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No one ever challenges the school budgets around here, either, except for a few lone elderly farmers who have their say and are ignored. No one even examines the line items. The principal, teachers, parents all get up at town hall and make their case. I'm becoming a proponent of home schooling. It would be cheaper to teach kids in small groups in peoples homes. I bet they'd learn a lot more a lot faster with very little burden on the taxpayer, except for the cost of occasional evaluations.
If I had it to do over again, I'd have never put my kids in school.
One also needs to consider federal mandates which end up funded by local municipalities. There is a big push to "standardize" education to "core" subject matter. If it were more of what I think is useful 'core subject matter' I'd be a little more enthusiastic about that.
We are being fed a line of hooey (IMO) that our kids aren't capable of meeting the challenging "technical jobs of the future" unless they go neck-deep into debt for college. Okay, so they'll spend $100,000+ and go to work where? Even if they do get a job near their educational field, how many will be trained to do the job the way their employer wants them to do anyway?
I'm all for further education, but I think this push to educate, educate, educate, has gone a little overboard - especially since there are few jobs available here right now. We're losing smart kids with common sense who can't pass a test. I'm seeing it all the time.
If it were up to me, I'd have privatized our school and told the state to stick their money where the sun don't shine rather than consolidate.
Alas, it wasn't up to me. Maybe that's a good thing after all.
If I had it to do over again, I'd have never put my kids in school.
One also needs to consider federal mandates which end up funded by local municipalities. There is a big push to "standardize" education to "core" subject matter. If it were more of what I think is useful 'core subject matter' I'd be a little more enthusiastic about that.
We are being fed a line of hooey (IMO) that our kids aren't capable of meeting the challenging "technical jobs of the future" unless they go neck-deep into debt for college. Okay, so they'll spend $100,000+ and go to work where? Even if they do get a job near their educational field, how many will be trained to do the job the way their employer wants them to do anyway?
I'm all for further education, but I think this push to educate, educate, educate, has gone a little overboard - especially since there are few jobs available here right now. We're losing smart kids with common sense who can't pass a test. I'm seeing it all the time.
If it were up to me, I'd have privatized our school and told the state to stick their money where the sun don't shine rather than consolidate.
Alas, it wasn't up to me. Maybe that's a good thing after all.
I could not agree with you more, Reloop. Government schools designed to turn out compliant drones programmed to think alike. Here in FL they spend most of the classroom hours "teaching the test". It's all about raising the school's combined score on a statewide standardized test so the school district can get more federal dollars.
George Orwell was dead on. We try to deprogram our grandchildren as much as we can.
If I had it to do over again, I'd have never put my kids in school.
One also needs to consider federal mandates which end up funded by local municipalities. There is a big push to "standardize" education to "core" subject matter. If it were more of what I think is useful 'core subject matter' I'd be a little more enthusiastic about that.
We are being fed a line of hooey (IMO) that our kids aren't capable of meeting the challenging "technical jobs of the future" unless they go neck-deep into debt for college. Okay, so they'll spend $100,000+ and go to work where? Even if they do get a job near their educational field, how many will be trained to do the job the way their employer wants them to do anyway?
I'm all for further education, but I think this push to educate, educate, educate, has gone a little overboard - especially since there are few jobs available here right now. We're losing smart kids with common sense who can't pass a test. I'm seeing it all the time.
If it were up to me, I'd have privatized our school and told the state to stick their money where the sun don't shine rather than consolidate.
Alas, it wasn't up to me. Maybe that's a good thing after all.
"Common Core and Essential Standards." I think it's going national and has been adopted by many states so far. I hope it proves to be useful. Maybe some of it is new packaging--new and improved hopefully. Some people confuse a college education with a marketable skill. Sometimes they go hand in hand and sometimes, they don't. (Not everyone goes to college specifically to train for a job. A friend of mine wanted a four-year degree in music. He joined the Marine reserves and helped to pay for his education. After he graduated, he became employed as an auto mechanic and was involved in music as a hobby. He was ok with that.) Apprenticeships and vocational-technical high schools have a place in preparing people to get jobs. Hopefully, the training is for jobs that can be had in Maine.
No offense, but I often hear about students who can't pass a test. Most of them don't seem to have any trouble passing a driver's test. Life is full of tests--some examples: a state test to get a nurses license--RN, potential lawyers have to pass the bar, one or more of the Praxis tests are required for teachers, a test is required to become a master electrician, a test is required to become a licensed cosmetologist, there's a test to become a certified public accountant, test for a real estate license, test for an insurance license, there are tests on various topics for auto mechanics, radiology certifications... anyone who can think of more tests required for certain jobs, feel free to let us know.
