jonhatfield Loc: Green Bay, WI

We are in complete agreement on merit pay (a golden apple more appreciated & doesn't create bad feelings--ha). I had the good fortune of having the same teacher 4th, 5th, & 6th grade--as you outlined--one of several accidental lucky circumstances for my educational experience. I am convinced every person could achieve a considerable education if circumstances were more favorable. For a few years we experimented in our rural school with semester "English" courses for juniors and seniors and I discovered several students who had performed poorly or mediocre in the mixed subject year courses (lit, comp, grammar, sentence structure, etc.) outdid A students in some of the focused semester classes.

AuntiE Loc: 45th Least Free State

When a student has consistency in a teacher, I believe they are less hesitant to ask for help. The teacher is able to see when issues arise. To take it to the parental side, parents feel less constrained in telling the teacher of possible family issues which could effect the student's attention and work.

Here we go with flexible curriculum. The courses with "mixed subject" do not work for some students. They need the focus of one component at a time. Others may thrive on learning how to make the components work together.

HungaryFreaks brought up "brick and mortar". There are some students who have mastered time management as well as in-depth understanding of what is being verbalized. They are prime candidates for online courses, leaving teachers with more time for students needing or wanting the classroom experience.

As a side note, I am now know four teachers who are leaving teaching because of Common Core. These are not teachers to give up. They are also pulling their children from public schools.

jonhatfield Loc: Green Bay, WI

Bureaucracy tends to be short on original thinking. Literally junior high and senior high education has changed little since I was in high school in the 1950s. Elementary education is somewhat more advanced perhaps, perhaps not.

I was talking with my new doctor who was unhappy with what was offered in school for her daughter. Rather interesting perspective from someone educated in Romania--thought her daughter should be in advanced separated class as is done in Europe, but then she did concede that Americans were so much more inventive than Europeans, perhaps from their broader and less separated and tracked educational system. I had never realized there was such a creative difference, although I was aware that in Europe the practice in the 50s and 60s was to separate students in what would be our 7th or 8th grade into academic and work training classes. We sometimes have a degree of separation but in general, especially in rural and small town schools, there is little tracking or at least not formally so--more in terms of choice of classes.

A lot more is perhaps at stake in keeping education open rather than too tracked or selective if my doctor was right in her second thought about American inventiveness. ha. The bureaucrats and perhaps "liberal" academic people might think more in terms of tracking and specialization...and we know they are talking "merit pay" for exceptional teachers rather than how to improve materials and education set up so all teachers could do a good job. Progressive Obama and his "liberal" secretary of education Arne Duncan seem to be clueless about education and talk "merit pay" nonsense. See, I do not exactly "worship" Obama or totally trust liberal thinking. ha.

AuntiE Loc: 45th Least Free State

The Dept. of Ed. only cares about statistics. I know such a statement is a broad brush; however, it is my personal belief it is accurate. They care even more about test scores. An example of such occurred several years ago in our area. It was the second day of standardized testing. I was going to proctor. Three school buses did not arrive at the school. The drivers notified the school there had been a fire at the apartment complex the students would have come from. The principal, the two counselors and the librarian drove to the complex, after telling the buses to go back, and started rounding up students to go to school for their testing. All hades broke loose when several students informed the principal what she could do with her testing. There was perfunctory concern shown; however, it was about the tests. I have not proctored at that school since.

You may agree or not, but I feel we could cut the Dept. of Ed's budget 40% and see no decline in school results. Those dollars could stay locally and go to classrooms for technology. There is a private school in Richmond, VA where every single desk, kindergarten up to twelfth grade, has a laptop, electronic "blackboards" (I know there is a proper name but cannot recall.) in every classroom and their libraries would make techies swoon. Parents can log into the classroom to see what work is being covered on the blackboard, which means students can keep abreast if absent. They accept NO federal funds and only 30% state funds. They run their school by their standards in conjunction the parents and their Board.

stan3186

I agree that it would probably be more beneficial to the students, especially in the early years for a child to be with one teacher though out at least one school year, possibly through Junior High which is 8th grade at least here. After 8th grade for High School students would probably benefit best changing classes and teachers as they do now because of being exposed to a diverse curriculum and exposure to more and different teaching methods and philosophies.

As far as allowing teachers a wider or broader method of teaching, I agree basically with the premise, however, to be given full leeway with direction or what to teach, it would cause complete chaos and confusion of the students. There has to be some consistency as to what and how to teach basic subjects, and as bad as I h**e to admit it, some political correctness has to take place as well