neilm
Member
OK, I'll put in my 2 cents
Because it is a calling, teachers are enablers, not enforcers. When they reach a point of frustration at spending more time enforcing discipline than educating students, they leave. I work at Georgia Tech and it is almost always apparent whether an incoming freshman has come from a public or private school. Sadly many of the public school grads are woefully ill-equipped for college level work. I think there are 2 overriding reasons.
1. Many parents of kids from public schools don't instill the self-discipline and insist on difficult classes necessary to compete on the college level (and it is competition!). Those public school students whose parents do enforce this usually have a difficult time but enjoy a much better success rate. However, kids from private schools and public schools in OTHER countries seem to come in with a higher degree of basic skills as well as a knowledge of budgeting time that in almost every case has been instilled by the parents. This is not a question of wealth, it's a matter of devotion to the well-being of their children. The very best teachers can only offer information. Only the kid can absorb it and that requires self-discipline. I'll gurantee you that every bright kid that comes into Tech will tell you that his/her parents spent time EVERY night working with them on their homework, papers, reports, etc.and had an ongoing dialogue with their teachers. It's the children whose parents don't care that cause a good educator to walk away from the profession in frustration.
2. Reluctance of the population to fund the necessary equipment needed for today's school work creates a massive "catch-up" scenario when they enter college. Look no further than Cobb County and the laptop controversy. Yes, it was handled clumsily, but I'll guarantee you that laptops will be in every students hands by 2010. It's already required of every incoming freshman at Tech and there are no remedial classes. It has to be that way. If you come to any college without advanced computer skills, you are going to be way behind from the gitgo. Supt. Redden knew this, but he sadly was forced to resign.
In the end, it's same as it ever was. If educating your child is the highest priority, your child will do well despite the worst teacher, but if you ignore the educational needs of your children, they will fail despite the best efforts of a good teacher and inevitably that teacher will seek satisfaction in another field.
Because it is a calling, teachers are enablers, not enforcers. When they reach a point of frustration at spending more time enforcing discipline than educating students, they leave. I work at Georgia Tech and it is almost always apparent whether an incoming freshman has come from a public or private school. Sadly many of the public school grads are woefully ill-equipped for college level work. I think there are 2 overriding reasons.
1. Many parents of kids from public schools don't instill the self-discipline and insist on difficult classes necessary to compete on the college level (and it is competition!). Those public school students whose parents do enforce this usually have a difficult time but enjoy a much better success rate. However, kids from private schools and public schools in OTHER countries seem to come in with a higher degree of basic skills as well as a knowledge of budgeting time that in almost every case has been instilled by the parents. This is not a question of wealth, it's a matter of devotion to the well-being of their children. The very best teachers can only offer information. Only the kid can absorb it and that requires self-discipline. I'll gurantee you that every bright kid that comes into Tech will tell you that his/her parents spent time EVERY night working with them on their homework, papers, reports, etc.and had an ongoing dialogue with their teachers. It's the children whose parents don't care that cause a good educator to walk away from the profession in frustration.
2. Reluctance of the population to fund the necessary equipment needed for today's school work creates a massive "catch-up" scenario when they enter college. Look no further than Cobb County and the laptop controversy. Yes, it was handled clumsily, but I'll guarantee you that laptops will be in every students hands by 2010. It's already required of every incoming freshman at Tech and there are no remedial classes. It has to be that way. If you come to any college without advanced computer skills, you are going to be way behind from the gitgo. Supt. Redden knew this, but he sadly was forced to resign.
In the end, it's same as it ever was. If educating your child is the highest priority, your child will do well despite the worst teacher, but if you ignore the educational needs of your children, they will fail despite the best efforts of a good teacher and inevitably that teacher will seek satisfaction in another field.
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