High school students need to look at what types of jobs are available in Maine and nationally. I realize the job situation is rather dismal. I just heard on a news show that only about 59% of Americans are employed. Regardless, take a look at job trends....I've been reading job ads (Jobs in Maine and others) for years to see what types of jobs seem to occur most frequently. Take a look at the Occupational Outlook Handbook online for education required, salary info, and future trends. Occupational Outlook Handbook Index: A-Z
Decide whether or not you believe we are competing in a global economy, if you care, and what skills are needed. Bottom line for high school kids in Maine--what job can you train for (vo-tech high school, technical school or four or more years of college) that will make you employable in Maine? or are they willing to train for a job that will take them out-of-state for employment? Tough decision and sometimes a harsh reality.
I could not agree with you more, Reloop. Government schools designed to turn out compliant drones programmed to think alike. Here in FL they spend most of the classroom hours "teaching the test". It's all about raising the school's combined score on a statewide standardized test so the school district can get more federal dollars.
George Orwell was dead on. We try to deprogram our grandchildren as much as we can.
Tried to rep you!
When we were in Ct, with five children, the 'Connecticut Mastery Test' was a really big deal in the public institutions.
Six weeks of each school year were devoted exclusively to the test.
1- Two weeks with the test in the classroom to go over each question, in an open discussion format, to teach the test.
Followed by a month of teaching the subject matter to support the test. Along with what other curriculum the school could 'fit in'.
2- Then a second round of two-weeks with the test in the classroom to go over each question.
Followed by a month of teaching the subject matter to support the test; and other curriculum as the school saw fit.
3- Finally a two-week program of timed 'practice' tests. Each day they would take the test for practice. To see how well they could place.
Followed by a month of review; and other topics.
And then at last they took the test.
The 'Connecticut Mastery Test' ranked the schools and factored into their budgets.
"Common Core and Essential Standards." I think it's going national and has been adopted by many states so far. I hope it proves to be useful. Maybe some of it is new packaging--new and improved hopefully. Some people confuse a college education with a marketable skill. Sometimes they go hand in hand and sometimes, they don't. (Not everyone goes to college specifically to train for a job. A friend of mine wanted a four-year degree in music. He joined the Marine reserves and helped to pay for his education. After he graduated, he became employed as an auto mechanic and was involved in music as a hobby. He was ok with that.) Apprenticeships and vocational-technical high schools have a place in preparing people to get jobs. Hopefully, the training is for jobs that can be had in Maine.
No offense, but I often hear about students who can't pass a test. Most of them don't seem to have any trouble passing a driver's test. Life is full of tests--some examples: a state test to get a nurses license--RN, potential lawyers have to pass the bar, one or more of the Praxis tests are required for teachers, a test is required to become a master electrician, a test is required to become a licensed cosmetologist, there's a test to become a certified public accountant, test for a real estate license, test for an insurance license, there are tests on various topics for auto mechanics, radiology certifications... anyone who can think of more tests required for certain jobs, feel free to let us know.
High school students need to look at what types of jobs are available in Maine and nationally. I realize the job situation is rather dismal. I just heard on a news show that only about 59% of Americans are employed. Regardless, take a look at job trends....I've been reading job ads (Jobs in Maine and others) for years to see what types of jobs seem to occur most frequently. Take a look at the Occupational Outlook Handbook online for education required, salary info, and future trends. Occupational Outlook Handbook Index: A-Z
Decide whether or not you believe we are competing in a global economy, if you care, and what skills are needed. Bottom line for high school kids in Maine--what job can you train for (vo-tech high school, technical school or four or more years of college) that will make you employable in Maine? or are they willing to train for a job that will take them out-of-state for employment? Tough decision and sometimes a harsh reality.
I agree with what you're saying. Oh definitely on kids being able to pass something they really want to pass.
Still, it's not passing a test that I have the problem with - it's more teaching to test. In our zeal to demand high test scores, I have observed (in quite a few cases anyway - obviously not all) children who have learned little more than the proverbial "how to pull the right lever for the food pellet" kind of education.
I'd like to see more jobs other than retail jobs so they can stay in Maine once they complete their education. To me, that's a huge part of deciding what they want to do. Thankfully, my kids (middle school) are starting to do their research (and look toward the future demand) in jobs that will give them the best chance at securing employment. The younger one is still a little young, but my DS is really doing his homework. This makes me happy to see that he's actually taking a more active role in choosing his future. I see the "buy local" trend as a good thing which will hopefully lead to more demand for product and attention to where manufacturing is done.
