Guest Commentator

Today, I am running a comment
from my niece in R.I. who read
Education on my blog. Because
I think her comments have merits,
I decided to run it today.

When I was in H.S. (1974-78) there
was a program which gave you
hands-on. The girls mostly went
into the nursing program and every
morning they went (by bus) to the
technical school for nursing. This
program gave them a grade in H.S.
and allowed them to cut time from
college also.
I am not sure what the boys did but
I think in was machine shop and auto
mechanics.

I do know what you mean regarding
a lot of adults returning to school and
somehow it does seem backwards.
Here is some thoughts:

Maybe when you have a child getting
up at 5:30 in the morning to catch a
bus at 6:45 to be in school at 7:15 and
then get out at 1:30 they are just too
tired to learn.

Maybe when the parent doesn't get
home until 5:30 they don't do homework
and the parent is too tired to check.

Maybe the parent doesn't understand the
homework.

Maybe the child doesn't understand the
homework and knows the parent doesn't
understand the homework.

Maybe the teachers don't have enough
authority over the children and therefore
don't care like they used to.

Maybe the classes have too many children.

Maybe the teachers have too much job
security and the Union protects them
too much.

Maybe the teacher thinks the student
read the assignment before class.

Maybe the student has a part-time job
and thinks he/she is rich.

Maybe the student is in the hole with
a car payment and insurance and
doesn't see the whole picture.

Maybe there isn't enough guidance
at the school level.

Maybe the students are thinking too
much of drugs,sex, and rock-n-roll
or maybe they are not thinking about
it but actually doing it.

Today I took my daughter to UMASS
to interview for an internship with
Disney. I am surprised at the many
opportunities students now have with
so many BIG companies! The interview
was very informative and I am so
impressed!

Here is how it works (more or less):
You interview like a regular job.
In about 2 weeks they extend and
invite (or not).

You go to Disney from January to
May living in the Disney Apartments
Disney pays you $6.40 per hour
while you work an average of 30
hours a week.
Disney provides the uniforms
Disney has a private college where
you choose a college course you take
while at Disney. The grading is either
(P or F) or grade, your choice.
You get Thursdays nights and Fridays off.
Free transportation to work, college,
shopping (Wal-Mart's) and other destinations.
Free pass to enter the parks.
Attend Disney enrichment programs on
subjects like: networking, time
management, job shadowing and such.
Disney extends the benefits to visiting
family members with 1/2 price on lodging
of choice and park tickets.

Then on the other side of the coin:
Her college in Quincy gives her 15 credits
for the internship with the completed
assignment of a daily journal, read 2
books with a book report on each, and
communication with the Disney contact.

The downside is the competition!
You can imagine (get it?) how many
students apply for this.

Another thing that I shake my head on
is the school bus issue. They say they
have to cut extra activities because of
the cost of running the buses. But there
is also a rule of the student who lives
within 1 mile (sometimes more) from
the school has to walk. Well, if that
child has to walk, why not have the child
who is bused ...walk 1 mile to a pickup point
where they meet many other children
who had to walk (that mile) and make
1 pick up (instead of 50) then drop them
off at the front door of the school. This
way you save $$ and time. The child
walks (overweight children in America)
and you know that every child has
walked at least 2 miles per day, the cost
of transportation goes down in the form
of money and time,there is money for
the extra activities and the child doesn't
have to get up at dark o'clock because
they need that school bus to pick other
children up at their front door.

This just seems to obvious to me, I must
be missing some details!

I told her that out here in our area,
that wouldn't work as our bus stops
can be 5 or more miles apart. But in
other areas it might be something to
think about. The other downside of
course is, predators, both kinds.
But she made some good points.