Now that School has started again, do you belive that American students are in

[tantricia44]

the bottom of the educational barrel?  If so will America ever catch up? Should we worry to much about it? In my family education was on top of all priorities. Which followed through into adulthood. Growing up in the US; I noticed that kids didn't think being smart or studying was important.(I was a nerd)It was all about fashion & being in the in crow. In college, I noticed that foreign students have the top GPAs & they seem to not have to study very hard to get good grades. Even the 1's from the poorest countries are on top of the American students in education.(All subjects) Instead of toughing up our American students in their education; America seem to have come up w/excuses on why American kids aren't on top of the educational status. All of sudden, there are kids suffering from Adhd,test anxiety, deadline challenged, note taking challenged...etc, etc, etc.... I had test anxiety but nobody ever gave me unlimited test time. My understanding was; if you don't know the answers, it doesn't matter how long you have to take it. I truly think that when they got rid of the paddle at school & in the home is when the proud standards in American education & overall make up of the American children started deteriorating. In short American kids are spoiled.

[amyrouse]

I agree completely that American kids are spoiled.  I am a substitute teacher, and from what I've seen in the schools from grade school all the way up through high school, it makes me seriously contemplate homeschooling my children.  I find the students at the "alternative" school to be better behaved than the ones in middle and high school.  I've been offered bribes (by the Advanced Placement kids), been told that they were going to band together and say they weren't given the assignment, cussed out, I even had one take one of the teachers display mugs and use it as a spittoon.  Then, there were the freshmen who had been studying Israeli/Palestinian relations for over a month and upon their review told me that the two groups were fighting because Jesus told the Israelis that the land was theirs and the Palestinians were jealous.  They are lazy, disrespectful, and they just don't care.

[cball55]

I am really intelligent and in my Middle School and High School years I became frustrated with the material, I would leave class because I couldn't take it. I was ahead of everyone and lost my patience, I am like I know this stuff...damn, move on.

I never went to school, I missed so much school from 6 -10th grade. The stuff was so easy. I don't think I went to high school but maybe for a month altogether.

I would just chill at home and watch TV.

I dropped out at 16 and started working...I later got my GED. I went to college after that and had a 4.0 GPA.

When I was a youing student, back in the day, there was no consideration about not going to school unless mama gave you the thermometer and verified that you had a temperature!

[amyrouse]

I am really intelligent and in my Middle School and High School years I became frustrated with the material, I would leave class because I couldn't take it. I was ahead of everyone and lost my patience, I am like I know this stuff...damn, move on.

I never went to school, I missed so much school from 6 -10th grade. The stuff was so easy. I don't think I went to high school but maybe for a month altogether.

I would just chill at home and watch TV.

I dropped out at 16 and started working...I later got my GED. I went to college after that and had a 4.0 GPA.

I often got frustrated as well...even in college.  But it never occurred to me to not go...there was never a question about my not getting my diploma.  I don't claim to be a genius, but I would claim that I am smart.  TV has never stimulated me as much as reading a book or surfing online.

[amyrouse]

I hated having to listen to the teacher explain the material for an hour to kids that couldn't understand after I had got the stuff within the first 10 minutes.

It took you a whole 10 minutes???

J/K, Marie. 

Once I got the material understood, I would work on my homework while the teacher was lecturing so that I had my night free for Marching Band practice or work or both.

[carebearmafia]

Yes, I think the American public school system is just a big joke. I mean, kids in other countries are going to school for a majority of the year, while we do 180 (and our local high school just lowered that to 160 out of budget concerns).
Students from other countries are also actually learning minutely relevant information, as opposed to kind of learning a good bit of useless filler.
I know when I was in high school, I didn't take a single class that was something I needed to know to be part of the working force (wed design and video production) which I couldn't take until my last two years of public schooling.

[502mania]

Definatey, it seems each generation down, the kids are getting less educated, and technology could be a part of it. every year something else can be done with the push of a button, also not alot of money is beng invested in our schools. when I was in school we had textbooks from the 80's and 90's. and they are labeling most of these "disorders" (some are real) to create a new market of drugs for children. it's all an industry.

[502mania]

I agree, i ended up dropping out of high school, but i got my G.E.D right afterwards. a year before i would have graduated. but it wasn't because i couln't do the work, it was easy, it was just the way school has became. don't get me wrong some of the dedicated teachers made some good classes that kept my interest, but i found i easier to study on my own and pass the ged.

[dawn21207]

I also got my GED. My highschool was a joke. The teachers didn't teach.

[muush88]

Definatey, it seems each generation down, the kids are getting less educated, and technology could be a part of it. every year something else can be done with the push of a button, also not alot of money is beng invested in our schools. when I was in school we had textbooks from the 80's and 90's. and they are labeling most of these "disorders" (some are real) to create a new market of drugs for children. it's all an industry.

Pharmageddon  im glad some one mentioned the drugs   

[tantricia44]

I agree completely that American kids are spoiled.  I am a substitute teacher, and from what I've seen in the schools from grade school all the way up through high school, it makes me seriously contemplate homeschooling my children.  I find the students at the "alternative" school to be better behaved than the ones in middle and high school.  I've been offered bribes (by the Advanced Placement kids), been told that they were going to band together and say they weren't given the assignment, cussed out, I even had one take one of the teachers display mugs and use it as a spittoon.  Then, there were the freshmen who had been studying Israeli/Palestinian relations for over a month and upon their review told me that the two groups were fighting because Jesus told the Israelis that the land was theirs and the Palestinians were jealous.  They are lazy, disrespectful, and they just don't care.

I salute you. I wouldn't have the courage to teaching today's children. I don't know how you do it. 

[jcribb16]

As a teacher, myself, I have seen the reading standards drop.  These children are very weak in their reading skills.  And that is following the curriculum in the schools.  Where is that going to put our students if they can't read/spell properly?

[tantricia44]

From your responses; I've notice a lot stated that school for them was just so boring or too easy. You should have been challenged or more on to the next grade level. Today, I've noticed that American students leaving high school & going into college don't have the base 3rd grade math, grammar, or spelling background. Most college freshmen place blew basic math & grammar in the college qualification exams. Many times, teacher(s) have to show the students how to get their test scores. When asked a simple math problem say 1+1; students would automatically pull out their calculators to get the answer! How sad is that? There are also evidence where students make straight A's from grade school thu high school but can't make better than a "C" in college. So, what did they do during high school years; prepare for prom the entire 4 years? America needs to find out how to toughen up on educating American students. Students are not the only ones that need testing. Teachers need to keep up w/their skills as well. They also need to be graded. Students need to be held back if they don't make the grade. They didn't have a problem w/that in the 60's & the 70's. What makes today's students so special that we can't hold them back when they can't make the grade?  I think it has something to do w/the:bs: term his/her self esteem will be destroyed! I wonder how well their self esteem will be when their foreign counterparts are laughing at them. Calling them "STUPID AMERICANS!"