President Obama thinks school year must be extended for US to compete against China and India

[LRG]

It's not about studying harder. It's about studying more efficiently. That's what people don't comprehend. An 11 month school year would be useless if the kids cut class, smoke weed, and don't do the work. However, a 10 month school year is useful if there are good teachers and diligent students. I once took Calculus II at BMCC. The first time I took it I got a D+ (I'm not ashamed to admit it). The professor was a narcissistic jack@ss who spent more time telling jokes than teaching. None of the material he taught was on the exam. When I took it over I got an A. It was a lot of work, but the professor explained the material thoroughly. Everything he said was going to be on the exam was on the exam. The kids at Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, and Townsend Harris spend 10 months in school yet they learn the material. This plan is useless, just like that Facebook guy giving all that money to Newark when you know it's going to be stolen or wasted.

 

For once I'm going to have to agree with you 100% on this stance. Spreading out the school schedule isn't going to do a damn thing except waste time and resources. Kids have all these free periods that it's not even funny. When I was in high school (mind you, it was a charter and not a part of the NYCDOE sector) the school hours were from 8 to 4 (except Wednesdays we were dismissed at 1:45) and the school year began in the last week of August. After the first month, there wasn't a single ounce of griping present as the kids were there for the sole purpose of education once they got accustomed to the schedule. What's the standard schedule in New York City? 8:30 to 3? Expand the hours of the day instead of lengthening the school year as a whole.

[Amtrak7]

For once I'm going to have to agree with you 100% on this stance. Spreading out the school schedule isn't going to do a damn thing except waste time and resources. Kids have all these free periods that it's not even funny. When I was in high school (mind you, it was a charter and not a part of the NYCDOE sector) the school hours were from 8 to 4 (except Wednesdays we were dismissed at 1:45) and the school year began in the last week of August. After the first month, there wasn't a single ounce of griping present as the kids were there for the sole purpose of education once they got accustomed to the schedule. What's the standard schedule in New York City? 8:30 to 3? Expand the hours of the day instead of lengthening the school year as a whole.

 

For me, school hours are 7:30 to 2:30.

 

I think they should eliminate February break, I once heard from a teacher that it was implemented when fuel prices were high in order to save money during the coldest part of the year. Obviously, schools are now heated 24/7, so it's a waste.

[Forest Glen]

IAWTP. Spring Break is only a month away. I'd still give them President's Day, but not the entire week. I'd also use Brooklyn/Queens Day as "Regents Preparation Day" so it wouldn't be a day off but it wouldn't be a regular day of instruction.

[LRG]

My high school break schedule was extremely different. Thanksgiving was an entire week, Christmas was a whopping three weeks, February break was one entire week, and spring Break was two weeks. We had an occasional Friday off in which students wouldn't attend school but teachers would but that was rare. The year after I graduated though, they changed it

 

I'd truncate Christmas break to two weeks (my high school changed it to just that after I graduated). In all honesty I'd give students an early start to Thanksgiving break and have it start on Wednesday instead of Thursday as many people travel across the country during this time and want to leave early to get to their folks in time, wherever that would be. It also happens to be the exact same time when air traffic is at its peak during the year (all tghe way to New Years' after the festivities die out). As for February I'd leave it at a week. Spring break I don't really have an opinion on.

[Transit2010]

Also we waste more time in school than with our parents and our home

So IF THAT OBAMA trys to damm take us kids away from our home there stupid!

We are in school more time than with our parents and we are going to be more less time with our home and parents, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO LIVE IN SCHOOL!!!?????!!!!!

And the U.S. Has the most school HOURS in the nearly the whole world!!!

[Jashawn R.]

Hmph....

[error46146]

Great point. Before we talk about having kids go to school 'year round' you need to upgrade/modernize many schools especially in the Northeast/Midwest who don't even have air conditioners.

 

That at least $1 Billion right there. The kids would drop like flies since in recent years there been record breaking heat waves during the summer.

 

As someone who has worked the last 5 years as a substitute and licensed Teaching Asst. I understand what Obama is coming from. Personally I am not sure what the answer to compete with India and China. What the media does not tell you is the dirty little secret of China success. The amazing high suicide rates among Teens and young adults over there.

 

Are changes needed to American schools. No doubt yes. However I think changing our nation's choice of subjects to teach should be modernized first before we talk about year round schooling.:confused:

forget about the midwest, like 95% of the schools here in queens aren't air-conditioned !

 

the curriculum and teaching formats in china are also totally different from those here in the US..in china, your talking about class size of 60+, teachers who dont give all that "personalized attention" that they do here its either you pass or fail and you get it or you dont, they have a much harder curriculum and the competition is much more fierce..I wouldn't last a day of school in china lol

[Urbanfortitude]

Also we waste more time in school than with our parents and our home

So IF THAT OBAMA trys to damm take us kids away from our home there stupid!

We are in school more time than with our parents and we are going to be more less time with our home and parents, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO LIVE IN SCHOOL!!!?????!!!!!

