EDUC A modest proposal for education come SHTF

[Old Gray Mare]

A modest proposal for education come SHTF

It just dawned on me how insecure and vulnerable teaching jobs in the US are or anywhere in the world the profession has been unionized. With today's technology these jobs could easily be outsourced outside the country to India or wherever. If the unions were to push and municipalities no longer find the resources to meet their demands it would be possible the demand for primary education could be met at a significantly cheaper cost per student via online cyber schools. Those schools and teachers don't have to be in the US. Most school districts have some sort of standardized approved curriculum and soft ware once this and the personnel are in place and hooked up all that would have to happen is student enrolment. Judging from the growing demands for cyber school enrolments in my state this looks like a growth industry.

This could effectively brake the backs of the teachers Union in the US and the competition for students and their tuition could provide a better education for our kids and more qualified teachers. It would be dependent on continued net access. Even if it was required the school be headquatered in the US, the teachers could be anywhere in the world with dependable internet access.

 

[Kathy in FL]

As with most forms of education accreditation is the issue. It took a while for homeschoolers to be recognized by higher education facilities like universities. Many still require a few extra hoops for homeschoolers, the military certainly does.

Most states regulate schools of all flavors. And because of the attendance laws for those under the age of 16 parents pretty much have no choice but to play along. In Florida private schools are basically under the "600 Schools" laws. There are minimum standards, yada, yada, and they have to apply for their licensure/accreditation. If FLVS is actually run by the school system here in Florida rather than as a private industry which is why graduating from FLVS gives you the same diploma as a public school student.

There are alternate "virtual" schools run as private businesses but their recognition is spotty. Most take the legal form of a private school but some are actually coursework utilized by students legally considered homeschooled.

And every state has different laws about school attendance and graduation requirements.

The answer to the problem of the school system here in the US is going to be as varied as the number of states that take it on.

 

[Old Gray Mare]

If there is no gas money for bussing kids, limited funds for supplies, little or no funds to maintain brick and mortar schools, cyber schools offer a proven cost effective alternative. The varieties of curriculum allow parents (at least in my state) the option of choosing a school more tailored to meet the educational needs specific to their child.

 

[Kathy in FL]

If there is no gas money for bussing kids, limited funds for supplies, little or no funds to maintain brick and mortar schools, cyber schools offer a proven cost effective alternative. The varieties of curriculum allow parents (at least in my state) the option of choosing a school more tailored to meet the educational needs specific to their child.

True, but it will still be state controlled and you will have a lot of people complaining because they don't have access to the necessary tools and materials to succeed at the virtual school level.

Virtual schools are an option in the arsenal on how to educate your kids but it isn't a panacea. Many kids do not learn optimally via computers. Some do, but not all. And the teachers of FLVS for example still have to be licensed and accredited by Florida and they run the gamut as far as quality.

 

[summerthyme]

You seem to be missing the point, though. The MAJORITY of kids are in public school in this country mostly as a form of supervised day-care. Period. There are no parents home to supervise home schooling of ANY flavor.

And an awful lot of "parents" (for lack of a better word to call them) actually spend very little time thinking about whether or not the school curriculum is "tailored to their child's needs". As long as the kids are out of their hair, and they aren't getting calls from either the principal or the cops, they're happy.

The minority (probably less than 5%) who do care and who do spend time helping their kids with schoolwork and making sure they are at grade level, etc would probably be interested in something like this, especially if the schools get worse and if there is no alternative school nearby where they can afford to send their kids.

But if we go to the sort of system you envision, I can see 50% or more of the kids simply roaming around without any supervision at all.

Summerthyme

 

[Kathy in FL]

Summerthyme is correct in that many parents don't know how to supervise their child's education. Even if you aren't actually doing any of the teaching you, as a responsible party, should at least be supervising all of the effort going into the child's education. And I'm not just talking about the time spent in the traditional classroom. If a child under your care is in any extracurricular activity, that should be part of their educational portfolio ... it may not be the abc's or the 123's but they do learn a great many things from group/sport activities. Their "bus time" should also fall under your concern as a lot of kids spend as much as 2 or 3 hours on a bus five days a week. What are they doing during that time that is constructive? Who are they socializing with? Etc.

For many, the thought of taking that kind of responsibility is quite frankly overwhelming and they drop the ball and as a result the child suffers needlessly.

For a parent/guardian who is willing to make the commitment, and the child who is capable of learning successfully through technological services, then virtual schools may be a sound and constructive option. But that option will never work for the vast majority of children ... at least not from a strictly home environment for the same exact reason that for many children homeschooling is not an option.