USA education is horrible

BreaknBrix said:

My mother taught for 38 years and it's such a cliche thing for a 16 year old to say what you're saying.

I use to be a sophmore too. I thought everything I was learning was "obsolete" or stupid. Turns out I was the stupid one.

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Yeah, it's the age. They're all pissy and moany at that age.

redrubies said:

It's your job at the moment, so deal with it. You're not going to like everything you have to do in life.

Two of my children were 14 when they were sophomores in high school. They started kindergarten at four. Another one of mine who started at five was a 15 year old sophomore. Did you repeat a grade or did you start late? Maybe the classes you have are too easy. Talk to your guidance counselor. Take more challenging classes. You're allowed to pick some. US education is not horrible. You are just being a whiny teenager. We all were at that age and didn't like everything we had to do. I didn't like dissecting a rat in biology, nor have I found that useful in later years, but I did what I was told so I could get a good grade and move on. Life isn't all fun and games.

You can be anything you want to be. No one is trying to mass produce you to be a corporate slave. You're in the US. No one cares what you become, as long as you are a productive member of society.

I was active in the education of my children and never got that impression. Take some personal responsibility. If you want to be an entrepreneur, take classes that reflect that. High school is full of electives that are geared towards the interests of students. I have never seen a school that did not offer business classes. Take some of those. You'll need them if you want your own business.

Then tell your parents to homeschool you. Or join the football team and get rid of some of that angsty teen-ness. You're lucky you're not my kid. I'd throw you out the door and tell you to go get some fresh air, and come back when you were feeling pleasant again. You're never going to get this time back in your life. Go out with your friends and have some fun. Kids your age should not be complaining in an online forum. They should be out with their friends and enjoying their youth.

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Well I skimmed your post and where are you from? Because were I am it is pretty standard to be 16 as a sophomore. Most of my friends are the same age as me. And I just feel that I would be much more successful if I could focus on things like starting a business, learning to code, etc. I already am trying to do those things but I don't have enough time because of clubs, homework, commitments, etc. Also I usually don't go on the lounge too often but I needed to let off some steam.

redrubies said:

Yeah, it's the age. They're all pissy and moany at that age.

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So they are going to hormonal changes... doesn't mean that his opinions aren't valuable. That "oh kids are hormonal and stupid" attitude is the reason that a failing education system has been the same for so long. Maybe if we drop the stereotyping and were open to a discussion we may actually be able to evolve.

redrubies said:

Yeah, it's the age. They're all pissy and moany at that age.

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Trust me I'm usually not like this, I just need to vent. I'm the type of person that tells a lot of jokes yet still gets straight A's.

I don't appreciate everyone completely discrediting my opinion because I am 16, If I stated that the education system was broken and did not say my age you would have no ground to stand on.

*edit*
typo

pxoxrxn said:

So they are going to hormonal changes... doesn't mean that his opinions aren't valuable. That "oh kids are hormonal and stupid" attitude is the reason that a failing education system has been the same for so long. Maybe if we drop the stereotyping and were open to a discussion we may actually be able to evolve.

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This has nothing to do with the educational system. It has to do with parents coddling their teenagers and not making them do what they don't want to do. "I don't like school mommyyyyyyyy" "That's okay honey, you can take classes online now!" The attitudes of kids is something that's getting worse and not better. I see it with the friends of my kids. Their sense of entitlement and their whiny ways are very irritating. I went through a lot of grief in the teen years of my kids because I refused to do everything the other parents did. Fast forward to their friends now. My daughter's friend doesn't even know how to get a rent. She has no concept and actually argued with the landlord that he had no right to rush an answer from her as to whether she was going to take the rent or not. Never mind that he had other people waiting for an answer. This is a girl who still lives in her parents' 4,000 sq ft home and her mother does everything for her. These kids are so used to being allowed to do everything they want and get out of what they don't want to do that they think that's how the real world works. They think the world revolves around them.

redrubies said:

This has nothing to do with the educational system. It has to do with parents coddling their teenagers and not making them do what they don't want to do. "I don't like school mommyyyyyyyy" "That's okay honey, you can take classes online now!" The attitudes of kids is something that's getting worse and not better. I see it with the friends of my kids. Their sense of entitlement and their whiny ways are very irritating. I went through a lot of grief in the teen years of my kids because I refused to do everything the other parents did. Fast forward to their friends now. My daughter's friend doesn't even know how to get a rent. She has no concept and actually argued with the landlord that he had no right to rush an answer from her as to whether she was going to take the rent or not. Never mind that he had other people waiting for an answer. This is a girl who still lives in her parents' 4,000 sq ft home and her mother does everything for her. These kids are so used to being allowed to do everything they want and get out of what they don't want to do that they think that's how the real world works. They think the world revolves around them.