And the U.S. Has the most school HOURS in the nearly the whole world!!!

 

Most adults spend more time at their job than at home. If that's your argument for being against it you're gonna hate it when you become of age.

[Joel Up Front]

I had FOUR free periods in my junior year of HS. Third to fifth AND eighth free! It changed in the middle of the year, though.

[TrainFanatic]

I had FOUR free periods in my junior year of HS. Third to fifth AND eighth free! It changed in the middle of the year, though.

 

I don't get it-four free periods? I mean seriously, what do you do durring those periods. No wonder foreigners laugh at our education system.

[SubwayGuy]

Kids don't need a longer school year. They need better use of their time when they're in school and they need schools that hold the kids accountable to learn, not schools that rewards kids who have annoying parents who threaten lawsuits and negotiate deals with the kid's teachers to get a barely passing grade when the kid refuses to do work.

 

There, those of you who think I'm purely an Obama supporter, I really disagree with him HERE.

 

Kids need time to be kids. Let the damn kids play with Lego's and leave them alone. Kids grow up with no idea how to act because their damn parents just shuttle them from activity to activity constantly so they won't have to deal with them. And that includes school. Kids don't need more school, they need more time to be kids and unwind and relax so that they're READY to go to school and pay attention when it's time. The activities they like need to be taken away if they can't do basic reading, writing, and math, because it's more important they learn to be productive than learn how to be just good enough to make a high school sports team and get cut during a junior college tryout (since they're not gonna get into a real college).

 

As for "competing with China and India" just tax the hell out of their stuff to protect American goods and that solves that problem. Get rid of any tax breaks whatsoever for companies that outsource. Keep the jobs here and make America American again. Pay the Chinese debt off and tell them and India to go screw, we gotta look out for ourselves, not them.

[Y2Julio]

SMFH, im glade im passed with High School now to move thru tech school.

 

I could of sworn obama would be the best prez here, but now hes becoming an ass with dumb choices.

 

Parents are not gonna send there kids to school thru July or start school in Aug. Weather is hot like crazy here during those months. If you want the kids to stick in school for an extra month give them reward or something, not another month of hell.

 

Also we waste more time in school than with our parents and our home

So IF THAT OBAMA trys to damm take us kids away from our home there stupid!

We are in school more time than with our parents and we are going to be more less time with our home and parents, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO *DO?* LIVE IN SCHOOL!!!?????!!!!!

And the U.S. Has the most school HOURS in the nearly the whole world!!!

Congratulations on proving President Obama's point.

[SubwayGuy]

Congratulations on proving President Obama's point.

 

"Hookt onn fonnix wurkt fur mee!"

[Joe]

If Obie proposes that the school year be longer, he should also address the fact that the public "education" system is a piece of shit.

 

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

[SubwayGuy]

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

 

That's true of so many things.

 

-Education.

-Business.

-The rich hoarding and a poor income distribution.

-Deregulation of big businesses.

-Government interference in people's personal lives and small businesses.

-Treaties and enforceable trade agreements between countries

-Religious intolerance

-the HORRIBLE supreme court decision to allow corporations to blatantly finance campaign ads

-the rollback of union and worker's rights and the public contempt for unions which originates from large corporations that run the media outlets

-removal of rules prohibiting banks that take customer deposits and make loans from playing the stock market with people's bank accounts

 

Hell, even foamers who want to "bring back the (W)" or "bring back the (9)"

 

Things that existed once and were done away with ceased to exist for a reason.

 

Things that did not exist once and were created were made for a reason. A lot of people don't get that.

 

At least some of us still do.

[B35 via Church]

but he said parents need to get more involved in their kids' education.

You complain about the leaky faucet AFTER you figure out why rusty water is dripping from it.

 

 

Anyway, Why is it that it has to be this competition against China & India... Our children's education isn't a sporting event.... That's the problem, it's one huge f**king game...

 

What this buffoon should be "thinking" about, is achieving our OWN level of excellence when it comes to education.

[SubwayGuy]

You complain about the leaky faucet AFTER you figure out why rusty water is dripping from it.

 

 

Anyway, Why is it that it has to be this competition against China & India... Our children's education isn't a sporting event.... That's the problem, it's one huge f**king game...

 

What this buffoon should be "thinking" about, is achieving our OWN level of excellence when it comes to education.

 

China and India also have ass shitty human rights records. Should we start encouraging our kids to be mindless drones like they do?

 

America was once a nation of rugged individualists who looked out for each other.

 

Now it's a bunch of mewling pussies who whisper behind each others' backs to look out for themselves.

[R68 Subway Car]

How about we change the teachers for once and get teachers who give a damn about educating students. Then and only then will Education in the United States improve.

