CS>I thought I'd drop a line and hope it isn't perceived as
CS>patronizing and hope it is taken in the proper spirit.
Depends on what you have to say !
CS>When I stirred things up here with my criticisms of schools
CS>operating in isolation, I didn't expect to touch nerves or act
CS>as if I didn't respect the immense jobs done in dealing with
CS>today's students and changing society.
While the responses might have been "energetic",
I don't think anyone took any genuine offense
to what you wrote; it's just that we get SO
much underserved criticism these days, that we're
a little prickly!   ;-)
CS>I just believe they've grown into small universes of their own 
CS>and become more and more detached from the adult community in 
CS>which they operate.
I'm not sure I understand exactly what you're
trying to say here, so I'm not sure whether I'd
agree or not... The outside world is intruding
into "our" world to an extent which is almost
untenable NOW!  What we can say; what we promote,
what we reward, and what we "punish", are all
heavily influenced by public opinion.  Of course
that pressure is pressure not to offend or to
take ANY controversial positions whatsoever, so
it's pretty negative, imo..  Our permissive
culture is reflected in a permissive school
environment..  The attitudes that just getting
by is ok, that it's someone else's job, and that 
every problem ultimately stems from someone ELSE,
are all alive in the schools as they are in our
society at large.  So... How can I agree with
you on this point?
CS>I will start another thread however.....
Ok...
CS>Have you ever thought about the fact that no one seems to publicly 
CS>express a core issue that is impeding student progress?  People are
CS>lazy!  Students are lazy.
Haven't visited any school faculty rooms lately,
have you?   ;-)  SURE they're lazy; what 
incentive, either negative or positive, have
they for being otherwise?
CS>Where the perceived carrot is clear enough, students will put 
CS>their time in at McDonald's type jobs, buy some $150 Korean made 
CS>athletic shoes and whatever else stirs their longings, but 
CS>long-term goals of self-improvement and knowledge are not 
CS>immediate enough to cause most to exert the energy.
I'm not even sure it's the carrot, but the lack
of a "stick" that is the issue.  If a kid does
poorly in school, does that mean s/he will not
be able to get a job?  Get into college?  Does
it even mean that they'll not advance to the
next grade or graduate?  The answer is clearly
no to ALL of these..  Is there an incentive to
learn as much as they can while in school?  If
scholarships, for example, depend upon grades,
what incentive is there to take difficult work?
If there's no final evaluation for graduate; say
an exit exam; why knock yourself out in your
senior year?
CS>I even think the short attention spans you must deal
CS>with stem from this.  Youth oriented TV now works in 3-5
CS>second rapid fire bites.  It has to or teens flip the channel.
CS>Is it any wonder their eyes glaze over by the second
CS>paragraph of reading?  It's depressing to watch the morose,
CS>dead-eyed teens leaving our high school each day.  I readily
CS>admit that I'm not made of the stuff that could cope with this
CS>audience every day.
It ain't easy!  Some days I feel like I've been
dragging them uphill all day!  ;-)
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 * MR/2 2.26 * OS/2 WARP: Windows with bullet-proof glass.
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