Dropout Nation

[Ecthy]

Ted S = evil lefty troll.

USA!

[Dinner]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse

many kids drop out or never even go to high school, choosing a technical school instead

Technical school

We should take another look at vocational schools so that kids who aren't interested in getting college prep classes can at least get a marketable skill. In California Governor Swartznegger has been pushing vocational schools as the anwser to high dropout rates in places like east LA, Oakland, and Fresno. I think that's a good idea if done correctly but we have to remember the reason why shop classes have virtually disappeared since the 1970's.

In the 1970's there was a big bru-ha-ha about how the vast majority of kids who ended up in vocational schools were poor and/or ethnic minorities. There was a feeling that, unitentionally or not, minorities were being segregated into low paying jobs where they became a perminent underclass.

I'd also like to point out that in this year's budget Bush proposed eliminating all federal funding for vocational schools.

[TCO]

Originally posted by Oerdin


We should take another look at vocational schools so that kids who aren't interested in getting college prep classes can at least get a marketable skill. In California Governor Swartznegger has been pushing vocational schools as the anwser to high dropout rates in places like east LA, Oakland, and Fresno. I think that's a good idea if done correctly but we have to remember the reason why shop classes have virtually disappeared since the 1970's.

In the 1970's there was a big bru-ha-ha about how the vast majority of kids who ended up in vocational schools were poor and/or ethnic minorities. There was a feeling that, unitentionally or not, minorities were being segregated into low paying jobs where they became a perminent underclass.

I'd also like to point out that in this year's budget Bush proposed eliminating all federal funding for vocational schools.

Tough to be a lefty. Keep getting smacked in the head by those ugly realities.

[Thorn]

Its simple if we were better educated the REVOLUTION would begin, and the gov't would fall. EOM

[TCO]

Originally posted by Thorn
Its simple if we were better educated the REVOLUTION would begin, and the gov't would fall. EOM

that's why we don't fear the Toad truppers.

[Dinner]

The basic ugly reality, which I note you keep ignoring, is we don't spend nearly enough on education and the money we do spend seems to go to the wrong things. There is just no excuse for students not having up to date textbooks.

[TCO]

It's not a money thing. You could spend a lot less and still have same results. I think we beat the children more. Drive the devils out of them.

[Thorn]

Der Truppen des Todes were disbanded, I've got better things to do like corrupt the will of god and send the earth into obilteration.

[TCO]

The FBI got to you...

[Thorn]

The FBI was informed of my plans, yes...... but I've got more sinister work to do now, and legally they ain't got a way to stop me this time!

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by TCO
I hope you're not as dumb with your patients. Just get the census information for number of people of a certain age and then total the number of high school grads. DUH! Or you could track each person. If you were a moron.

Using census information would work if you were trying to determine the high school grad rate for the entire country - for that matter the census could include questions about educational status, which in fact it does. However the census is collected only every 10 years, furthermore the primary point of collecting high school grad rates for a community is to assess hoiw effective the school system is. If you simply use census data then some of the high school grads counted in a community probably got their degrees elsewhere. Furthermore some of the people who got their degrees locally probably moved away. Census data simply won't work if you're trying to assess the efficacy of a local educational system.

We're not in Europe TCO. The average American moves every 5 years. I graduated from high school in 1968. When I returned to my home city I found the name of only one person who graduated with me. My graduating class included more than 200 people.

[TCO]

Well, we WERE talking about the damn national figures. Localities...well...they're ****ed.

[TCO]

Actually you could do statistically valid sampling.

[GePap]

I would agree with setting up more vocational schools, and a tracked education system in which not all students are shuttled towards higher education, but some towards trades or services.

HOw many of the kids who drop out of HS end up getting GED's?

NOw in terms of basic education, I helped someone teach a GED class, and I have to say I was disheartened by the low levels of general education in there- even if the dropped out of high school, these individuals did not know things I learned in middle school, like fractions. Hell, fractions were some sort of grand mystery.

[Drake Tungsten]

The basic ugly reality, which I note you keep ignoring, is we don't spend nearly enough on education

That's not demonstrably true at all...