DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... American Society is failing.

I don't have an answer for this problem....but WOW, how can things be this bad. I'm a former teacher. I couldn't continue because in my state...Florida...we let kids/ young adults go thru the system- yet don't ensure they have the skills to succeed as adults. Example- student can't read well, so teacher is FORCED to dumb down tests= multiple choice not four answers, correct answer AND one way off the mark allowed...so instead of failing student's grade goes to B. When teacher asks if student will pass the Florida exit exam. Answer is no, they'll get a certificate that states they attended school. Instead of getting enough dedicated reading help, student is pushed thru system.

Check out this Baltimore case- JMHOs, where was the father, why didn't school talk face to face with mother the first year?; how can a student with .13 GPA be in top half....dear God, and these students will soon be adults, voting for our future, and how functional as adults will they be? This is third world.
A Baltimore high school student passed all but three classes over four years and still graduated near the top half of his class with a 0.13 GPA, according to Fox 45 Baltimore.'https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/baltimore-hs-student-fails-all-but-3-classes-over-4-years-ranks-near-top-half-of-class/vi-BB1efq4P

we're not the only society with dysfunctional families. western europe and everywhere else has em too.

look at how they treat the public education system compared to us, and you can readily see the issues.

No doubt it is.

We could get sidetracked and discuss all the "reasons" why, but that doesn't do the students any good as they near young adulthood.

There comes a point in school where it is pretty clear a student is academically challenged. To me it is pointless to keep passing them along to meet some graduation rate. It only bogs down the teachers and the students who understand the material.

Some people are college material. Keep them on that track. Even accelerate it as they enter 10th grade.

The others need life skills and job training. They don't need algebra or know how to speak French. They need to know how to balance a checkbook, form a budget, and learn a skill so they can go out and get a job when they are 18. We need Vo-tech schools back in the mix. We need to partner with local business to train these kids to be able to perform in a work setting.

As it is, we aren't doing a large portion of our students or teachers any favors. Just like you can't squeeze blood from a turnip, you can't teach a person with a 5th grade reading level how to become a pharmacist. You can teach them how to become a cook, or welder, or equipment operator, electrician or any number of worthy vocations.

Nearly everybody is a hands on learner, but some require that, and that doesn't mean hands on a book 9 hours a day. Some people do better with a hammer in their hand.

Some colleges aren't much better. All of the curves on exams seemed a bit ridiculous to me.

It isn't advertised, but almost all colleges offer courses you can't fail.

Read about the Baltimore case the other day, and the reporting on this is awful.

The student wasn’t going to graduate. The mom just had no clue what his real situation was.

Now for the issue of over half his cohort failing? This is what happens when you take educators out of the decision making process in schools. Why are people who have no background in education (DeVos, Arnie Duncan, etc.) even given the time of day to run our education policy in America.

If you look at my post history, you’ll find studies that illustrate were now more segregated than we were before the 1965 Civil Rights Act.

Schools are too focused on test scores rather than educating kids with meaningful skills that can give back to their communities. Colleges are a bit of a racket with their cost and neither party wishes to address this issue, either.

For everyone who wants to say “people are just lazy and don’t care!” I point to Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs to understand why people may struggle. 99.9% of people aren’t lazy. We need to check our privileges when casting judgements.

Absolutely correct, in the 50s/60s our parents stated get a college education so you don't have to work physically so hard....but now every kid should have chance to get college education....stupid, and higher education things it's A OK because they're paid. Look at the government bailout of college debt.....More than half of students in college should not be there.

Trades are the answer, air conditioning, body shop, window replacement, basic woodworking skills....lots more, would help both the young adults and society. Your statement about algebra vs basic math and knowing about financing cars, houses, etc ..how credit cards work....lot more important than French, or algebra.....basics the kids aren't learning because Moms or Dads or both work two/three jobs. Pray for more basic families- Moms and Dads staying together.

Hmm, basic families.

How do you feel about a child who has two moms, two dads, or a parent that doesn’t identify as either male or female?

This should get interesting.... grabbing my popcorn.

Maybe they're all out looking for the kids in cages?

I don't think that's what he meant there. I believe he meant the family unit sticking together. There wasn't much hope for this thread from the start, so adding extra drama just seems like wasted effort, on your part.

most of Europe has a much better education philosophy than we do..

most of Asia has parents who are ALL ABOUT their kids education..

In a lot of America, we have neither.

It’s much more complicated than what you’re describing and I know we’ve talked a bit about Maslow’s hierarchy in the past...

What are some commonalities between those countries in how they support their citizens and what’s different about our support here?

Of course it's much more complicated than my 3 sentence snarky answer.

Whose fault is it that American Society is Failing.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

My two leaders in the clubhouse. The poorly educated. The hyper greedy.

Which is sad, because I actually think we have a culture and an economic system which - when it's not being manipulated by corruption - is rewarding of innovation and ambition.

But, along the lines of what you are saying, we are cutting ourselves off at the legs.

Why should I care about kids in cages, I can't put any in, or take any out, of any cages.

Why should the average American care about the border crisis when nothing they can do can affect it in any way.

