<p>Some more “do-over” options for the kid who didn’t do well in the geometry class. Take an online class (they vary in cost and whether or not a local school will accept the credit) or initially attend community college and take more math there. This is not to say the student shouldn’t have had a decent geometry class in the first place.</p>
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<p>Cross posted with Bay.</p>
<p>Interesting, Bay.</p>
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<p>Yes, this is the point I was trying to make. Every student deserves a good teacher. Because you can never get back that year of Geometry and the consequences for not learning it are too great.</p>
<p>“Some more “do-over” options for the kid who didn’t do well in the geometry class.”</p>
<p>I had to take it over in summer school. I didn’t do badly because I had a lousy teacher, either. I’m just math challenged.</p>
<p>The government does not pay for everyone’s food, just for low-income residents through food stamps. Others are responsible for feeding themselves, and since they are spending their own money, their particular preferences, whether organic, vegetarian, kosher, or halal are no one’s business. </p>
<p>Under an education mandate system, all taxpayers would still be paying for vouchers for people who need them, but government spending on education would go down and private spending would rise. The government does not pay everyone to clothe, feed, and shelter themselves or their children, yet middle and upper class children are not starving. It’s not clear that the government needs to fund everyone’s education. The downside of a mandate system would be that that some parents who could afford to educate their children would skimp on doing so. It’s advantage is that providers that have to attract paying customers tend to be more efficient.</p>
<p>“The government does not pay for everyone’s food, just for low-income residents through food stamps.”</p>
<p>Nowhere in the federal Constitution or any State Constitution is it written that the government has to provide free food, shelter, or free anything else for that matter, except a public school education, which must be provided for free per every state Constitution, with no allowance for opting out as schooling is compulsory until age 16.</p>
<p>Even if you are Warren Buffet your children have the right to a free and public education.</p>
<p>Oh, where are the usual comments about IQ and how only a certain tier will get anywhere, anyway? I’m really surprised, Bel- I thought it was: those who don’t get it are doomed by their genetics. Predetermination.</p>
<p>Emilybee,
How did you do in the course when you took it in the summer? I assume better? What do you think made the difference in your ability to learn it the second time?</p>
<p>If we want to get costs down, have a nationwide on-line school. Uniform course content. Think of the savings. No buildings. Students would do it from home. Have any reading materials only available on-line. No textbook costs. You would not need but a few teachers and some videographers. Design tests so that they could be computer graded in most part.</p>
<p>Apparently on-line learning is as or more effective than in class.
<a href=“http://www.academicpartnerships.com/docs/default-document-library/white-paper-final-9-22-2011-(1).pdf?sfvrsn=0[/url]”>http://www.academicpartnerships.com/docs/default-document-library/white-paper-final-9-22-2011-(1).pdf?sfvrsn=0</a></p>
<p>So, back to testing- what determines a good geometry teacher? How much is enough? Do you have to perform well on std tests to prove you’ve gotten it?</p>
<p>Geometry is pretty interesting as an example, as it fills a need in many crafts.</p>
<p>I wonder how many of the kids doing online learning have someone else do their work.</p>
<p>I guarantee that is what my son would do. I can even pick who would do it for him (no, not me).</p>
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<p>Non-union status and MY kid got an A!</p>
<p>At this point, I’m opposed to online as it misses interaction and some immediacy. Plus, you just know I’d complain about who’s designing the courses, how they explain, what, etc. Online itself is not magic.</p>
<p>“How did you do in the course when you took it in the summer? I assume better? What do you think made the difference in your ability to learn it the second time?” </p>
<p>I did very well. 
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<p>I have always struggled with Math as I missed several months in both 3rd and 4th grade due to severe pneumonia and after that I was always behind the 8 ball as I missed a lot of the foundations of math (mostly fractions and decimals.) At the time (mid 60’s) no one thought (including my mom who was a teacher!) that I might need a tutor to catch up and when I asked my mother years later about it she told me they said “not to worry” that I was smart and would have no trouble. I muddled along with mostly C’s but but I never was able to really catch up and hit the wall in Geometry and flunked. </p>
<p>Only the private prep school in my area offered it - the class was very small and the teacher really worked with me. I stayed in that school through graduation. My math still isn’t great but I thank my lucky stars there are calculators now!</p>
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<p>Yes. My son would too. I can also pick which kid would create a business out of “helping” kids take the tests.</p>
<p>“If we want to get costs down, have a nationwide on-line school. Uniform course content. Think of the savings. No buildings. Students would do it from home. Have any reading materials only available on-line. No textbook costs. You would not need but a few teachers and some videographers. Design tests so that they could be computer graded in most part.”</p>
<p>And just who is going to be home with these children all day when mom and dad are at work? </p>
<p>Besides that <em>wrinkle</em> I think it is a horrible idea. Part of learning is the interaction kids have with other kids (not to mention art, music, phy ed, etc., which can’t be done online.) And I can’t think of anything else I would hate as much as the thought of any child stuck in front of a computer for 5+ hours a day.</p>
<p>But the benefits!!!</p>
<p>Freedom to pick kosher, vegetarian, Chinese or McD’s for lunch. Wear what you want “to school”. No closed for bad weather days. One less reason for suburbs.</p>
<p>Yeah, well, my kid’s school has a French chef. His home does NOT have a French chef.</p>
<p>School wins.</p>
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<p>“The Rich” could use the Nanny. The poor, perhaps the police sub-station? Nice, neat. Takes care of a lot of problems.</p>
<p>zoosermom–</p>
<p>PBK really did die and go to Heaven, didn’t he, when he got in that school?!?</p>
<p>Well the church around the corner from me is the location where the NYPD houses the neighborhood truants. Perhaps computers could be set up there.</p>
<p>Nah. Separation of church and state issues. I got it! The kids could just go to buildings specifically designed to let them learn so that mommy and daddy can go to work and know that they at least have adult supervision, nutritious meals and socialization.</p>