the Die alte Sau describes a teacher quitting teaching

[USA4ME]

No, that's how the grades work around here.  NOBODY fails.  Even if you don't do ANY work, it's still a C.

The HS here just eliminated failing grades, for Chrissakes.

They were doing that in Tampa when I moved away in the late 80's.  Not sure if it was a policy, it was more of an "unwritten rule."  When you hear about students throughout the USA who have graduated and can't read or write, and that's something I've heard for decades on end, you know that a decision was made on some level to to just let them move along.

Whether it's one student that's passed just because, or a whole school system that's decided to make it a policy, it's still acting dishonestly.  If a school system or even a group of administrators are willing to do that, what else are they willing to do that isn't as visable?

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[vesta111]

Ok, checked out policies.  Totally stand corrected.   That is messed up.

Since when did parents turn their kids over intirely to the school education.   When did parents shirk all responsibility of educating their kids outside of school?

From what I have read the Boy Scouts came into being when the country had thousands of city kids on the street way back when.  BIG CITY kids with parents away from home 18 hours a day.     What to do with these kids, they were going no where with few skills in life. No direction and no purpose but to survive as best they could.

Along came this idea from some English man that made it work in England.   Gather up a few boys, give them a uniform, directions on team work, teach them how to survive, give them pride and cheer on each and every accomplishment.-------Then came the girl scouts that had never been acknowledged for doing a good job in their life, pride in what they could accomplish.

Schools did not teach this, parents could not teach this, Churches could not teach this, but by golly others did and the lessons taught led into the first world war, for the boys it was team work, for the girls they were the nurses that went to the front to save their lives.

Today Scouting has become perverted by some that give it a bad name------But if one looks beyond all that, the Scouts do go far and beyond to educate our kids in real life that nothing else can match.

What good does a kid that gets straight A's in Math if they cannot survive or know how to in a snow storm, lost hiking in the deep woods and have no idea how to signal for help or light a fire ??

My boys learned more in the years of Scouting then any school could teach them, more then us parents knew or the Church.

Education comes in many packages, not just to send a kid to school to learn where on the world map is Fritally, You remember that little country between France and Italy.

[jukin]

I have to laugh at the "outrageous amount" comment -- that is how much they cost.   If I were to replace the textbooks in my District's high school alone it would cost upwards of $1 million.    

There is no "bulk" discount for textbooks.  No one purchases just one or just ten.  

That is more than college textbooks. SO yeah it is outrageous and saying "that is what it costs" does not advance your argument.  It does show a mind set of the public sector versus the private sector and how purchasing decisions are made...or not made.  Given your figures you have 6,667 students in your high school. That's a BIG HS. Mine only had 1800+/-. If you are thinking that each subject should get a new textbook each year then again, it demonstrates the difference between public and private sector thinking.

If you had read my initial post I states that in kalifornia the cost or amount paid per student on average is $8,800 per year and worked from there with average class size. Pretty simple analysis. So far your posts have failed to enlighten me as to where the extra, at a minimum, $100K/class-year goes to. I think it goes into a bloated administration, special projects, and unfunded (or currently funded) teacher retirements.

So I ask again, where does the extra $100K per class-year go to?

[formerlurker]

That is more than college textbooks. SO yeah it is outrageous and saying "that is what it costs" does not advance your argument.  It does show a mind set of the public sector versus the private sector and how purchasing decisions are made...or not made.  Given your figures you have 6,667 students in your high school. That's a BIG HS. Mine only had 1800+/-. If you are thinking that each subject should get a new textbook each year then again, it demonstrates the difference between public and private sector thinking.

If you had read my initial post I states that in kalifornia the cost or amount paid per student on average is $8,800 per year and worked from there with average class size. Pretty simple analysis. So far your posts have failed to enlighten me as to where the extra, at a minimum, $100K/class-year goes to. I think it goes into a bloated administration, special projects, and unfunded (or currently funded) teacher retirements.

So I ask again, where does the extra $100K per class-year go to?

You know how many class changes/subjects there are at the high school?   My high school has over 2K students. 

How about you link me to the District you are referring to and I will walk you through their budget?    I can't be any more clear here.   

[formerlurker]

The 20% is for materials, building and grounds, professional development, etc.    You are looking at that all wrong.    Cost per student is determined by costs for the entire district divided by number of students. 

Here is an appropriate accounting (Boston, which has a budget bigger than most third world countries):

http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/profiles/finance.aspx?orgcode=00350000&orgtypecode=5&

Capital expenses/debt exclusions are usually not calculated into per student expenditures.

Go to the link and it breaks down the cost categories.   It;s rather clear.