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Well yes, there are some parents that teach their kids a gross sense of entitlement.

pxoxrxn said:

Well yes, there are some parents that teach their kids a gross sense of entitlement.

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It's like some parents are afraid to demand anything of their kids any more. I have never seen it as bad as it is today, and it's not just in the US. I have cousins in two different countries and they say the same things. If the OP was my child, I would make him go to the guidance counselor's office and have a talk about changing classes. If the talk wasn't successful, then I would make an appointment and demand a change. Since when does a high school not offer business classes for the budding entrepreneur? They even have business math such as accounting.

RakeItIn said:

I am a 16 year old sophomore in high school and it is a complete waste of time. Everything we learn is obsolete except one of my classes which is a game development class, and I could probably learn it online. It is blatantly obvious to me that it is just to mass produce a ton of corporate slaves to make the big wigs more money. And people wonder why the wealth distribution is ridiculously awful. Modern education discourages independent thought and things like entrepreneurship. Also the colleges are super overpriced while some other nations have free colleges and some even pay you to go! The debt from college is so crippling you are basically an indentured servant.
Sorry about the rambling but all this bs is pissing me off.

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Well, I, for one, find it very encouraging that a young person like you found BHW at such a young age! If I had information like this when I was younger, I would have had a lot more success in my business ventures!

Also, I think that the opinions of people your age are far more important than you think.

Finally, believe me, I know that school sucks right now, but you are acquiring knowledge and skills that you can and will use for the rest of your life.

Keep your head up, it gets easier.

redrubies said:

It's like some parents are afraid to demand anything of their kids any more. I have never seen it as bad as it is today, and it's not just in the US. I have cousins in two different countries and they say the same things. If the OP was my child, I would make him go to the guidance counselor's office and have a talk about changing classes. If the talk wasn't successful, then I would make an appointment and demand a change. Since when does a high school not offer business classes for the budding entrepreneur? They even have business math such as accounting.

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Stereotyping is bad. My parent's don't "coddle" me. I buy everything I own with my own money, they also expect straight A's, which I do get. The classes I am complaining about are the ones that you have to take, they are required by the county or you fail. You need a certain amount of credits to graduate in these classes. Changing classes would do nothing, I get very little choice in most of my classes. There are no entrepreneur type classes, the closest thing is a club called DECA marketing which I am also in. Please don't stereotype and assume I am the entitled spoiled brat that expects their parents to buy them a corvette, I am definitely not that, I buy all my own things and the only thing I expect from my parents is a place to live and food.

Well, it's US what can you expect? This country is so
fucked up they spy on their people, lol, Snowden made a
good choise

jackydaniels14 said:

Well, it's US what can you expect? This country is so
fucked up they spy on their people, lol, Snowden made a
good choice

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"bread and circuses"... that's how the gov. keeps you in check.
also smoking drugs helps to keep you docile.

RakeItIn said:

The classes I am complaining about are the ones that you have to take, they are required by the county or you fail. You need a certain amount of credits to graduate in these classes. Changing classes would do nothing, I get very little choice in most of my classes. There are no entrepreneur type classes, the closest thing is a club called DECA marketing which I am also in.

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I'm looking at the list right now. I also downloaded some of the lists. Classes start in middle school and continue for grades 9-12. There is everything a person could want on this list. http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/dwdframe How could you call this nothing?

redrubies said:

I'm looking at the list right now. I also downloaded some of the lists. Classes start in middle school and continue for grades 9-12. There is everything a person could want on this list. http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/dwdframe How could you call this nothing?

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Most of those classes are not offered at my school, I go to a school that doesn't have much money. Also I am referring to electives we only get to choose 2-3 of our classes.

Oh man...
I'm from EU, so can't comment on the level of education in the US. However...

School is not just about passing your exams. Unfortunately you realize this after you graduate. It all is part of your growth and becoming the person you are.
The people you meet in school become part of your life. My best friends are from school one is for almost 15 years now...

