I love how everyone marches out A-Tech as a shinig example of what all schools should be. What they never say is students must keep a C average and any discipline problems are returned to their neighborhood school. They are also able to keep class sizes down to a manageable level. This isn't an option at most schools.
Let's do some real reform in our high schools. Put in a realistic curriculum with useful vocational opportunities for those students who aren't college bound and elevate the college prep curriculum back to a challenging level for those who need it. Class size reduction would help also. 40 kids in a high school class are never going to get the attention or help they need to succeed.

I am so tired of smoker's rights. Less than 1/4 of Americans smoke. Why do we have to cater to them and their disgusting habit? The people voted. I thought that that was what people wanted. Unfortunately, once again our votes are over ridden by the power of lobbyists.

Let's see. No real vocational education and a repressive exit exam. Where is the incentive to stay in school if you don't offer the classes students want and then tell them if they can't pass a test that's comparable to a college entrance exam they won't get a diploma? Fixing this is a no brainer, but it takes money and the courage to admit every student isn't going to want to go to college. If we were to offer some basic math classes with algebra being the top required course for graduation along with some basic English classes, then the college prep track could become more intensive and really prepare students for college.

I'm disheartened that these reforms continue to depend on testing to measure student achievement when it fails to measure true learning but relies on short term memorization. True reform would be to pass and fund a law that would require no teacher ever see more than 30 students at a time in secondary schools and 25 in K-5. This simple but expensive solution would vastly improve test scores and learning in the classroom. Instead we are looking at increasing class sizes to totally unreasonable levels and cutting days from the calendar. Go figure out what really matters. Check out the videos on this page: http://zaidlearn.blogspot.com/2011/04/in... to see what good education looks like.

OK. How's this for an idea. A straight across the board business tax for any business in the state that makes more that $1 million. Now we've protected the small star-ups and Walmart and Home Depot can begin paying their share.

Why is it that teachers are the enemy? We show up every day and face classrooms that are overcrowded, are told by people with no training or classes in education or psychology how to do our jobs then are forced into tests that fail to show real learning and are told when those standards aren't met we are failures. We also have upside-down mortgages, car payments, medical bills and the same debts and dreams as everyone else. We are being asked to take on even larger classes (more work) with less pay, yet when we ask for some security (collective bargaining) we are being unreasonable.

Why if the bankers and Wall Street investors could be bailed out when they caused the economic meltdown can't schools be bailed out so we can create a new generation of innovators to help our country continue to be an example to the rest of the world.

The "Greatest Generation" wouldn't pass muster under our current standards push. They had an almost 50% drop out rate but fed into a world that didn't require an education for a good union job in manufacturing or construction. The US didn't exceed 50% graduation until the 70's when schools had a strong investment in vocational education. We now need to educate for world that requires a completely new set of standards, but are still trying to meet the standards of previous generations. The push to meet stale standards with mandated testing is at the core of what is wrong with our schools by stifling innovation. Here are a couple of ideas for improving schools:

*Smaller class sizes, no teacher should ever see more than 25-30 students. This is where the initial investment needs to be made. Many teachers will accept a pay freeze if it improves teaching conditions.
*Less testing, find more creative ways to insure higher level thinking and learning is taking place. It's much more important that students learn how to learn rather than be stuck in an outdated curriculum.

The biggest problem with the current system of evaluations is at we're testing in a 21st century world with tests designed in the 1950's for standards from the 19th century.

"Nevada now has all the subject student text books aligned for test taking. Three times a year, students take the IDMS test to assess where a student stands in relation to the high stakes test and other Nevada students. Classroom walls are decorated to teach test strategies and review test type questions. Computer programs are purchased by schools to boost test scores."

This is part of the problem. This is not teaching students to think. Research shows that teaching test taking strategies and excessive testing has short term rewards but long term you haven't embedded and knowledge or learning. Students need to be involved in projects and pushed to think rather than fill in the right answer. Rather than use expensive programs to practice for the test and force memorization of the facts for short term gain, students should use the computers to create, communicate and research. Reading should be taught with books, writing by writing and math in the context of problems and all should be taught across the curriculum.

Engage the kids and they will perform and your discipline problems will significantly decrease. Unfortunately, this is difficult in the current climate of testing and punishment, and it's not because of CCSD. It's the federal mandates.

I'm not going to excuse any of the unforgivable shootings by police in the valley. There are just too many unarmed or shot in the back victims of Metro, but we are all at fault. We want a state where we don't pay taxes, so services, such as law enforcement gets stretched too thin. Until we pay for the police we need, overworked cops will continue to take shortcuts and make poor decisions.