PISA ratings-

Here's a humorous view of the issue by my friend, Wilfred. Here's the world rankings For education via The UK Guardian (which is why the UK is highlighted in this image)

SO, The US is ranked 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in Math out of 34 countries participating. The test involve 15 year old students and we, as a nation, are dead average.

The fingerpointing begins. It's the (fill in the blank) the teachers, the parents, the government, the economy, the wacko fringe elements, the unequal testing groups... fault.
No one really seems to know why the kids are not performing in school, everyone seems to have an excuse. Having a front row seat (as it were) into the day to day workings of the local school, I certainly see changes in the system. Remember when you had a class assignment and a homework assignment? Remember those 50 problems you did at home? That's all gone. Why? because the kids just refuse to do them. Period. There are several kids who won't get the class assignment done and STILL won't finish them at home.

So, in view of that, maybe it's the parents' fault. Of course, that means they'd actually have to see their kids after school before they go to bed, which seems to be an issue. Seriously, between the parents who do not work 9-5 jobs and the divorce rate (which means single parents and dating) the parents are just not supervising the kids like before.

So, A few years ago, before any of of my kids participated in school activities, I realized that I had about two hours of "family time" with my kids a day. They got up at 5:30 am and got home at 4:30 pm. Less on Church night.

Then, the kids began to participate in band and sports. Less time for everything. Suddenly, we were eating a lot less home cooked meals, grabbing a lot more fast food and quick heat and serve meals and most of our conversations were in the car on the way to and from activities.

I noticed the class work changed in the schools. No homework because the poor football (basketball, track, wrestling, etc..) team kids had no time to do it. (remember when that was THEIR problem? Remember when EXTRA curriculum meant just that?)

So, This is what I see- I see an assignment given which is computer- based. I see the class head to the lab where the computers are. I see several of the kids chat and not do the work. I see several of them playing computer games instead of working. I see some kids at a loss how to find the information from the website. I see a few kids who got it done in one day. I see this assignment (a one page hand out) lasting 3 days. I see an assignment that can not be compleated at home because not everyone has a computer.

I recently realized that when I was in teacher training, it was emphasized that I was to manage the classroom by making certain I had everyone's attention and everyone was on task. If they were not, I was graded down. Now, I see very little evidence that teachers are managing their classrooms like that. Part of it has to do with the emphasis on working in groups.

I was told a few years ago that the business world was asking the education system to address the fact that business worked in teams now and that the kids should be prepared to work as a team. I saw them put that policy into effect in as young as the 4th grade- which caused, in the classroom, noise, confusion and off task activities. But the teacher was to allow all of that to go on- in favor of getting the idea of a team of work. Now, of you remember back to any time you had to work with a partner in school, you KNOW that there's one person who does all the work and the rest distract. The difference between school and work is that the slackers get fired. An interesting thought my husband added to this is, while the public schools are to be doing more team building, there are more online learning opportunities in college where students aren't even in the same PLACE anymore. What is more important to business then, team building in the 4th grade or in college?

Ah, but we expect so much from our schools. Things our society wants every kid to know because the parents don't seem to be doing the job. There's the emphasis on healthy exercise and eating, sex, drugs, checkbook use (really- personal finance is a required class)My daughter recently had a Hunter safety course in PE. Then there's computer skills (which is required at the middle school, High school and college levels) Then, there's the fact that so many kids eat free and reduced breakfast/ lunch at school.

It's a kid-centric world. To get your student's attention, you are to get on their level and make your examples about what they are interested in- lady gaga references and such. (I read that in a teacher magazine) They can't spell Pisa (or know what it is, or where it is) but they know all the words to the pop songs (and those pass for literature these days).

So, whose fault is it? I think everyone has equal shares.

The lack of parenting skills is a direct reflection of the 60's- where being yourself and doing your own thing led to kids being raised with little direction. The divorce rates beginning in the 70's where single parent households meant that the kids were less supervised and the parents more harried about how to make a living. The society that still doesn't pay women as much as men, the dead beat dads, the mobile society where family homesteads with grandparents living nearby no longer occur. Who IS watching the kids? The answer around here is daycare centers, the YMCA after school program and then, no one (unless they are in sports, then it's the coaches).

The kids. The tail is wagging the dog. Not even the best tail either. Imagine you are teaching 25 kids. The assignment is due tomorrow. 3 of them didn't do it. 5 almost finished it. 6 of them did it wrong.5 of them got quite a few answers wrong. 6 of them did well. How do you hand out grades that it doesn't look like you are a failure? The lazy kids and the kids who do not listen and follow directions are controlling your class. THEY are in control of your evaluations. Now, if you want to change that, I doubt you'd even be allowed to take a hard stand. I don't believe you'd be allowed to demand excellence or let the effort stand. It just looks bad when half your class fails. So, they extend the assignment times. They accept late work. They do it together in class. They dumb down the assignments.

It's no wonder we are average in the world.