Comments on: The Public School System is a Failure http://westernfrontamerica.com/2009/11/30/public-school-system-failure/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed Conservative Political and Social Commentary, Opinion and Analysis Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:28:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: the friendly grizzly http://westernfrontamerica.com/2009/11/30/public-school-system-failure/#comment-197 the friendly grizzly Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:44:47 +0000 http://westernfrontamerica.com/?p=9729#comment-197 My profession takes me through tens of schools per year. While my observations are general, and not true in ALL cases, I find that the smaller the school district, the more the atmosphere in the classroom is one of learning. The large factory schools, or the schools in the factory-like school districts have all the usual simple-mind nonsense where they learn more about recycling and Harriet Tubman than they learn about science and Thomas Jefferson. What I find most ironic is: the schools in regions looked down upon by the bi-coastal and big-city snobs seem to have a very high percentage of concerned, participating parents. I also notice that many teachers in these small districts CHALLENGE their students, often showing them <i>how</i> to think rather than <i>what</i> to think. Homogeneity of the student body, and the use of tracking, are big helps, but one is condemned for making such observations today. My profession takes me through tens of schools per year. While my observations are general, and not true in ALL cases, I find that the smaller the school district, the more the atmosphere in the classroom is one of learning.

The large factory schools, or the schools in the factory-like school districts have all the usual simple-mind nonsense where they learn more about recycling and Harriet Tubman than they learn about science and Thomas Jefferson.

What I find most ironic is: the schools in regions looked down upon by the bi-coastal and big-city snobs seem to have a very high percentage of concerned, participating parents. I also notice that many teachers in these small districts CHALLENGE their students, often showing them how to think rather than what to think.

Homogeneity of the student body, and the use of tracking, are big helps, but one is condemned for making such observations today.

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