High School 1957 vs 2012

[AmerikinWmn]

You should know that by today's standards none of us were ever supposed to make it. HIGH SCHOOL 1957 vs. 2012

Scenario 1: Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack. 1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack. 2010 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario 2: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school. 1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies. 2010 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario 3: Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students. 1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again. 2010 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The family gets extra money (SSI) from the government because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario 4: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt. 1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman. 2010 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse; Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's Mom has an affair with the psychologist.

Scenario 5: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school. 1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock. 2010 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario 6: Pedro fails high school English. 1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college. 2010 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario 7: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed. 1957 - Ants die. 2010 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents - and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario 8: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him. 1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing. 2010 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy. 

This pretty much shows how stupid we've become...

[P.A.]

No I don't think I would like the changes. They have come here too. This year they are starting something called Common Core. As I understand it this is now it works. Every student in the state in say an American History class will be taught the same thing on the same day. The same will be true for most other subjects. There goes the teachable moments. They are also doing away with step raises for teachers and basing pay on test scores. I am sure it will be one huge mess. We have a republican lawyer from Washington DC for a Commissioner of Education. Talking about out of touch.

[crestofwaves]

Common Core--yep.  We are making fine little robots for the corporate world. 

[blithe spirit]

Schools and education are always political and always about money. Have always been that way...
School systems across the country are affected by the politics of the area and the wealth of the community where they exist.
I'm not sure how it could be any different.
Education is supposed to be the big equalizer in the democracy...yes?
Old school teachers are retiring...it's time, isn't it?

To me the most disturbing trend these days is the anti-science movement...evolution and climate change vs. religious concepts and whatever else suits their fancy....dirty words in books...so called sexual themes...unpatriotic history...the idea that this country was founded as a christian nation......eeeeeeeeeeee...core curriculum for me in the my subject has more critical writing than it did...a good thing for my students. I was looking at the some of the Language Arts reading for my grade...I don't see any big changes...The Illiad...Diary of Ann Frank...Animal Farm...and some Dickens.
I'm ok with it so far.

[crestofwaves]

Yes it's time for old school teachers to get "out of the way if you can't lend a hand, cause the times, they are a changing."  Absolutely.  It's one of the big reasons I left. 

[flippr 2.0]

here's the high school I went to

[flippr 2.0]

high school/funeral home

[blithe spirit]

Our schools were based on an agricultural schedule...summers off so the kids can work the farm.
And the whole way the classes were set up were set up on the factory model.

We been creating corporate widgets (robots) for a long time.. feeding the corporation our kids since the 20's.
The so called meritocracy...the cream will always rise to the top..SATS...some guy from Harvard back then...can't remember his name.

Anyway...my two cents...