Good evening to all- No, my kids who are teachers are not counting days until retirement- they're both busting their tails working with their kids- and doing quite well, I might add. And no one can blame any teacher who puts in her/his years and looks forward to retirement I've done a lot of jobs in my life- bailed hay, worked in factories, built commercial buildings, drove delivery vans- and I assure you that teaching school is the hardest work I ever did. And yes, kids are still required to take PE classes, and I don't ever recall kids receiving any organized "sensitivity training" although in many cases, that might be a very good thing. Folks, I keep telling you in the most polite and considerate terms I can- find out what's really going on in public schools before you start casting stones- don't just accept the very often inaccurate and distorted information put out there by public school haters. You all be safe and keep well- Ed
I think one of my first comments was, in in most cases of the problem with youth today is the parenting or lack of. Not sure it was this thread but I know I post it. Not trying to gang up on you Ed.
It is not a silly and inaccurate statement at all. At the moment, schools seem more concerned with gender re-alignment and racial differences than teaching children academic skills.
Good morning to all- Ms Jenkins- Your general statement that schools are "more concerned with gender re-assignment and racial differences than teaching academic skills" is not accurate. Public schools don't have time to worry about such things as you suggest. The time kids spend in public school is planned to present academic skills they will be tested on with mandated school achievement tests. Teachers are very highly pressured on this- there's no time for such things as you suggest. Again, let me suggest that for those of you who think you know what's going on in the local public schools- go volunteer to spend some time and see what's really happening at your local school. You just might learn something, and the schools will appreciate your help. It's so easy to throw dirt on public schools- they are big, slow-moving targets which really can't fight back against those who speak from ignorance. And as I have stated, there are problems in public schools, because public schools are required to take whoever and whatever climbs down off the bus and try to help all of the kids make their way through life. Public schools can't exclude those kids who don't fit their mold as private schools can do. But more people of all levels and abilities have been helped more by public schools in the USA than any other organization or group. you all be safe and keep well- Ed
People don't seem to realize that you don't have to loath yourself or history to care about others. I'm proud of my ancestors, warts and all. I've never hurt or abused anyone because of their race or politics. I will refute them at times but not because of who they are, but what they do. I'm a nationalist [or was when I had a nation], nationalist come in all colors and origins. Most new arrivals to this 'land mass' do not assimilate or want to live by the laws or culture that made it the greatest nation on earth where people of all backgrounds could live in basic peace and harmony.
To get back to the original post....I had a nomadic childhood and went to numerous schools, so my experiences are quite broad. Most of the schools I attended had their own sports facilities, fields for hockey and rugby (not football), tennis courts. For swimming lessons, we went to the local baths or the beach (when I lived abroad). The science labs were well-equipped, and the cookery lessons. These were not fee-paying schools, they were state schools. I'm English so obviously I'm talking about British schools, which are possibly run in a different way to America.
I had to scroll up see what the thread was about, Our schools were fun back in the 50s and 60s. I'd not look forward to going to school today. But guess they are ok, they still have sports. My soon to be 12 great granddaughter plays softball, has school friends.
While sports have never been an important part of my life, now or when I was in high school, I can't deny that sports are a significant part of high school for many people. High school sports have traditionally been a place where those who are capable of excelling at a sport might be noticed, giving them opportunities that they wouldn't otherwise have. High sports have also been important to the communities in which the schools serve. Proportionately, this is probably most obvious in small to medium-sized towns, where a large percentage of the community can be expected to attend Varsity sports events. It has bothered me that even the parents of the players can't be depended upon to attend Freshman or Junior Varsity games, where the stands are pretty much empty. When I lived in Los Fresnos, a kid who I'd pay to wash the ambulances once in a while asked me to attend a JV football game in which he was playing, and I found that his parents weren't there, and, from the number of people there, I'd guess that most of the parents didn't bother with the JV games. But that's another matter. High School sports have an important place in the lives of high school kids and the community. This may or may not be accurate, but I would guess that a lot of the funding for new stadiums and such comes from outside contributions or, at least, used to when businesses were more local than they are now. I know Texas took a hit, in that respect, several years ago when the state decided that public schools should be equally funded, so that contributions to a wealthier school would be, instead, distributed to poorer schools. In the first year of this windfall funding, teachers from the Hidalgo school system, previously the poorest district in the state, went on a two-week junket to Hawaii. While sports programs are important to students and the community, I don't think that they should take up a large portion of the school budget. While a comparatively few exceptionally athletic students might benefit from sports programs, most do not, while everyone has the opportunity to benefit from an excellent academic program. Then again, indoctrination takes precedence over academics today, and gender confusion is tearing apart high school sports programs, so flushing more money down the toilet that is the U.S. public educational program is not helpful. Maybe we need to invest in community sports programs, so that parents aren't encouraged to sacrifice their children to the public school system so that they can play sports.
Good afternoon to all- Mr. Anderson- with all due respect to you, I would like to correct you. Public schools DO NOT indoctrinate students-unless you consider following rules of conduct and basic decent behavior as indoctrination. And "gender confusion" is a meaningless term, and anything to do with "gender" which applies to the public schools is usually something that arrives from the legal system- not school policy. And your statement that parents are "encouraged to sacrifice their children to the public school system" is both insulting and grossly inaccurate. And by the way, any student that is home schooled can take part in the public school's sports and other activities. and this is fact. You opinion about the public schools is your business, and I don't give a hoot in hell how you regard the public schools. I will go to my grave knowing that the public schools have helped more kids than any other institution- public or private- in our society. you all be safe and keep well- Ed
Did y'all have Drug stores with soda fountains? We sometimes all meet up at the soda fountain after school. Order lime or cherry cokes. Sometimes a milk shake, or banana split.
I moved the off-topic drive-in restaurant and drugstore fountain talk to a thread of its own: Early Fast Food: Drive-in Restaurants - Drug Store Fountains I am also going to have to ban @Marie Mallery for life for taking this thread off-topic and dragging me into her life of crime.