Having seen high-schoolers who had such great potential dropping out due to sheer frustration, I am a huge advocate for getting kids (particularly the hands-on learners) into vocational training. I've seen far too many who possess more common sense and problem solving skills in their left pinky than some of the A+ students have been able to achieve in their entire school experience.
I totally agree that kids need to be educated - I just feel that the delivery method could be a lot better if we stop demanding that they simply pass a test. Thanks for the link.
Sorry to veer so far off-topic. These are the kinds of things I like to see my property taxes go into (although I must say I'd like to see the leaps align more to the occasional COLA raise I now get. I don't have a problem with spending my tax money to fund my future businesspeople, manufacturers and health care workers - I just hope we can keep them here is all.
In Mass. we have Proposition 2 1/2 that's supposed to cap property taxes. Of course there's ways around it. In my town I pay an annual $600 on top of property taxes. It's called "fire district tax." All they did was parcel out this portion of property taxes and slap a name on it.
Just wondering what's going on in Maine, projections for how fast and how much property taxes are jumping up. Is all property assessed at 100% for instance?
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It varies with the town. The state tracks property sales and towns get audited annually as to how the assessed value matches the market/sales price. Some towns are 100% while others go to 50% or lower. An incentive to stay at 90-100% is the state withholding reimbursements fro exemptions and school aid. Kinda like holding back an allowance to a misbehaving kid. But as costs go up so do taxes. Town still has to pay for stuff.
When will people, including all those on this thread, realize that local, in the same way as state and national taxes, have nothing at all to do with the cost of anything.
Its simply a wealth extraction exercise (theft in other words) and its cloaked in the language of "services" and "need" in order to get it from us, otherwise if people knew the truth, they just wouldn't pay and riots with pitch forks and flamed torches would be the norm in our streets, as it used to be.
Yes, there is a cost for everything, but there is nothing to prove it costs $X per this or that, as it is always claimed. Its just an invented language we have all been told to accept by clever sounding people, employed by devious, deceptive and sociopath "leaders"
Taxes keep going up and the number of new taxes keeps rising - still we are told "we need more money".
As everyone with a modicum of psychology knows, you can never satisfy a sociopath, which is what modern governments are in effect.
The reason our money is so readily wasted, squandered and just stolen is because it doesn't belong to those who commit these evil acts and as everyone knows, you don't feel for what you haven't worked for.
When will people, including all those on this thread, realize that local, in the same way as state and national taxes, have nothing at all to do with the cost of anything.
Its simply a wealth extraction exercise (theft in other words) and its cloaked in the language of "services" and "need" in order to get it from us, otherwise if people knew the truth, they just wouldn't pay and riots with pitch forks and flamed torches would be the norm in our streets, as it used to be.
Yes, there is a cost for everything, but there is nothing to prove it costs $X per this or that, as it is always claimed. Its just an invented language we have all been told to accept by clever sounding people, employed by devious, deceptive and sociopath "leaders"
Taxes keep going up and the number of new taxes keeps rising - still we are told "we need more money".
As everyone with a modicum of psychology knows, you can never satisfy a sociopath, which is what modern governments are in effect.
The reason our money is so readily wasted, squandered and just stolen is because it doesn't belong to those who commit these evil acts and as everyone knows, you don't feel for what you haven't worked for.
The problem, at least in my state, is administration-heavy town staffing. In the little town I just moved away from there was a top town hall administrator making over 70K, then there was an asst making maybe 45K, and all the other employees at town hall. Not only their salaries, but their pensions (they typically retire with 80% of their salary and full health insurance for them and spouse till they die. Not to mention all the teachers and school administrators who get this. There are only 1,000 tax paying households in that town! which have to bear the burden of this ever-escalating budget as these employees and teachers retire and more come up through the ranks. PLUS the ever-expanding school budget, all while we had no streetlights (they were shut off), no trash pickup (it became privatized), and no stop signs where they're most needed.
I don't know how the small towns in Maine carry this burden, but the burden is on aging retirees who no longer make the kind of money they used to.
There are a vast majority of kids in public schools who are forgotten. teachers for the most part do not concentrate a lot of effort on the average kids. Seems to me they just get pushed through the system.
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Life is full of tests--some examples: a state test to get a nurses license--RN, potential lawyers have to pass the bar, one or more of the Praxis tests are required for teachers, a test is required to become a master electrician, a test is required to become a licensed cosmetologist, there's a test to become a certified public accountant, test for a real estate license, test for an insurance license, there are tests on various topics for auto mechanics, radiology certifications... anyone who can think of more tests required for certain jobs, feel free to let us know. 
Thanks for the link.
