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Politics : Al Gore vs George Bush: the moderate's perspective -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: bwanadon who wrote (3995)	10/30/2000 12:43:23 AM
From: Ben Wa	Respond to of 10042

statistics actually suggest that smaller school size is more important than class size in fostering academic performance. But, why bring fuzzy math into the debate?

To: bwanadon who wrote (3995)	10/30/2000 1:49:28 AM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10042

I disagree. Class sizes can be large only where children are disciplined and ready to learn- as they are in Japan. Parents do not send such children to school in the USA. I work in California schools mostly for free- but I occasionally substitute. I get paid when I substitute 80 dollars for a 7 hour day! I know that's a fortune isn't it? And there are no benefits, or anything like that. I realize that's an awful lot to pay someone with a BA in biology and a JD from a top 5 law school. Whether paid or not- mostly not- I am in school every day. I have been in schools every day since my first child started several years ago. American children are not Japanese children. They do not have the sense of duty and regimentation that Japanese children have. Our societies are totally different- to compare their classes with ours is meaningless. Our schools serve as babysitters, schools, respositories for terribly handicapped children, daycare centers, feeding centers, surrogate parents, and on and on. Considering the functions that parents now expect the schools to take on I am amazed the schools function at all. There are children who went to school with my kindergartner who began school at 7 am at school in "kidzone"- the school daycare program- and go home at 6pm when school daycare ends. Sometimes those kids don't even go home with their parents- they go to another caregiver until some parent can show up. I don't know how much quality time you can get in with a schedule like that. I see children every day who are starved for affection, and approval, and attention. It is very sad. And these are middle class children. It is much worse elsewhere I am sure. The teachers I have worked with are, for the most part, much better people than most of the parents (imo) for at least they care enough to spend their lives working with and for children. So I think that YES, teachers are put upon.