I loved school, I hated to study cause I simply had a different vision then others and never put to much worry in my grades as I knew where I'm going it won't matter if I had A or F.. I had a goal and a vision and I did not care about the quality as I was building myself to become the person I want to.

Best time I believe was my senior year because I knew I was accepted in a collage in Australia before the finals so I did not worry about the grades and just had fun and did what any other responsible teen do - enjoy every single day of high school.

You say f school now, you won't say that when you finish. I know, I just completed my 2nd Diploma I'm 21 so I'm quite fresh out of high school.. If I could I would do my senior year again with all my mates.

plonk said:

Oh man...
I'm from EU, so can't comment on the level of education in the US. However...

School is not just about passing your exams. Unfortunately you realize this after you graduate. It all is part of your growth and becoming the person you are.
The people you meet in school become part of your life. My best friends are from school one is for almost 15 years now...

I loved school, I hated to study cause I simply had a different vision then others and never put to much worry in my grades as I knew where I'm going it won't matter if I had A or F.. I had a goal and a vision and I did not care about the quality as I was building myself to become the person I want to.

Best time I believe was my senior year because I knew I was accepted in a collage in Australia before the finals so I did not worry about the grades and just had fun and did what any other responsible teen do - enjoy every single day of high school.

You say f school now, you won't say that when you finish. I know, I just completed my 2nd Diploma I'm 21 so I'm quite fresh out of high school.. If I could I would do my senior year again with all my mates.

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I don't care about school because I feel it won't benefit me. I also get straight A's regardless.

redrubies said:

It's like some parents are afraid to demand anything of their kids any more. I have never seen it as bad as it is today, and it's not just in the US. I have cousins in two different countries and they say the same things. If the OP was my child, I would make him go to the guidance counselor's office and have a talk about changing classes. If the talk wasn't successful, then I would make an appointment and demand a change. Since when does a high school not offer business classes for the budding entrepreneur? They even have business math such as accounting.

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100% agree with everything you've said.

If you ask me, the real "problem" with the education system is not the system.... it's the parents. My mother taught in Hoboken, NJ for 38 years. She'd drive 1 1/2 hours to work everyday, would work her ass off for 8-9 hours, drive 1 1/2 hours back home, cook dinner, go pick up her kids from sports, help them with homework.... she literally didn't have 1 minute for herself.

Half her classes were white kids the other half were minorities. But one thing she always use to talk about was how parents were becoming more and more detached from their kids lives. Like I can't even tell you how many times I've heard about this 1 problem. A kid refuses to do their homework for weeks on end. You can punish them, you can offer them pizza, brownies, candy, everything under the sun and the kid still won't do their homework. So the parents are called in. The teacher explains to the parent that the kid is not going to pass xxx grade unless the child starts doing their homework. Then the parents would put on this "tough parent" act. Pretending like they're gonna do everything to help their child out...... and the following day the kid comes back to school with NO HOMEWORK done!

This would happen over and over and over and over and over. And what my mother wound up REALLY DOING was playing parent for OTHER PEOPLES children.

She'd stay after school to help kids do their homework and tbo I'm not even sure she was getting paid for that. It was unbelievable what she had to go through just to get kids to do their homework.

So I'd really like to know, from the people saying "the education system is broke".... HOW ON EARTH are you suppose to teach kids to do something when the parents do NOT GAF what their kids are doing? Maybe I'm bias cause my mom's a retired teacher. But I really believe the issue is the parents, not the system. I use to sit in a lot on my mother's classes and I was shocked by what I saw in urban schools. Half the parents could care less what their kids are doing AT HOME so they certainly aren't gonna give 2 shits what their kids are doing at school. MAYBE, instead of "fixing" the education system we should start requiring that people get licensed to have kids? If you ask me, that would solve a lot more problems. Teachers in urban areas can stop playing parent and for once in their lives do what they were trained to do which is >>>TEACH.

-BB

>oh... nevermind...<

BreaknBrix, my mother taught Special Ed in the inner city and I could have written your post word for word.

I think everyone arguing against the OP are just venting themselves from overexposure to entitled kids and the preconception that because he's 16, he must be the same way. Keep in mind, he's not saying school is too tough and how he can do less; he's asking how he can do more and why his school doesn't offer it.

Are parents a more severe part of the issue in today's youth? Absolutely. I completely agree adults should have a license to have kids and some demographics of this world will probably head towards the direction of the Idiocracy movie but honestly that's a whole other topic than what the OP is talking about.