[ale] unusual global warming experiment

Geoffrey lists at serioustechnology.com
Fri Feb 12 10:36:01 EST 2010


Neal Rhodes wrote:
> You raise  an interesting point.
> 
> Both my children went through Gwinnett County public schooling.  One is 
> completing her BS in Physics (Dean's list)
> and enrolling in the PhD program in Physics at Ga tech.   The other is 
> entering the CS BS program at Tech in the fall. 
> 
> However, both were in the gifted programs all through K-12.  As such, 
> they were in classes with other smart kids.
> If somebody was overly disruptive, they simply got booted out of the 
> gifted classes.     They only had a very few
> classes with the general prison population, and they readily admitted 
> the differences in attitudes was stark.

Same here.  My daughter went through the public school system.  Target 
in elementary, Magnet high school.  Deans list at GA Tech her first 
semester, in her second now.

> 
> Ergo, one could propose a simply remedy for public education in this 
> country, which would cost nothing:
> 
>     A. As Shakespeare said, "First, we kill all the lawyers...".
>     B. Each teacher gets to pick the two disruptive students in their class.
>     C. Parents get to either:
> 
>         1)  come to school and present how they are going to deal with
>         their child, or
>         2) disruptive student is tossed out on their ear.
> 
>     D. Rinse, lather, repeat.
> 
> 
> If teachers only had to teach students that were willing to learn, ya 
> think we might do a better job of
> educating?

Excellent point, as the teachers spend too much time doing non-teaching 
things.  9 times out of 10, the disruptive student is a parenting (or 
lack there of) issue anyway.

> 
> On Thu, 2010-02-11 at 12:13 -0600, Preston Boyington wrote:
>> JK wrote:
>> <snipped>
>>  > I'll point out, though,
>> > that your response did not address the substance of my question, which
>> > was (to be more direct and less snarky): do you or do you not agree
>> > that education is a general good that ought to be funded by society,
>> > because it benefits everyone, either directly or indirectly?
>>
>> education should be encouraged as it is paramount for growth.  to that 
>> end how about those of us that care to have our children more challenged 
>> to higher standards being able to use our part of the contribution to 
>> directly fund our children?  as it stands it's a 'use it or lose it' thing.
>>
>> >(Setting aside the fact that it's also constitutionally mandated in the US.)
>>
>> a quick check of my pocket constitution and an online search shows me 
>> that there is no enumerated constitutional right to an education.  where 
>> do you see this?  Education is the responsibility of the parents and the 
>> local or state government.
>>
>> >>     I guess we should all be responsible for our own
>> >>> fire-management too -- I've never used the fire department, why
>> >>> should I have to pay for it?</snark>
>> >> many places have community based volunteer fire departments that are
>> >> very good.
>> > 
>> > 
>> > And they are funded how? I mean, who pays for the $2M pumper trucks
>> > and so forth?
>>
>> we have fund raisers, auctions, etc.  it's really not uncommon in rural 
>> areas.
>>
>> <kidnapping excerpt snipped.  not from lack of caring, but because i 
>> thankfully have not frame of reference.  sympathies to the families>
>>
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-- 
Until later, Geoffrey

"I predict future happiness for America if they can prevent
the government from wasting the labors of the people under
the pretense of taking care of them."
- Thomas Jefferson


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