From Limpubus:


So should we end high school in 10th grade?

I don't think so. I think that we need, if anything, more schooling (especially driver education).

I guess I don't mean "more schooling". I mean "more education".

If our students were learning more efficiently, then in theory, we could shorten the educational process.

I also think you should be able to "opt-out" of high school. Not simply by choice, but by intellegence.

If you can pass all of the senior-level finals as a freshman, then you should be allowed to move directly to college or the work world.

But on the other hand...

You do learn a lot about discipline in high school, at least you should. High school dropouts' actions speak not necessarily louder than their words, but more coherently for sure.

If you can't make it through High School, then you are a loser. Plain and simple.

The opportunity is there for everyone to get an education. Students just need to seize it.

Your thoughts?

Mike.

I wonder if "opting out of high school" based on intelligence is a good idea. More than just book smarts are learned from life experiences at high school, and it is something that some people never learn no matter how old they get. . .it's maturity. Someone once said (although, for the life of me, I can't remember who), "a person may be able to name all the stars in the universe but until that person understands their place in that universe, they are still a child". Jumping too fast into College is very dangerous, all of a sudden they are surrounded by ever flowing alcohol, drugs, and permiscuous sex, without any parental guidance. It doesn't matter how smart you are, if you are not at the maturity level to know who you are and what your priorities are, then I would be surprised if you make it past the first year at college. Hell, I went all four years at high school and I still wonder how I made it out of college alive!

-Kisov

Do you also think that if a college freshman can pass all the senior-level finals they should also be able to pass right thru and get thier degree?

I agree that more than "book smarts" are learned in both high school and college - and we all know that a lot of the time out in the "real world" or the "working environment" those people skills and those coping skills are used much more than the pre-algebra skills, etc, etc. At least for me.

I feel like the people I went to high school with that either graduated early or skipped a grade or even were taking college-level courses in high school
generally were less prepared for thier college experience than the rest of us. Sure, thier transcripts looked great but they were so people-phobic they couldn't get along with thier roommate and ended up dropping out at the end of first semester.

American public high school system = not perfect, but a heck of a lot better than it could be.

Lets give a hand to Erin….and on top of all those brains and “logical thinking” she’s cute too….

I think I hit a nerve...

Keep in mind, I did say:



So I am recognizing the value in physically attending school, whether it's high school or college.

I agree with what most of what Kisov said. When I graduated high school, I knew I wasn't ready for college. I wanted to party, so I didn't go.

Now keeping in mind that I do believe there is worth in attending college, I do have to answer ErinS:



I believe that in some cases, yes. I believe that they already do this for people who are "Genius level IQ". How else do we end up with 14-year-old Harvard graduates?

While I think it is rare to find someone who could pass all of these tests, I do think that if they had the knowledge, they should be able to "opt-out" of certain classes.

As an example, I took four years of English in high school. Why should I have to take more English in college? I think I both speak and write proficiently.

Of course, I think the schools have a skewed view on this. The more students they have, the more funding they get (public) or the more tuition they can charge (private).

If people could come in and pass their easy classes and graduate with little or no effort, they stand to lose.

And what about people that attend college simply as a means to launch their "athletic career"?

Some of these people skate by only with the assistance of their bad teachers and the college's bad staff, and gain a very poor education.

I am willing to bet that I, having not attend college, am more intelligent and better adjusted than at least 75% of the college graduates that upon graduation begin their career in professional athletics. These people pass the classes without gaining the knowledge.

In my opinion, we would be better letting the intelligent folks pass and the athletes fail.

But everything is political to me.

Mike

I think for the most part we're in agreement on this subject. It's common sense that a lot of the things you learn in life about life are outside of the classroom, whether that's high-school or college.



And don't even get me started on this. This is quite possibly the biggest mockery of a college education out there. Some kindergartners I know have better math, english, etc skills than some of the professional athletes I see on tv. (Maybe they just need better publicists???)

Not to generalize all athletes as uneducated, incompetant, uhh, althletes, but somewhere down the line they're going to learn that they're not going to get by in life on thier althetic ability alone. Just like all beauty queens and supermodels aren't going to get by on thier looks alone. Sure, they'll get money. But aside from the small, small percentage of them that really will be set for the rest of thier lives, the rest of them are left high and dry with no college education to fall back on. Well, no real college education.

But I guess the allure of Nike contracts and Sprite commercials is just too powerful for some 19-20-21 year old kids.

High school is more about learning. High school is about life, learning and experiences.

I dont think they should let seniors graduate a semester early....I think everyone should have to go their full 4 years, reguardless of how smart or how mature they think they are.

I could have graduated a year early, but I didnt.... My mother wouldnt let me. I remember being angry with her for that, but now Im grateful. Heck...send me back right now!

As for the students who go to college to launch their athletic career, I totally agree. I think you are there to learn, and if you cant you are out! Some baseball and basketball players dont even go to college... they go right to the pros. I think that college should come before any athletic career. I think you should only be allowed to draft from colleges.

The school I went to made it's football team be educated. Sure there were a few guys that managed to eek out still sounding like morons. There is a Joe Jerivicious at every school. However I remember them not letting a few guys play in the bowl games because they did not make grades that semester. Then again, I think Paterno may be the only coach that does that.... then again he has won more games.

Maybe i need to refine thw quote that started this debate. The reason that I think high school should stop at 10th grade is that by that time in life we, being the lazy kids we are, have chosen what we want to learn and how we want to learn. Discipline is key but the kids that are going to work on their families farm are going to anyways and they aren't going to profit from 2 more years of algebra and shakespeare. Just like how a promising writer won't gain anything from chemistry. Now I'm not saying these people won't gain anything more like most likely won't. On top of that I know that in my high school, or atleast in my classes, the teacher's were no where near as willing to discuss things as they are in college. This may be why I sway towards starting college at grade 11. But This also allows the student to get involved in their passion sooner...

High school for me was a colossal waste of time. Academically, it could have been condensed to less than half the time. While I did have a few worthwhile experiences in my extracurricular activities, I don’t think I am a better or more well adjusted person because I somehow survived the 4 worst years of my life. I’m sure there are those that had a positive high school experience, but personally it caused much more harm than good. I wish I was given one of those "opt-out" tests as a freshman.

As a senior in Waltham High, I find the curriculum a useless expenditure and burden on taxpayer dollars (oh, wait, I live in MA. Tom Finneran will just raise them to teach non-English speakers how to milk the system)

Anyways, to my original point: Politics is my desire for college and post college. I will, during my college years, train in the ROTC to be an officer. Why, then, should I take Fine Arts courses? I do not like Fine Arts and I do not want a career in it. Simply another waste of tax money again.

Finally, PC in schools. If any of you have been to HannityLand, you'd know that I hate--HATE--the Middle East and it's inhabitants. However, if you so much as frown at a Muzzie in a public school, holy s h i t. You better be careful. Personally, I will go to school on 9/11 and be subject to PC bull. So, I'll be waving a flag and wearing a T-Shirt that says "###### The Middle East", dead center. And I don't care about the consequences.