<p>Romani, You can take Theater for your fine arts credit. A LOT of people told the teacher they wanted to be techs, and that was perfectly ok.</p>
<p>Algebra II HAS been a requirement, but very well may not be in this new plan. The requirements will probably be Algebra I, Geometry, and if I had to guess some kind of practical “math for life” or “math models” class.</p>
<p>"Students will use a variety of representations (concrete, numerical, graphical, verbal, and tabular) and technology to solve applied problems. Real-life applications problems will involve finance, probability, fine arts and science. "</p>
<p>Hogwash, our system of basically locally controlled schools - with the highest control over our schools being the states (50 Finland’s if you will,) actually lends itself perfectly to the type of educational policy they have in Finland. </p>
<p>Our size, cultural diversity, ethnic diversity, imo, are simply excuses we use so we don’t have to do the hard work of making our educational system the best in the world. </p>
<p>Norway, which is approx the same size and cultural characteristics as Finland, has a educational system more like our and is mired, like we are, in the middle of the pack of nations.</p>
<p>I’m actually not too bothered by this new plan now that I’ve seen it in print. I’m glad my music major graduated on the distinguished plan. But she didn’t need 4 years of math and 4 years of science. She just didn’t. Fortunately, I DID fight back on them trying to make her take Calculus (or any math for that matter) her senior year. She took Algebra in 8th, Geometry, Algebra II and Pre-Calculus in high school. They were having a tough time with her schedule and I told them to take out Calculus. They tried to make her take it, but I pushed back. She didn’t need it for the Distinguished Plan, she didn’t need it for college, she didn’t need it for life - SHE DIDN’T NEED IT!</p>
<p>emilybee, we’ll just disagree. Since you say the idea that the differences Texas (one of those 50) has with Finland: being 5 times the size and has ethnic and cultural diversity and a huge number of imigrants which Finland does not is immaterial in managing the students - we’re not going to find common ground.</p>
<p>And just because Norway hasn’t figured out their system, but is similar to Finland in size and ethnic make-up doesn’t mean our system is like Norway’s either. Our schools are not much like Finland’s and not much like Norway’s, and their schools are not much like each other. So I don’t really get what throwing Norway into the mix proves.</p>
<p>To be clear, I am surely not advocating to have more standardized tests. What I am opposed to is the underlying message that less testing is a step for lowering the standards even further. One area where I think we should increase the testing is … for testing the teachers and get rid the ones who have been known to fail repeatedly. </p>
<p>And, I am afraid to have to disagree with you regarding the failing of certain classes. Actually, not only should the students who fail mandantary classes not graduate, they should not be allowed to go to the next grade. One of the main reasons why so many students do poorly in high school is that they have been allowed to move on to the next level despite lacking the necessary tools. </p>
<p>As it stands today, Texas might be better served by abandoning the policies of delaying the start of 1st grade and build in the fact that many should have to repeat a class in their K-12. Of course, allowing kids to start 1st grade well before 7 might lower the chance to get those big and older bodies under the Friday Night lights.</p>
<p>We could indeed learn from Finland, but we neither have the courage nor the desire to do so. Contrary to what they did in Finland, we prefer to make excuses for our systemic failures instead of attacking the problem at the source. </p>
<p>And yes, Finland requires a lot fewer tests (and a lot less homework, if you ask) because they can … afford to as their children do perform remarkably well on testing.</p>
<p>What did Finland do? They invested in the formation of teachers AND drastically incorporated measures to restrict the access to the profession to the most capable and competitive students. It could not be different from our system that mines the bottom of of our academic system to recruit the next generations of teachers and find excuses to pay the next generations poorly. When your system is based on building the classes of next teachers with the worst students and hordes of generalists who have little mastery except the highly subjective “pedagogy” you have no option that put bandaids on the wooden leg.</p>
<p>And what Finland did do is also realizing that education has to rely on what is taught in the classroom, as opposed to our system that heavily relies on parental support to shore up the highly deficient system of education. And that is why the US remains competitive until the end of elementary school, becomes mediocre in middle school, and utterly abysmal and dysfunctional in high school. </p>
<p>Simply stated, we cannot teach but pretend it is because we are poorer and more diverse than the ROW. Yep, the world leader among all nations is poor! No wonder the ROW is laughing at us!</p>
