Up through 4th grade, American students are above-average when tested against students of other nations. After that, they begin a steady decline to the point where, by the 12th grade, American students are down near the bottom. Something is wrong in American education. Flunked went out and found some teachers who are doing something about it...
I really appreciate what these teachers are doing. I substitute taught for a year and a half in Howard County, one of the best school systems in the country, and that was all I could take in the high schools. The bureacracy and resistance to change is incredible. Thinking outside the box like the principal in the video would be impossible. Teachers are walking around like zombies in some of the schools and the kids have control of the classrooms.
ReplyDeleteI also teach at the local community college. The simple fact that they are paying for an education and professors don't pander to the students changes everything.
Great series!
I could not even imagine being a public school teacher these days, even in a wealthy area, much less the inner city. I don't think I could survive the kids or the bureaucracy. In the video, I found Chavis to the be particularly appealing but his approach would not work in a typical school.
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