[East New York]

Im glad I didnt vote.This Idea wont work because kids out here are distracted by a lot of social medias.(Music,music videos,Video games,Internet,Nikki Minaj etc etc) Overseas have limited media and distractions so kids in other countries have no choice but to learn.They should of did this years ago.All this is basically is the U.S afraid of the fact that China and India could produce Super scientist,engineers,Nuclear physicist,etc etc.While we sit here and watch "Dancing with the washed up stars".

 

It's not about studying harder. It's about studying more efficiently. That's what people don't comprehend. An 11 month school year would be useless if the kids cut class, smoke weed, and don't do the work. However, a 10 month school year is useful if there are good teachers and diligent students. I once took Calculus II at BMCC. The first time I took it I got a D+ (I'm not ashamed to admit it). The professor was a narcissistic jack@ss who spent more time telling jokes than teaching. None of the material he taught was on the exam. When I took it over I got an A. It was a lot of work, but the professor explained the material thoroughly. Everything he said was going to be on the exam was on the exam. The kids at Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, and Townsend Harris spend 10 months in school yet they learn the material. This plan is useless, just like that Facebook guy giving all that money to Newark when you know it's going to be stolen or wasted.

 

How about we change the teachers for once and get teacher who give a damn about educating students. Then and only then will Education in the United States improve.

 

To me, all three of these posts sum up the issue. I think a longer school year would have been great if we had the same education values as some other countries, and had been doing it for the last 50 years. But we don't and we haven't. This is America. The teachers, parents and students envolvement are the only combination that will unlock the safe to a better education system. Money, and a longer year are not going to help the situation at all. I think it's stupid to try and change the length of the year this late in the game, and I think it's stupid to think that money can buy students, or lure them into classrooms. Of that $100 Million to Newark, I bet 10% of it is already in somebody's pocket that shouldn't be.

[SubwayGuy]

There are a lot of good dedicated teachers out there.

 

A lot of them get sent to the worst school districts where there is violence, jerk parents who don't care about their kids (and won't punish the kid for doing zero work but still expect him to get a passing grade since school don't mean shit since mom/dad is the head chef at McDonald's), and so they get burnt out and quit, stop caring, or they transfer the hell out of there to a better school district the second they can.

 

That's a big issue.

 

And at other schools grades are given based on parental influence. Threaten a lawsuit against the school and you'll get a passing grade for little Johnny or Suzy (but barely) and they don't care about anything more than that. For these second rate consolation prize jackasses, it's good enough that their kid "tried."

 

It's not the teachers. It's the system. Yes there are bad teachers, but a lot of GOOD teachers are hamstrung by the system. They should be able to fail these degenerates the hell out of school and if nothing else, the embarrasment of them being the only 9 year olds still in kindergarten would be enough to make them learn their ABC's.

 

Also, it's time to do away with busy work in the classroom. Make the kids read, make the kids write, make the kids solve math problems. They're not going to learn anything just sitting in a lecture always with the teacher talking at them and making them raise their hands to answer questions. Make there be homework but make it light, make it relevant, and make it effective. None of this ridiculousness where you have third graders trying to write poems, or where slang is acceptable in a handed in paper before the high school level.

[Y2Julio]

How about we change the teachers for once and get teacher who give a damn about educating students. Then and only then will Education in the United States improve.

In my experience in working for the Dept of Ed for more than 6 years, it's the students who don't give a damn to bother learning.

[Joe]

In my experience in working for the Dept of Ed for more than 6 years, it's the students who don't give a damn to bother learning.

 

In your opinion, what do the students give a damn about?

[Y2Julio]

In your opinion, what do the students give a damn about?

Hanging out with their friends and engaging in mopey behavior.

[Infamous85]

Another month isn't gonna do anything, once May arrives it's over, most people are looking forward to Summer and doing anything necessary to pass.

 

In Elementary School I only had gym for one year, only select classes had gym. Work on that before you add an extra month in which kids skip, rebel, sleep, or watch TV in class. America's schools suck, I learned more Math in a few weeks of college than in 1-2 months of 12th Grade Math.

 

You sit your ass in school in July, maybe you'll wake up. Improve the schools first then take it from there. Just because I like Obama doesn't mean I agree and support everything he does, this right here is just dumb.

[R10 2952]

As much as I like Obama, I don't like this idea of his. School in July? Is he out of his freaking mind? That wouldn't help. It would only harm.

 

In general, though, the schools here aren't that great. My high school is a perfect example: too many teachers get away with bad teaching, school administrators/bureaucrats run the school like a bunch of jackasses, the bureacracy itself is mind-blowing, students are frequently over-assigned homework (I don't even take AP classes, and yet I usually have to spend 2-7 hours a night doing homework), and the school building, aside from being overcrowded and oversized, is falling apart. The school system ideologues/demagogues and 'policy makers' need to get it through their thick skulls that trying to turn individual children/kids/students into mindless academic machines hasn't worked, is not working, and will never work. Only then will students be more motivated to learn (and perhaps will be able to do better). I know that in this case, both sides (the adults and the kids) have their faults and whatnot, but this is simply my three cents from the perspective of a student.