<p>Xiggi, we may be missing each other. The kids PASS the class, all of their daily work, all of their exams within the class, but fail the standardized testing. One test wipes out the whole years’ work. This creates great anxiety among kids who are “on the bubble”. </p>
<p>I’m sorry, I will never agree that is fair.</p>
<p>I do agree that kids that fail required classes should not graduate. They’ve had a year, or at least a semester to work hard to bring the grade up, to try to understand. If they don’t make the grade, they should repeat the class. As far as grade classification in high school, that’s sort of difficult. At my daughter’s school, you might be classified as a freshman, but in a class with all sophomores or vice versa. </p>
<p>The GREAT majority of 1st graders are 6. And most kids in Texas go to Kindergarten at age 5. The exception is usually a kid that’s “on the cusp”, turning 6 right after the 1st of August, parents still think he might be a bit immature, etc.</p>
<p>I will agree with you, Xiggi and Emilybee, that the problem, of course, lies within the way we teach and our TEACHING OF THE TEACHERS. But I wouldn’t disparage teachers or their intelligence. They’re taking the coursework we’ve given them. In Texas, they’re passing the exam that allows them to teach.</p>
<p>Maybe the coursework and the exam need to change. And I would add, our approach to discipline in the schools, respect given to the teachers by students, parents, the community and administrators, and the pay scale too.</p>
<p>But I won’t dismiss variables that make the task more difficult. They actually need to be addressed in a sensible way, which they currently, obviously, are NOT.</p>
<p>“We could indeed learn from Finland, but we neither have the courage nor the desire to do so. Contrary to what they did in Finland, we prefer to make excuses for our systemic failures instead of attacking the problem at the source.”</p>
<p>Xiggi, I believe I said pretty much the same thing. You are preaching to the choir.</p>
<p>I will also throw you this one, Emilybee - I think it would be AWESOME if we COULD replicate what Finland has done. It will be VERY interesting indeed to see what the results of TCU’s pilot program will be.</p>
<p>what really ticks me off is that we (in the united states) have such substandard to mediocre teachers in grades K-4 (which are the most critical grades for children). </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Increase the amount of physical activity in the schools </p></li>
<li><p>Create equality across content areas; add ethics as a content area </p></li>
<li><p>Assess students differently, with state/federal assessments given twice (at the end of fifth and ninth grades) (Finland does not have 15 standardized tests throughout high school)</p></li>
<li><p>Restructure the school day (less hours in the classroom for K-6 students; extra time in play/creativity)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Question, Emilybee, and I’m not trying to be snarky…I promise.</p>
<p>I understand the concept of removing obstacles rather than accepting them as excuses.</p>
<p>I don’t see any easy answers for dealing with lack of discipline on the part of students and lack of caring on the part of parents that is in line with the Finnish model.</p>
<p>How do we UNDO these problems?</p>
<p>The Finns would tell us to go to the ROOT CAUSE of the problem and fix the root cause. Until Americans are willing to do this, we might have a really difficult time.</p>
<p>They have a very egalitarian society as a whole. We do not. I’m not saying it CAN’T be done, or it SHOULDN’T be attempted. I’m just saying, again, the differences cannot be ignored, they must be addressed.</p>
<p>The Finns didn’t go out and say, “How do we emulate China?” They said, “What is OUR problem?” And then they addressed the root cause. That’s what WE need to do as well. Not that there aren’t very valuable lessons to be learned from others, or convincing models to try out - but we have to find an approach that can work for us.</p>
<p>One modification I see in the TCU pilot program is the obvious lack of religious classes. In Finland, religious classes are the mainline, and ethics classes are offered for the “non-religious”. Just an example.</p>
<p>I’m glad I’m graduating next year so I won’t have to deal with this overhaul. I’m also glad I’m in the last class to take TAKS.
Texas seems like its scrambling right now.</p>
<p>I would definitely like to see less testing done in Texas, I think the amount of test (pretty sure my D took 15 during HS) is a waste of time and money. While some standardized testing needs to happen I think it could be boiled down. </p>
<p>As far as the new degree plan, I think an alternative for kids not seeking college is a good idea. I do worry about these new requirements and how they would affect Block scheduling which our district uses. I think it the best way to get kids ready for college.</p>
<p>I think the kids should have 4 years of math, and I believe that by High School most kids already have the computer skills needed, but maybe that is just our middle school system here.</p>