It seems that there is some sort of money-instigated game going on and our kids are losing. If I'm seeing this wrong, please let me know. In spite of the truly dedicated teachers out there, and I know there are some, it still comes down to how much they earn in order to get quality teachers as well as encouraging the next generation of teachers. CA public school teachers are members of a union. That being the case, it seems that a large part of the reason for the union is to help keep those pay raises coming in. To justify the pay raises they have to prove that the kids are learning something in school. The measuring stick for this is the national tests. If you want to make the kids look good on the tests, what do you do? Make them easier. There are some problems specific to CA that can keep the students' test performance down. We have many immigrant students not proficient in written English. There are group which do not put as high a priority on education. But, that could be said of a lot of places, too. In any event, I'm sure that when the test scores come in low, there's going to be an excuse. And it will be someone else's problem besides the teachers'. I also think that teaching is a burn-out job. I don't know how any of them do it for more than 15 years without a nervous breakdown. And I can understand how burn out affects the teachers' performance. But we still need kids that are as educated as the kids in Japan and Germany if, as a nation, we're to compete in the business, science and technology fields of the future. So, something needs to change. Jan G. ----Original Message Follows---- From: "Doris" <ginlu@charter.net> Reply-To: BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com To: BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: Fw: [BSChat] Fw: [BS-L] WOW... Date: Sun, 12 May 2002 14:22:35 -0400 You're correct in that, but imagine how shocked you'd be if you were in another area.....<g> Anyway, that's an average, so the good and bad are lumped together....seems the states' standards are higher than in other states..... Of course, the "advanced-thinking" attitude of no grades is destroying the CA schools fast, and I think there's lots of other stuff ailing it too..... Doris....A Texan in Georgia..... Still shaking the family tree and dodging the nuts after 30+ years! IBSSG ----- Original Message ----- From: "J. Garland" <zippywebgenie@hotmail.com> If the CA schools are at the top, then we're in trouble! I'm amazed at what my kids graduated from high school NOT knowing. I learned a lot more when I was in school. I think the tests have been dumbed-down a LOT. Jan G. ----Original Message Follows---- From: "Doris" <ginlu@charter.net> Reply-To: BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com To: BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Fw: [BSChat] Fw: [BS-L] WOW... I MISSED you guys!!! Date: Sun, 12 May 2002 08:16:19 -0400 Actually, the public schools are the only thing that ever got children OR adults out of the sweatshop factory jobs. I'm not a proponent of public schools--I went to private schools all my life---but due to the lack of private schools in our areas, my 5 children went to public schools. I stayed right on top of every situation and I was generally pleased with the outcome---of course, they did know I wouldn't turn loose when I had a complaint. <g> The public school systems in CA & TX are still considered at the top of the list of good school systems (academically) in the US...and I believe we should only expect them to teach academics---I taught mine morals and gave them other directions suitable for existing in civilization....I do think the schools need to stick to that! Doris....A Texan in Georgia..... Still shaking the family tree and dodging the nuts after 30+ years! IBSSG ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sue & Bobby Bates" <bsbates@netease.net> To: <BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2002 10:30 PM Subject: [BSChat] Fw: [BS-L] WOW... I MISSED you guys!!! ----- Original Message ----- From: "JACK CHILDERS" <jaxone1234@msn.com> To: <BlackSheep-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2002 4:31 PM Subject: Re: [BS-L] WOW... I MISSED you guys!!! > Norma, as I understand it, public school systems were founded, and funded, by industry barons who wanted a more educated peon to work in their factories. The whole program was geared to prepare the child to go to work in a factory, take orders, do the thing the establishment wanted. > > I have seen very little since then to make me think things have changed much. Yes, they want little clones who will fall right in with the party line. Schools do not encourage original thinking, and that is sad, because as far as I am concerned that is what schools should do. > > Jack Childers in OKC > > > ==== BlackSheep Mailing List ==== > ~~~~ > > The contents of the Blacksheep-L@rootsweb.com archives are copyrighted by each individual submitter. > > The Following topics are inappropriate on Blacksheep-L@rootsweb.com: > Political discussion/ views > Religious and inspirational postings, > Politically "Hot" Topics > Advertising and chain letters > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > ==== BLACKSHEEP-CHAT Mailing List ==== Blacksheep-Chat-L@rootsweb.com is a wide spectrum Chat List, Topics allowed are almost anything.restrictions are: Political discussion, religious prosylitizing, and aggressive behavior, any of these topics will result in restricted priveleges. ============================== To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 ==== BLACKSHEEP-CHAT Mailing List ==== Unsubscribe from the list: Mailto:Blacksheep-Chat-L-request@rootsweb.com?subject=unsubscribe&body=unsub scribe ============================== To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com ==== BLACKSHEEP-CHAT Mailing List ==== Unsubscribe from the list: Mailto:Blacksheep-Chat-L-request@rootsweb.com?subject=unsubscribe&body=unsub scribe ============================== To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.361 / Virus Database: 199 - Release Date: 5/7/2002 ==== BLACKSHEEP-CHAT Mailing List ==== Blacksheep-Chat-L@rootsweb.com is a wide spectrum Chat List, Topics allowed are almost anything.restrictions are: Political discussion, religious prosylitizing, and aggressive behavior, any of these topics will result in restricted priveleges. ============================== To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com