its funny (sad) that the govt. schools tend to teach children that 2+2=4 but then never teach them why they need to know that. most kids have no idea how to balance a check book or understand interest or the stock mkt or why 2+2 needs to equal 4. the problem tends to be that after about 9th grade most kids arnt really learning anything new it is just a repeat of k thru 9. i believe that at or about 9th grade there should be more of a push towards tech/trade school, where if a child shows interest in auto shop or computers or hair design then we should be teaching them that more than more of the same. you are right Dwight, the dumbing down of America is true, the govt has had it planned that way for generations so that they(the politicians) can then have their way. like you said about Jaywalking, i am usually beside myself thinking how can these people be so stupid. most cant tell you how a bill gets introduced or how it becomes law, most cant tell you who their senator or congressman is in washington or their state or that there is even a difference. trade school is the way to go for most and yet we keep unfunding such things in govt schools because of lack of funds. I never told any of my children that they had to be A students but that they had to try and just do their best and i think their best should be at least average and they seemed to have turned out ok. my daughter the school teacher tends to agree with me and when she had to teach at govt schools she would only teach k thru 3rd grade because she said after about 3rd grade if you havnt captured their imagination then you have lost and chances are you wont get them back and if not there might be the chance that one of the lost ones will be showing up with an automatic and start shooting. she said she was less afraid to teach in the prison she taught at because those students had to earn the right to be there and didnt want to lose it and have to start over again. maybe we need to get the children on that bus, i mean maybe they should have to earn the right to be there( oh yea right, that thats gonna or could happen hahahaa what would parents do for a babysitter) but the idea of trade/tech school is to me the answer because then a kid has to earn it and when he gets it, there just might be a future for that child.
