Does it cost $26K to educate a kid?

[The King]

Just so you know, I pay an assload on that too & won't be eligible for the social security I paid in for either. Yes, I worked long enough to build enough ss credits. Of course, it's not like I think ss will be around long enough to matter, but still.

Considering teachers also often act a surrogate parents in addition to their regular duties, all for relatively low pay, the legacy costs are all well deserved.

[Forever_frost]

We should have vouchers to allow parents to send kids where they will be best educated, do away with tenure and actually base teacher salaries on performance, not tenure. If you have a 20 year veteran teacher who is too busy with preening than teaching they should make less than the 2 year teacher who is pouring their heart into it and actually teaching

[DamonH]

I've got to find that John Stossel video on education. It cost a fraction of that amount to educate kids in some European countries but they do much better.

Oh, but those schools have to compete for their education funds because they have vouchers..

We should have vouchers to allow parents to send kids where they will be best educated, do away with tenure and actually base teacher salaries on performance, not tenure. If you have a 20 year veteran teacher who is too busy with preening than teaching they should make less than the 2 year teacher who is pouring their heart into it and actually teaching

Two things:

1). The voucher idea won't work in MOST cases. Sure, there are some smart kids "trapped" at some low performing schools that would do better at a higher performing school, but that is not the norm. For the most part if you take a kid from the ghetto and put him in an uptown school it will only bring the overall uptown schools rating down, not the ghetto kid's grades/education up. It sounds like a great idea, but the crappy schools in the ghetto are a result of the kids, not vice versa.

2). Pay for performance - another idea that sounds great, but how about you get your pay based on what your "employees" do, except that you can't fire them, and can't choose who you "hire". You won't get teachers who put their soul into actually teaching, they will ALL go to teaching towards the test, or whatever rating system will be used to grade them. Think about it.

The problem with American education is it's not valued. Most parents don't give a shit, and openly talk about how bad schools are, so how do you think the kids react to that? They don't have to listen to the teacher, because Mom & Dad believe the teacher must "have it out for their kid, because no way MY little Johnny would lie!". I won't even get into salaries because too many people on this forum think it's a 8am-3pm job that they also get 3 months vacation!

Sorry for the diatribe. Disclaimer: I come from a family of teachers, principals, etc.

[red95gts]

It sounds like a great idea, but the crappy schools in the ghetto are a result of the kids, not vice versa.

The problem with American education is it's not valued.

Well said. As a father of 4 with 2 in school, I get to see this more often than I'd like.

[Forever_frost]

I came from a family that saw zero value in education and I found value in it myself and still am pursuing it. It's up to the individual to decide what's best for them. You want to cut education costs? Do away with teacher's unions, the 3 months time off (do year round school) and do away with the requirement that kids go to school. You want an education, you'll get one.

[Kimmypie]

Two things:

1). The voucher idea won't work in MOST cases. Sure, there are some smart kids "trapped" at some low performing schools that would do better at a higher performing school, but that is not the norm. For the most part if you take a kid from the ghetto and put him in an uptown school it will only bring the overall uptown schools rating down, not the ghetto kid's grades/education up. It sounds like a great idea, but the crappy schools in the ghetto are a result of the kids, not vice versa.

2). Pay for performance - another idea that sounds great, but how about you get your pay based on what your "employees" do, except that you can't fire them, and can't choose who you "hire". You won't get teachers who put their soul into actually teaching, they will ALL go to teaching towards the test, or whatever rating system will be used to grade them. Think about it.

The problem with American education is it's not valued. Most parents don't give a shit, and openly talk about how bad schools are, so how do you think the kids react to that? They don't have to listen to the teacher, because Mom & Dad believe the teacher must "have it out for their kid, because no way MY little Johnny would lie!". I won't even get into salaries because too many people on this forum think it's a 8am-3pm job that they also get 3 months vacation!

Sorry for the diatribe. Disclaimer: I come from a family of teachers, principals, etc.

This. All of it!

It is so common on my campus to hear, "But they can't help it. We can't blame the parents..." My ASS we can't blame the parents! When they refuse to speak to anyone at the school & no show for meetings they should be blamed. The only time many of them will talk to a principal (they won't talk to teachers most of the time) is after their angel gets suspended until a conference. Jesus Tap Dancing Christ. Also, if I hear one more kid talk about how everything is free for them and then in the next breath about how their mama goes to the club every night -I'm gonna lose my shit!! That's what we are dealing with. The only things that have any importance to them is new shoes, cars with good wheels, you know - anything gansta/ballin.



On a better note, the kids damn sure leave my class knowing that taxes pay for all that free shit!!

[Kimmypie]

I came from a family that saw zero value in education and I found value in it myself and still am pursuing it. It's up to the individual to decide what's best for them. You want to cut education costs? Do away with teacher's unions, the 3 months time off (do year round school) and do away with the requirement that kids go to school. You want an education, you'll get one.

Texas doesn't have teacher's unions.
I'd go for year 'round school if they'd do trimesters with a couple-three weeks off in between. I do refuse to teach/raise their fucking kids all year with out SOME time off!!
What we need to do is get off the "all kids will go to college" and on to something like Japan has where they have to compete to get either an education or career training.

[Cannonball996]

I agree, our education system is still based on a medieval system that is only designed to prepare students for college. I think our tax payer dollars are better spent getting these kids ready for the real world, instead of preparing them for four years to get accepted to college.

I am a strong believer in "you get what you pay for" and when your kid's teacher is only making $30K a year I do not expect much, just the basics, after all its a publicly funded educational system, I would only expect the bare minimum, if they could just get them into trade school or community college then the tax payers got their moneys worth.

[SMEGMA STENCH]

The way those fools have things set up now? Yeah I'd say that's about right. I'd say 26k might be a little on the conservative side.

[red95gts]

What we need to do is get off the "all kids will go to college" and on to something like Japan has where they have to compete to get either an education or career training.

Not a bad idea at all. We can't all be doctors and someone has to mop the floors at the XXX theater.

[GSRGuy94]

No argument there. It's hard to accept, but it is the truth.