American Society, has a dozen shows about small claims court, which teach people how to be selfish, argumentative, how to fight to look like a winner and make everyone around them look like losers, in a public argument, and how to lie and deny the truth.

American Society is not even as healthy as it was 50 years ago. It's become built on the chase for becoming more rich than your neighbor, and the demand for ever more work and education,
yet education has stopped, and been replaced by indoctrination.

American Society, a symptom of veiled hate filled interests seeking to divide it, from both within and without; has become a repetitive lesson in
hate, devaluing your fellow human, and pridful selfishness.

Also, When American Society recognizes that it has devolved into the above, it has become a dehumanizing, insulting, lecture on a personal level of
who and how to celebrate, pay tribute to, and woefully salute, for reasons unrelated to real values.

And endless monlogues or lectures on vain things like excessive recycling, or diet choices, or a total gym, probably motivated by greed and the need to sell.

Ya, The endless "sell" of American society, inherently or is predisposed to "hate" anything, and everything as it currently is;
to always sell something new.

( I hate "the idea of salesmen", as a profession, for this reason.)

I agree with you on some of your points. I think Americans are lazy in their thinking. I think they’re lazy in their concept of patriotism and what it truly means to be a good American. Waving a flag isn’t it. Wearing flag themed board shorts while you get smashed drunk at spring break in Florida in the middle of a pandemic, isn’t it. Carrying a gun openly on your hip into a Subway to order a sandwich isn’t it. Despite how some act and think.

German's have always been superior ; Just ask them ! lol

American Society is failing.

How’s your gardener?

I thought that was 40?

Exactly.

Looks like Rocket got that wrong on the test

lol! I think I heard a 'woooosh!'

Trolls troll. It’s what they do. Call it 40 or call it THROW, it really doesn’t matter. Same same.

At this point I think schools are too focused on playing with and manipulating test scores in order to paint themselves in a better light because it helps skirt their accountability.

Check this out, I've got 2 kids in high school, 1 in middle. A couple months ago they had midterms. Here were the conditions: If you did well and it could increase your overall average, then they would increase your over all average. If you did poorly, it wouldn't be factored in, so essentially it couldn't hurt you. Also, minimum passing score was a 60. Oh by the way, no student regardless of how poorly they did would receive lower than a 60.

Now I do recognize that given the current structure of virtual learning you don't want to unnecessarily punish a student who is likely having a difficult time learning in that environment, but this school district when they look back is going to present this model as a success.

But on a broader front, the message coming from Big Education is atrocious and I don't see it structured much differently than Entitlement programs which are largely designed to keep trap people within the system.

Use me as an example: I don't have a college degree but I do have some college. Because I don't have a degree I am labelled as 'uneducated' Even if I'm fortunate enough to work my way up to being a homicide detective and solve a murder or 2 (which I think everyone can agree isn't something a dummy can do), I will still be labelled as 'uneducated' and therefor less than.

The message that has been pushed for decades now is that you can't possibly be successful or amount to any kind of person of worth unless you have a college degree.

So now put yourself in the position of a young kid black/white/whatever growing up in a disadvantage situation: you're lucky enough if your local school system is worth a damn. But then you're told you can't be anything unless you have a college degree, an opportunity that isn't likely or won't easily be presented to you.

And that's it. It's either/or.

Why don't politicians, and educators talk about and promote trade skills? There are plenty of job opportunities, job training is much more affordable, AND you can achieve a rather comfortable middle class life style.

Yes I know that statistically a person who gets a degree makes more in $$, but if you factor in how much you're paying back each month in student loans...

These are my own ramblings for the failing of American Society

-The Department of Education. Throwing money at a problem and expecting that to fix it. Some of this isn't all there fault because there should be standards and I assume the people who work there have good intentions, but the money they give isn't spent wisely. I'm not a teacher so I may not know all the specifics but I think we need to FAR EXCEED whatever the DOE says to do. It's not enough, its pathetic in my opinion. Also subjects of personal finance, accountability, respect of elders, meditation, and music all need to be taught as early as the 6th grade. There needs to be more attention paid to the fine arts and how to use your mind.

-Too much beaucracy. I've heard it takes some effort for someone to get permission for a teacher certain things outside the mainstream. It shouldn't. I don't know if this is true or not.

-Corrupt local officials at city, state, and federal levels.

-Poor nuclear family unit where mother and father are not present or good role models. If mother and father are not good then this stems from bad upbringing, poor life choices.

-Invention of social media where people have become seals and muppets, self absorbed wannabe models, influencers, entertainers; clapping their hands together for another like, poke, or donation. Instead of looking at Facebook they should be more worried about their own life, how they can become an author, artist, or engineer. People's lives would be much richer and there would be time to learn more if they would stop using social media.

-Too much technology. Technology is meant to make our lives easier to a certain extent, not replace meaningful parts of it. Its not a substitute for interpersonal relationships or human interaction. Today, I find people don't know how to effectively communicate and quite frankly its pathetic. Learn how to do things yourself and quit being so weak and reliant on technology all the time.

