To defend my fair profession, I think this has a lot more to do with how many more students are going to college from lower-achieving schools, which often have too many students and too few qualified teachers to have any kind of sustained writing program...

But I don't think it's fair to say that we aren't preparing them as well as we used to.

Kristin,
I totally agree and I hope you don't think I was faulting high school education as a whole.

And generally I think it's great that more people have access to higher education than in the past. It just sucks that they aren't really prepared for it and then, as a prof, your job becomes something else entirely. But then again, at my last school, we couldn't force people to go to the writing center even if they did have a problem so possibly I'm still just really bitter about that.

In related news, public vs. private education: [link]

In related news, public vs. private education:

Interesting, and I'd really like to see more teasing out of the different factors affecting science/math performance on the one hand and reading/history on the other (with the understanding that that sort of thing may be somewhere down the road in future studies).

ION, could they have FOUND a less appropriate commentator for the article than Mr. Cato Institute Guy?

Kristin,

I totally agree and I hope you don't think I was faulting high school education as a whole.

And generally I think it's great that more people have access to higher education than in the past. It just sucks that they aren't really prepared for it and then, as a prof, your job becomes something else entirely.

Yes indeed. I don't judge your frustration, really, and I know that you aren't faulting all of high school education. I'm sorry if it felt like I was lashing out at you; I really didn't intend that at all. I just hear statements about how unprepared college students are because of shoddy high school education a lot, and many people don't make the distinction that you do. I guess I just want the general public to understand that it isn't the preparation that has changed so much as the access to college education. And yeah, that's a mixed blessing.

Blah. I'm also exhausted and cranky, which is no one's fault but my own. Hugs, babe. We're totally good.

On the one hand, I turned in a Shakespeare paper two weeks late one time in college, without saying a word and without expectation of favorable treatment. (And wasn't marked down for it.) On the other hand, the following year, my professor lost my midterm exam (mine and about five others) and had to write a paper to provide a midterm grade, making me do extra work to make up for his space cadetry!

And then there's the teacher who called me perverse in class, but since I was 19 at the time, I did not yet have the self-possession to say, "Yeah, and?"

These kids are shameless, horrible people.

I think it's a shame that instead of learning philosophy from bob bob, they're learning personal responsibility, which mommy and daddy should have taught them. Maybe they tried, but there were never any concrete losses to make them appreciate it?

I mean, they're missing out on the bob bob. And perhaps will always blame him instead of themselves for the consequences.

They fail at life.

Also, I hate attendence rules. If I can pass your class without being in your class? There's something wrong with your class.

Also, also? My book is not a collection of blog posts. They're ESSAYS, MOTHERFUCKER.

Yeah...I mean, a lot of stuff I write started out as blog posts. No denying it. But to say that means to me that you think I publish my LJ diarrhea...don't pass go, don't collect $200. And I don't do that.

Also, I hate attendence rules. If I can pass your class without being in your class? There's something wrong with your class.

Depends on the class. It's a real problem in a language class if you don't know how many students you will have on a given day. Some activities need a certain number of people, whether you have odd or even numbers, etc.

Also, given the litigious nature of students and parents today, it is much easier all around if you can point to an objective attendence policy that results in a low grade and failure, rather than have to justify grades otherwise.

The Washington Post recently had an article following students from one public high school class. (DC's public schools are about as bad as you can get - this year there was rejoicing that most of them could open on schedule; usually they can't because of some major problem with the building. Still didn't have books for all the kids, thoough.) Some are doing well, some aren't. All commented on the abysmal physical condition of the school. One girl mentioned that she worked hard and took advantage of every opportunity and she's doing well. Another moved from another area and discovered they were doing work she'd done two years before and slacked off and ended up dropping out. There was a related article about the local college, UDC, was finding that they had to do remedial classes in just about everything. One interesting fact was that a group of teachers (from UDC) got together and started a summer program to bring the kids up to speed in math; they not only improved their math, but their reading went up.

Kat, that bat costume is so cute! My niece is going to be Cinderella [link] for Halloween and I'm thinking of sending a costume for my nephew. What could be be that would coordinate? A mouse? A horse?

I loved the pumpkin with wheels idea! But monkey! How can one resist? I kind of want a monkey costume for Noah just because.

So Fucking Children's Hospital's pulmonary clinic just called to scheudle an appointment for Noah for 10 weeks from now.

UM HELLO MOTHERFUCKERS. I turned the paper work in JULY 18 and it was supposed to only take you 2 weeks before you set an appoint. You people are incompetent fuckheads. I hate you. I want to sue you for fucking malpractice related to Grace's care. May you rot forever.

Sigh. I have anger issues.

Another ancillary ed issue is that as more "standards" are put into place statewide, they make demands that most can't achieve. For example, at the end of kinder, a kid is supposed to be able to write a full sentence. By the end of 1st, they should write a full paragraph according to CA. All 8th graders are supposed to pass algebra. But instead of increasing the achievement, it doesn't seem to have that effect. Weird, right?

Lee or Sparky or anyone else: do you know a way other than Martindale to locate an attorney? I've been given some PI attorneys to contact and I'm shocked I can't find them on Martindale, google, the yellow pages, findlaw...