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John Florez: Ed reforms are vital for U.S. to compete globally

We villainise education and intelligence in this country. Commercials make it look boring and restrictive to the students, unless they purchase something. We make heroes of sports figures and vapid celebrities, not inventors or engineers.
There has to be a price for this.

The worst aspect of the present ed system is the tight fisted control of that system by the colleges of education, who insist that only their graduates emphasizing pedagogy over subject matter mastery may teach. Alternate routes to licensure programs are routinely sabotaged. I support vouchers as a way of breaking this control. The situation is desperate.

Lew, it seems that every day I learn another reason to support vouchers. I know about what you speak of, but had not considered it as another reason to vote yes. Thanks

There are of course improvements that should be made in our educational system. The problem will not be solved by tinkering around the edges with vouchers or this program or that. When we are willing to accept that our culture is rotting from the inside, perhaps we will take an honest look and begin to make systemic changes in our society that will actually work.

Most Utah schools have gifted & talented, honors, and advance placement for students that wish to do well in school. The real problem is the sense of entitlement which creates a lack of personal responsibility. Those that don't receive what they believe they are entitled to, become victims, and totally incapable of making positive decisions, because they blame others for their failures. Schools have a difficult time creating a positive vision in students surrounded by a materialistic, dropout, broken home society that is losing its way.

Degrading the value of those that work with their hands and back in favor of the "more learned ones" I believe indicates a society beginning to rot. It seems that everyone, is "entitled" to easy high paid work, because manual labor is beneath their dignity.

In NYC, the NEA has seen to it that only an average of 3 teachers for every 3000 is terminated for not meeting the phony standards.

We have doubled spending for schools in this country since the turn of the century (cool to be able to say that!) and still our students are average.

The problem is, you want a global student, in an archaic school system whose calendar is still based upon the fact that the family needs the kids to be home in the summertime, to help with the farm. How old is that notion?

Vouchers would cause competition. Competition would cause government schools to either fail, or get rid of the unions and upgrade to something intelligent and useful.

As long as the government runs the schools, the slide will continue. As long as the unions control the administration, there is no hope for improvement.

When a private school has lousy teachers, it will lose customers, so bet on it adjusting and getting rid of the bad teachers. When a government school has a bad teacher, it just keeps paying them the same as the good ones.

Competition is desperately needed. Vouchers are a start

The problem is that there are fewer jobs which require a college education. The world of work is being dumbed down.

Check out the state�s economic report for jobs that pay between 10 to 15 dollars per hour. Education ceases to be translated into higher earnings. So what is the value of an education when it cannot be translated into a better life.

Retired teacher hit the nail on the head.

It ins't the education system that is failing. It is society that is failing. Look at the dress standards. Look at the TV / Movies that are out.

How about another tatoo or piercing?

When society starts having some standards, the education system will suddenly have many of its problems solved.

So John if we let the present system fail like you want, then only the wealthy could afford schooling. And you really should quit blaming unions for everything. Thats weak.

Maybe competition is the answer. A national education system could give math and science tests out twice a year. The results would be compared to other states and a national champion would be crowned each year.

First let's look at alternative ways to get teacher's into the system. In some areas experience should count as much as a credential. This goes for the University level also. My brother who has spent 30 years in advertising and design was a VP at Hallmark and has won a cleo needs to have a masters degree to teach at the local college.

Next start training teachers in how to teach learning styles, visual, audio, tactile, not all kids learn the same. Right now in education far too many teachers think one approach fits all.

Administrators who understand their role and are willing to eliminate poor teachers must spend the time to do it. It can be done because I have done it several times. It takes patience and work. Teachers don't like having poor teachers among them.

In science most other countries break down the concepts of science into groupings and help the students master those concepts, then onto the higher level concepts. Students master the concepts in smaller groupings Here in the United States we keep throwing the same large grouping of concepts each year hoping that students will finally get it by graduation.

Retired Teacher... Amen!