I agree. School boards are far too often led by complete imbeciles. At least in my own local experience (in one of those lovely Louisiana school systems you mentioned) it’s because they are too often concerned with using the position as a stepping-stone into higher political offices because the individuals in question were too stupid to jump right into a run for Legislature or city council.

I taught Louisiana public schools for 10 years and gave up after a student punched me and I got no support from the administration or the community. I am one of the English teachers you were talking about who actually has a degree in English. Without wanting to elaborate on specific details at this time, I agree wholeheartedly with what you are saying here.

I would like to add that a key reason why public schools fail is because of hopelessly inefficient leadership. In the public schools, the school boards and supervisors try to micro-manage the schools — leaving principals and teachers extremely frustrated. Student’s discipline problems are so bad now that the only way to save the school would be to send in the military. Meanwhile, however, the regulations and restraints imposed by the school boards that entangle the public schools are destroying everyone’s morale. Ironically, as taxpayers pay more and more money into the school systems, the quality of education goes down.

The public school today are in such bad trouble with out-of control-student behavior being accepted as the norm that I am truly concerned for the future of the USA. As far as I can tell after being in the public schools for ten years everyday, no parent who truly loves his or her child would send that child to a public school.

I wouldn’t totally agree with this statement. I would think these things are additional tools for the teaching repertoire. Kinda like knowing how to use a hammer doesn’t make you a carpenter, but it can make you a better one if you know how to use it.

@Kavan – ” IMHO, teaching ability is more important for younger or weaker students and subject expertise is more important for older or stronger students.”

That was my thinking as well.

That’s an excellent point. To your argument I would add that a relationship seems to exist between subject expertise and teaching ability – often people are better in one or the other. IMHO, teaching ability is more important for younger or weaker students and subject expertise is more important for older or stronger students.

Unfortunately, most of the evaluation is going to focus on how well that lesson plan was written than on how well the teacher actually teaches.

There is actually a big reason for this problem. We (Americans) tend to look for the easiest ways to do things. As long as we look for short cuts, we will continue to have problems. I call it the “Shake’N Bake” society.

“Sure they are, but I doubt highly the teachers in a 2nd grade math class 50 years ago had students with calculators, or history classes where their students could utilize the Internet. Every field evolves, however static the raw subject material may be. Teachers who can’t keep up with that end up holding kids back.”

These statements seem to contradict each other.

Sure they are, but I doubt highly the teachers in a 2nd grade math class 50 years ago had students with calculators, or history classes where their students could utilize the Internet. Every field evolves, however static the raw subject material may be. Teachers who can’t keep up with that end up holding kids back.

But yes, I do agree that there are many more important reasons education fails in America. These were the most obvious and easiest to fix, so I dealt with them first.

True somethings evolve, others, not so much.
It’s not that I completely missed your point, but lets face it, 2nd grade math is the same today as it was fifty years ago. The details of the Louisiana Purchase are pretty much static at this point.

I think they’re many, many reason for a seemingly large decline in our national intellectual capabilities, but the three you’ve listed wouldn’t make my top five. I’ll wait to comment further until I read your follow-up post.