We would be better off trying to do something productive for the underclass, rather than ignoring them or throwing money at them. How about if we try to help people move up via education? The Germans have educated everyone in the country, and become a nation of technologically advanced people. We have more social problems in the US, but that does not mean we cannot overcome some of them with reforms of the educational system.
Many teachers will tell you that the main problem is that parents are not involved. What if we did away with the entire system: the public schools, the administrators and teachers' unions, everything? Troubled children really need more individualized attention, not to just be parked somewhere for 6 hours a day. There's no way a teacher can manage 25 or 30 kids. Maybe kids could have home schooling mentors who become involved with the family and community institutions on a long-term basis (a couple of years or more). Each child could have one main mentor and 2 or 3 other occasional mentors, providing several examples of adults who function well. There are plenty of recent graduates without jobs and retirees who would be capable of doing something like this, if we paid them (not to mention all the teachers I'm talking about putting out of work--they would be great at this). First priorities would be reading, writing, and mathematics. Mastering the basics should not take that long once you are not in a class of 30 kids, some of whom are disruptive. Why should it take 8 or 12 years to learn to read, write in sentences, or do basic arithmetic and algebra? It's not that complicated, but a lot of time gets wasted in school. Once kids master the basics, they could go on to social sciences, arts, physical sciences, and other electives. Social interactions among children could be maintained within regional athletic and creative groups (music, art, drama etc.). The mentors who work with older children could interface with recruiting organizations, business groups, and aptitude testing groups with the aim of helping each child learn about and prepare for a specific career or area of concentration and gain some experience working and volunteering in that area, where they can meet other responsible adults (since their parents may not fit that description).
What we're doing isn't working. We won't be able to get rid of the have-nots by ignoring them or by paying them. The Republican solutions are short-sighted because there are too many have-nots. If you don't hand the have-nots something, they are going to come to your house and take your stuff and hurt you. Believe me, I have worked with them, and ignoring them is not going to teach them responsibility. Instead, we need to try to teach their children responsibility. The Democratic solutions are also bad because they want to use the haves to support the have-nots; this haves will move to another country, move their businesses to another country, or vote for someone else, or there will simply not be enough haves to support the have-nots (the have-nots are reproducing faster). We need a new path.
What are your ideas?
Many teachers will tell you that the main problem is that parents are not involved. What if we did away with the entire system: the public schools, the administrators and teachers' unions, everything? Troubled children really need more individualized attention, not to just be parked somewhere for 6 hours a day. There's no way a teacher can manage 25 or 30 kids. Maybe kids could have home schooling mentors who become involved with the family and community institutions on a long-term basis (a couple of years or more). Each child could have one main mentor and 2 or 3 other occasional mentors, providing several examples of adults who function well. There are plenty of recent graduates without jobs and retirees who would be capable of doing something like this, if we paid them (not to mention all the teachers I'm talking about putting out of work--they would be great at this). First priorities would be reading, writing, and mathematics. Mastering the basics should not take that long once you are not in a class of 30 kids, some of whom are disruptive. Why should it take 8 or 12 years to learn to read, write in sentences, or do basic arithmetic and algebra? It's not that complicated, but a lot of time gets wasted in school. Once kids master the basics, they could go on to social sciences, arts, physical sciences, and other electives. Social interactions among children could be maintained within regional athletic and creative groups (music, art, drama etc.). The mentors who work with older children could interface with recruiting organizations, business groups, and aptitude testing groups with the aim of helping each child learn about and prepare for a specific career or area of concentration and gain some experience working and volunteering in that area, where they can meet other responsible adults (since their parents may not fit that description).
What we're doing isn't working. We won't be able to get rid of the have-nots by ignoring them or by paying them. The Republican solutions are short-sighted because there are too many have-nots. If you don't hand the have-nots something, they are going to come to your house and take your stuff and hurt you. Believe me, I have worked with them, and ignoring them is not going to teach them responsibility. Instead, we need to try to teach their children responsibility. The Democratic solutions are also bad because they want to use the haves to support the have-nots; this haves will move to another country, move their businesses to another country, or vote for someone else, or there will simply not be enough haves to support the have-nots (the have-nots are reproducing faster). We need a new path.
What are your ideas?