Einstein: South Dakota is Insane!
Things keeping spiraling ... out of control.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Attributed to Albert Einstein
Reading scores for South Dakota public schools were released last week and they dropped AGAIN! The harsh reality is we spend more and more each year (up to around $1.6 billion last year), yet the performance keeps dropping.
The sad thing is the public school system is trying to justify the performance drop by saying the state’s performance is still above the national average. So it’s OK to be spending $1.6 billion a year to produce kids that aren’t proficient in reading and math as long as the “stupid” we produce is above the national average of “stupid”.
We desperately need to do something. Here are a few of the options available to us:
Continue with the current system.
Likely Outcome: Costs would continue to escalate. Academic performance would continue to drop. Taxes would increase. Many families would be priced out of their homes.
Change the compulsory education laws so families can choose if they want their children to receive a formal education past 8th grade.
Likely Outcome: Public schools would have less “trouble students”, making it easier to educate the students that remain. It is uncertain how this would impact costs.
Allow families to choose where they want to educate their kids and provide funds for their education, regardless of where parents want to place their children (education savings accounts, property tax credits, etc.).
Likely Outcome: The quality in all schools would improve, because parents would have more options.
Perhaps there are some other possibilities we should consider. But following the path of insanity doesn’t make any sense.
South Dakota Voices Response: Cassandra, thank you for joining the conversation and broaching the subject of what is essential.
Email comment from CS: " I am trying to find the 'poster', but when the public school system believes "sports and music" are ESSENTIAL to a public education, one has to wonder why public schooled kids cannot read. The SD Education group had that poster out to 'defeat' HB 1020..."
South Dakota Voices Response: Jill, thank you for joining the conversation. It is nice to hear your viewpoint. Have you checked the data on the school shooters. I believe almost all (if not all) were on behavior modifying drugs (the legal ones). Are you suggesting we should stop allowing kids to take those products to prevent violence and make it easier for the teachers to teach?
Email comment from J: "So school vouchers is your answer. Rich people getting free money. Its bullshit. There's so many restrictions on teachers. So much pressure. How about doing something about that? A students acts up and their hands are tied. More help for kids with special needs of all kinds is what is needed. Keep ignoring the problem. It will blow up in your face. Like it keeps doing with schools shootings. You people are are ignorant, greedy assholes. Go f*** yourself."