And yet the manager of that low-performing employee is also held accountable for that employee’s performance until the employee improves or is terminated. It’s that manager’s job.

I’m asking for nothing less.

When it comes to students whose brains haven’t fully formed yet, having a clear set of rules and guidelines protects all parties even if most of the work has to be done by the party with the fully formed brain.

I understand that some parents do not value education high enough and often view it as day care. That’s the cultural/economic aspects I discussed earlier. They value teachers less than they value engineers and doctors, even though without teachers we wouldn’t get the future generation of teachers and doctors we need as a society. I think we need to start paying teachers like engineers and doctors.

If you test kids twice during the year, near the beginning and end, I can guarantee you that after 2-3 years, you’ll have enough data to support whether the teacher is teaching kids up or down. It really is that simple.

Part of a teacher’s job is to control the classroom; if they can’t do it, they need to find another profession. I’m all for removing disruptive kids from class; that shouldn’t be used as an excuse for an entire class of children who do not show sufficient academic progress during the course of a school year. And it’s complete hogwash if it gets used as an excuse for a second year.

Do you believe that the Federal Government should have stepped in and bailed out all of the private banks, insurance companies and car manufacturers with public money? I’m sure that like you, the CEO’s of those companies for being on the government teat

Romegaguy, do you still think that because a student wants to attend a private school for whatever reason, they should not receive compensation?

Public Institutions
Students attending public colleges or universities receive an award for the following:
Tuition for number of hours enrolled whether full time or part time
HOPE-approved mandatory fees
Books allowance of up to $100 per quarter or $150 per semester

Private Institutions
Students attending private colleges or universities receive the following:
Full-time students: $1,750 per semester, $1,166 per quarter
Half-time students: $875 per semester, $583 per quarter

Big difference. I am thankful for the $3,500 that I receive from HOPE and also the money from GTEG. That money allows me to attend a private institution.

As far as HOPE goes, I definitely disagree with you. I saw first hand what the scholarship could do for those who chose a private school. The technical school that I attended and graduated from was private (no longer but was back then). Many of my fellow students who otherwise would not have gone to college attended thanks to HOPE, graduated, and now have a successful career thanks to being a part of that institution and having that degree.

And I think that having top-down control like we do in this state gets in the way of trying any structural innovation that might help get us to the real goals, which are more graduates and a better-educated work force.

You’ll see it in the Ag areas, in the gang-banger areas… in the areas where parents just don’t/won’t say “you need to get this education so you can get the heck out of here and get a better life”.

I forgot to mention that I like your ideas.

I also think we need to find a way (meaning I don’t see a clear path to doing so) to elevate the profession of teaching. It needs to be more tightly regulated, closely scrutinized and more highly rewarded and respected.

We have uneducated teens having babies. Who is going to teach the child that knowledge is important? Not the teenager who dropped out of school and is rewarded for having more children and never rewarded for showing initiative and wanting to do better for herself and her children.

There is a clash of cultures and the culture of ignorance is winning. It’s sad but it is true.

Education is not valued highly enough in about half the state.

I don’t know if that was a reference to geography or to culture. It’s false in one case and true in the other. More information, please.

HOPE pays for the program and it gives students an idea of what they will be facing if they decide to go that route. In some counties, the Chamber of Commerce or private organizations offer financial help with textbooks and items like stethoscopes for the Certified Nursing students.

The advantage is students can get a certificate in their interest field and after graduation, have a better chance of getting a job. Then if they decide to get more education, the classes taken to get the certificate are used toward the advanced degree.

If students want to go the college route, they can, in high school, take advanced preparation courses in the core curriculum and have most of the freshman year of college completed by graduation. The cost is absorbed by the high school they attend.

HOPE pays for the program and it gives students an idea of what they will be facing if they decide to go that route. In some counties, the Chamber of Commerce or private organizations offer financial help with textbooks and items like stethoscopes for the Certified Nursing students.

The advantage is students can get a certificate in their interest field and after graduation, have a better chance of getting a job. Then if they decide to get more education, the classes taken to get the certificate are used toward the advanced degree.

If students want to go the college route, they can, in high school, take advanced preparation courses in the core curriculum and have most of the freshman year of college completed by graduation. The cost is absorbed by the high school they attend.