Reply #5: Many ways to uneven education

[Spangle]

Many classes end up with subs most the year. Not a cool thing in my book. School year last about 9 months. Teachers planning on having a baby in December, taking off in November and not coming back until March or later, should take the year off or do subing. It's wrong to take the class then leave them with a sub for half the year that the teacher is gone. The only way I can see a teacher should do this, if they are only going to be out the last month or so of the school year. 6 weeks tops. If there is complications (which happens), the the slot should be filled with an actual teacher.

THIS happens a whole lot more then people realize.

Another issue is Homework. Most of the educational plans I'm hearing from fl schools, the kids are being shuffled from classroom to classroom. Educational time is lost going between classes and during the "get ready to move" and "just moved" time.

Teachers are required to have their students do so many "units" a week in each focus subject. Units can be done at school or as homework. Because of the lost time at school, more "units" have to be sent home. A "unit" can be a simple as a worksheet for 'aghm' review.

All good and well if the parents have the time and the ablity to work with their kids. But poor kids come from familys that are not able to do this. Not because parents are stupid. But because their time is devoted to just trying to survive. Single parents, more then one job, etc. That leaves limited "home" time. That time is also needed for regular family duties. Add in lack of education or language bearers, you got additional problems.

This equals unequal education. A portion of the education is being shifted to the home envirment because the teacher doesn't have the time in school to cover/do it. However, just because it's being shifted to the home envirment doesn't mean there is time avalible there. Or ablity.

This difference in education effects poor and "rich" schools. Teachers that can send this homework home and have it taught/completed at home, there students are going to be more advanced and ready for teaching the next day. They are going to do better on achievement tests and FCAT. The FCAT is actualy grading the TEACHER and the SCHOOL.

Teachers in schools were the parents are "bad" and "disintrested" in the childrens education. (Not my wording, but the schools aditude and assumption about parents that can't take on this job) End up with students not completing all the "units", not ready for the next lesson on the list and must move on to the next lesson so that they are "on schedule". Even if all their students are not ready. Their solution to this problem is not to handle the problem. But to focus on the kids who are doing well. It increase THEIR scores high enough to carry the rest of the students.

Less focus should be on homework and more on utilizing time wisely at school. Not ALL students can have an equal home life that will ensure EQUAL education. Focus on homework as a way to cover more subjects or training during "basic education in k-4" puts students behind for the rest of the educational experience. Which lowers test scores, FCAT, etc. It's a failing system. Why wouldn't a teacher want to go to a school were the system is more likely to achieve sucess. This effects them as well.