prime motivator has only a little to do with making it
financially viable for people take on a profession.

Are you contending that teaching is not a financially viable profession?
Most of the teachers I know earn between $50K and $80K for nine months of
work. And their retirement plans are legendary.

I don't think raising teacher salaries can be defined realistically as
throwing money at a problem.

It is if those same teachers are no more effective at higher pay rates than
they are a lower ones.


I think we would all benefit from knowing the answers. However, just
because someone is a single parent does not preclude doing a good job with
one's kids.

Absolutely, but the statistics demonstrate preponderantly that single-parent
families have a substantially higher school drop-out rate than two-parent
families. We need to know why that is the case, but whenever we attempt to
examine the situation, the PC cops put a stop to it, calling it
discrimination. Inner city blacks have a higher drop-out rate, too, but
we're not allowed to examine the etiology of that phenomenon either. It's
really difficult to prescribe remedies to a problem without understanding
the nature of the problem first.

Max