Education in America -

@trish32 (1471)
United States
July 9, 2008 10:42pm CST
How do you feel about the education system in America? I've read many articles and even discussions here on myLot talking about education, both here in the U.S. and in other countries. It's a widely known fact that several other countries outperform the U.S. where education is concerned. And here in the U.S. many of us feel that the education system is quite flawed. So let me hear your opinions on the education system here in the U.S.. If you feel it's great, tell us why. If you feel there are problems, let us know what you think they are.
1 response
• United States
10 Jul 08
It is horrible, so horrible that I am thinking about homeschooling my kids. Big changes need to made it is nuts that kids just keep getting passed on to the next grade when they should not be. My friends daughter is going into 2nd grade and she was just wondering what her daughter really knows. So she gave her a simple 1st grade test you no things that she should be able to do, and the poor girl got most of them wrong. What is wrong with this system passing kids when they can't do the work of the grade before.
1 person likes this
@trish32 (1471)
• United States
10 Jul 08
I agree that serious changes and improvements need to be made to the education system. The No Child Left Behind Act is a start, but I don't think it's enough. On the state level there are much more serious changes and improvements that need to be made, particularly where funding is concerned. I think the amount spent per student should be uniform, not based on where the school is located, i.e. which city, county. The children have no choice in where they live, so why should they suffer due to lack of funding based on a situation they have no deciding power in. If the No Child Left Behind Act was designed to make education more equal for all children then why is it that funding can be so unequal and, in my opinion, unfair.
• United States
11 Jul 08
My oldest is starting school in the fall and I can not believe that what is expected of her is so different from what is expected from the school one town away. It is not right that my daughters school has lower expectations then the town next door. She should not be penalized because she lives in a small town. Just because the funds are lower and the schools are smaller does not mean that the my daughter and the other kids do not deserve to be pushed to reach their full potential.
@trish32 (1471)
• United States
13 Jul 08
I completely agree. My next-to-youngest son just finished kindergarten. We live in a different city than when my oldest 2 children started school. I thought I knew what to expect after having put 2 kids in school already. I was shocked to see how little he learned compared to my other 2 children. He is very advanced and spent the majority of the school year bored and lost much of his desire to go to school. I've had several meetings with his kindergarted teacher as well as the guidance counselor and, hopefully, have a plan in place to challenge him for the coming school year. I think it's a shame that our government claims to have the best interests of the children in mind, yet so obviously ignore the disparity in the education system. The city we live in is not as "wealthy" as other cities in the area, and is shows in the lack of funding and programs in the school system here. If it weren't for the fact that I not only work but also attend college full time I would home school my children. I just simply don't have the time. I do, however, set aside time to ensure that I supplement their school education at home. I wonder how many of our politicians send their children to public schools?