Young Americans are dumbs

[MaxQue]

Yes, blame the parents, blame being poor, blame whatever. However, effective teachers can make a world of difference, and that is what studies show. Nothing else much matters. Being effective means being smart, knowing the material, and being charismatic, and knowing how to keep order and stare down the punks mouthing off and disrupting, while going forward with the lesson plan. You just keep talking about Sudan being until divided the largest country in Africa as you walk up to the disrupter, and get within a few inches of his eyes, and stare bullets at him.

Perhaps teachers would be more smart people if the job was more attractive. It's underpaid, you lose time fighting in unions/direction fights, with uninterested parents and school boards wanting to keep more money for themselves or to cut to cut taxes. It's not attractive at all.

[MaxQue]

More useful purposes like what?

Some have suggested a cut in personal income tax rates. Some have suggested a fast train between 2 cities in the Central Valley. Some have suggested a repair of our roadways. It turns out that the government education industry complex devours enough resources to cover all of the above in some manner.

Mental care for the mentally ill? It would be beneficial.

[MaxQue]

More useful purposes like what?

Some have suggested a cut in personal income tax rates. Some have suggested a fast train between 2 cities in the Central Valley. Some have suggested a repair of our roadways. It turns out that the government education industry complex devours enough resources to cover all of the above in some manner.

Mental care for the mentally ill? It would be beneficial.

Well, people like you provided $320 billion a year to the teachers unions instead. Consider that another example of those unions winning the treasury while the common man loses, if you wish.

I find that very hard to believe. You have any proof?

[MaxQue]

In the US, a classroom of 25 students costs about $300,000 on average. The most profligate states will spend closer to $500,000 per 25 students. Less than 20% goes to the teacher.

The teacher's unions and school administrators are not spending the money on pertinent instruction. Instead, the money goes to various special support staff, consultants, special programs, legacy pension/benefit costs. As superfluous expenses are piled onto schools, the districts become desperate to contain costs so they pile on more fiscal service expenses and actuarial expenses.

The system is backwards. The people in the classroom should be well-paid. The ancillary support need to be contained.

For once, I agree with you, mostly. But I would say than the waste isn't into real support staff (which usually do a wonderful and important job), but all the office workers in the school boards HQ.

[MaxQue]

For once, I agree with you, mostly. But I would say than the waste isn't into real support staff (which usually do a wonderful and important job), but all the office workers in the school boards HQ.

I find it remarkably sad that the education industry is setup so that talented people aspire to do something other than teach. Imo, the unions merely compound the problem by making talented people aspire to retire or work in different industries.

If the states ever get around to real education reform, they should look to Finland.

That would require stopping to focus so much on testing.

[MaxQue]

Gauss has it. The issue is clearly parents. They often think than they know better than everyone and accuse the teacher of hating their kid if he gets bad marks.