-Too many things given out or achieved without enough hard work. Not all, but a growing number of children are entitled and haven't been taught the value of sweat, determination, and responsibility, i.e saving up for your first pair of roller blades after months of doing your paper route, totally paying off your first car that you now own.

-Experience failure. Don't be scared of it, embrace it. I've never seen this taught or gone in depth at any education level, at least not directly, but its one of the most important things you can learn in life. What to expect when failure happens? How should you deal with it? What to do next and how to persevere. Personally I think how a person deals with failure defines themselves as an individual and whether they'll be successful or not.

It's funny because when people ask me what I learned in college I usually respond that I learned how to effectively fail and get up from it. Failure is not something to be afraid of because without it there is no success. Take chances...Teach people to be fearless and think outside the box at a young age.

Every generation has looked at the next generation and predicted doom and gloom for our country. Dear God, during the 60's people were predicting the hippies were going to kill America as we knew it. During the 50's Rock and Roll was called the devils music and was going to destroy our youth and the generation to come.

The only validity I see in any of it is that mankind is destroying our planet and as such we may not be far from a time when the earth may no longer sustain life. And that's something everyone alive today has helped contribute to so we can't sit here in blame that on the new generation.

This entire "society is failing" is the same old tired BS I've been hearing my entire life. And as of yet life still goes on.

More than our lives as well... it goes back generations. My dad was born in 06 and told me that his dad had the same laments.

I think it always has and always will.

As a species, we have always strived to make things better and easier for our children... and then blamed them and tried to make them feel guilty when their lives were better and easier.

There are trends in society that I don't think are very good but these things tend to be cyclical.

I don't think we have dealt particularly well with the technology that exists, largely because I don't think we had time to really adapt. When you think of "life altering" inventions of the past, things like the radio, the tv, the phone, the automobile.. these things phased in from nothing over multiple generations. (Yet still parents worried that they were all "ruining" young people)..

The technology we have today basically started and got to where we are today in about 1 generation. (I know the technology started before that but I'm not talking about stuff NASA had access to, I'm talking about what ordinary people had access to). We went from IBM typewriters, newspapers, and 60 Minutes when I was in HS to the internet and all of social media by the time my kids were in HS.. and that is a lot to adjust to. And every time you thought you had something figure out, it was outdated and had been replaced by 5 new things.. Not only could most people not "manage it".. most people didn't even understand it and weren't able to keep up.

If you have some time, look up the movie Future Shock by Orson Wells.

It's based on a book by Alvin Toffler.

They were complaining about technology overload in the 1970.

But has that previous technology created the false reality that so many people live in today? Along with the increase of everything being conducted online society has also seen an increase in depression, suicide, addiction, etc. People spend so much time in the Matrix that when they unplug for they don't have the skills or ability to behave in a rational manner when faced with any level of confrontation. Clearly there are people who thrive in such an environment but I think the gap between those who can and those who can't continues to widen.

I think that is a part of it.. everything online is magnified many times over which gives the illusion that things are much better... or much worse than they actually are.

I get the comments about same old laments, now that I'm "old" complaining about young and society in general- I get it...yet I'm still concerned about many "trends" I see as not good.

I'm a 50s/60s white guy, so I'm really screwed up. Diversity, it didn't exist- racist, no- I had one black guy in my whole high school in Ohio- my only experience with black people or culture was music...Supremes, Temptations, etc....then in late 60s Black Power, eventually music changed lots- acid rock, rap, etc.

Back on subject- my view, bad things in society

Family breakdown- parents in old days stayed together due to children/economics. Now- lots of cohabitation, divorces way up, children have lot more instability...who's your daddy...and some women really can't answer that question...little sacrifice as an adult.

Education- basics were drilled into you, reading, writing, arithmetic- I agree with poster who stated we need at least two tracks- college/ blue collar- carpenter, plumber, air conditioning, etc. Yet as an educator- for a short while, educators take the money and push the underachievers thru the system NOT caring about their basic skills- just not right AND our colleges may be worse than public schools, they will let you spend your money ANY way you want, give you a degree which has NO CHANCE of ever being used, no jobs available with your degree....AND we as taxpayers are now picking up the tabs. Unbelievable.

Truth- there is no truth anymore....not in politics, advertising, doctors appointments, etc. etc. You name it and it is really hard to find the truth. Bill Clinton- I did not have sexual relations with that woman....right. Donald Trump- I did not lose the election it was stolen.

Conspiracy theories- we have a Congress woman, Republican who stated the school shootings were staged....AND she was elected -that's are best. Damn. Almost a third of the population thinks we never went to the moon....mirrors and fake stuff. Guess they don't trust astronauts or rockets shot off publicly at Kennedy Space Center. But they will believe the Q deep state crap and on and on. Every day there is a new conspiracy. Obama wasn't born in US and he's Muslim. Right, come on.

Sorry I ranted. Some folks thinks we need guys kissing guys on TV because it is part of life. Love is love and anything goes.
Just ain't my cup of tea. Blessings to all.

An internet search doesn't have 400 results for anything, anything on earth.