why is american education so crappy?

[plornive]

The American education system just doesn't push kids enough. But I don't think its a terrible system. My school was an exceptional school, but it was certainly pretty cool to be smart by the time I got to highschool. The Smart = Not Cool thing exists pretty much everywhere to some extent.

 

[Razorguns]

Depends. If you're int he LA County ssytem -- kids are still struggling to learn english.

If you're in say the Mass Public School system -- they're learning calculus, physics, algebra, shakespeare, you name it.

so it's two extremes. Which is why smart parents gravitate to the "nice" neighbourhoods to give their kids a good school to learn in.

 

[milo hobgoblin]

as much as people bitch about our education system.. we are still stomping ass on the rest of the world in terms of production, technological advancement and work ethic.

 

[FigureSkater]

I teach high school....in the suburbs, where education is fantastic. But I've also taught, worked with after school programs, and done research in urban schools. I'd have to say the biggest problem I have to say is FUNDING!!!! Or lack thereof. The US, as far as spending goes, is first in military funding and LAST out of all industrialized nations in terms of what it spends on education! That's just plain ridiculous if you asked me.

And as far as kids in urban/poor schools...how are you supposed to focus on math when you are sitting in class in the middle of winter wearing only a ratty t-shirt, haven't eaten breakfast...you know you have your free lunch coming up, but you have no clue if you'll get dinner that night? And you can't do your homework because you have to go home and babysit your 4 younger siblings and cousins while your mom is at work and your dad is out drinking (and then you have to deal with wondering if he's going to come home and beat you, one of your siblings, or your mom). Such was the life of many of my 8th graders when I worked in a city school last year.

 

[crunker]

highschool education is much harder in pretty much rest of the world, I know it is in russia, in germany and in few other european countries.

But when it comes time for a good college here in usa they will teach you better material, the one that you actually need than compared universities in russia lets say.

lot of times they just over do it in those countries if you ask me.

 

[Razorguns]

>terms of production, technological advancement and work ethic

Actually Japan, China and Isreal is, but anyways...

 

[nzafi]

foreign high schools and most colleges are superior to american.....i know people that take precalculus in 7th grade abroad and calc 3 in high school, while in the US you can get away with taking only precalc through college........as far as a graduate degree goes though, American Universities surpass foreign university, foreign univeristies just dont have the funding to compare to graduate programs in US

 

[crunker]

foreign high schools and most colleges are superior to american.....i know people that take precalculus in 7th grade abroad and calc 3 in high school, while in the US you can get away with taking only precalc through college........as far as a graduate degree goes though, American Universities surpass foreign university, foreign univeristies just dont have the funding to compare to graduate programs in US

that is true

 

[Razorguns]

i agree. very true.

 

[plornive]

foreign high schools and most colleges are superior to american.....i know people that take precalculus in 7th grade abroad and calc 3 in high school, while in the US you can get away with taking only precalc through college........as far as a graduate degree goes though, American Universities surpass foreign university, foreign univeristies just dont have the funding to compare to graduate programs in US

I did a program separate from my high school that brought me through multi-variable calculus during high school. If I didn't do that, I could have still finished Calc 1, Physics 1 and Introductory Biology in high school. Instead I did introductory Psych and Macro Economics... and I went to public school... I know that my school was far from typical. I'm not sure what UG programs are like in Europe, but the well ranked and decently ranked universities in the US have excellent UG programs... I guess UG programs would be judged by faculty and class size, as well as facilities, all of which a large portion of US universities have (obviously I'm talking about university, not "college")... The mediocre students tend to drop out of the difficult programs because they don't have the drive/discipline.

One thing is true: there are lots of mediocre students with no drive in the US.