Some school districts have opted out of the 'career diploma' plan, which was passed by the legislature in the last session. The stated purpose of the plan is to increase the number of graduates. The downside, according to critics, is that it will further 'dumb down' education in Louisiana. I haven't studied this enough to know if it is a good idea or not.
The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which is in charge of spelling out some of the details, still has to finalize classes students will be required to take.
The board also has to decide whether students will have to pass the Graduation Exit Exam, or GEE, to earn a “career” diploma, as other students do to earn a traditional diploma.
Until it is determined what classes will be required to pass, it is hard to understand how any district can participate.
School Districts that have opted out of the plan are:
Acadia
Allen
Ascension
Beauregard
Catahoula
Central *
Claiborne
Concordia
East Carroll
Jefferson
Jefferson Davis
Orleans
St. Charles
St. James
St. John the Baptist
Washington
City of Bogalusa
Recovery School District
West Feliciana
West Baton Rouge
*Requested, but not approved yetSource: Louisiana Department of Education
It is just an act of desperation.
ReplyDeleteThe Louisiana School system needs to put more stringent requirements on the teachers, not give the kids classes in "do you want fries with that burger"...Twenty years ago I managed a radio station. Young college graduates with degrees in speech, P.R., etc wouild apply for jobs in news reporting. The first thing I would do was to give them the front page from a newspaper and ask them to read it out loud to me. 0ne out of five could do that simple task. The other four just sputtered and failed after one or two lines..Guess what? These were Louisiana college graduates. We do not even teach students the basics anymore.It's sad!
Reading, Riting, Rithmatic. Back to basics. Set goals, meet goals. Keep the standards high. I find as I read and listen to things past my level, I improve.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the purpose of high school? To prepare students for the real world or to prepare them for college?
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, they also need to know to read and write, but maybe some practical working skills would do some good.
Some kids want to go to college, some don't. Some careers need college to be successful, some don't. High schools used to have wood shop class and auto shop class. Was that so bad? It taught skills to students who may not have had the desire to go to college. If those skills aren't taught, then students graduate and may have no idea that they have a knack for fixing cars or carpentry.
Trying to fit a square peg in a round hole may not be the best solution.
Until the next school board election, it will be whatever the "little general" decides.
ReplyDelete