Comment by maxehmookau
4 days ago
> your best options for guaranteeing that you avoid it are homeschooling
Accepting your premise that "public schooling is fucked" (I disagree) there's absolutely zero guarantee that homeschooling is any better for any particular child. It's a completely random chance whether your parent, or whichever potentially untrained person, is going to provide you with an education that sets you up for society, work and the wider world.
Public schools at least have defined curricula, governance structures, complaints procedures, _accountability_ in some form.
1 untrained parent teaching <4 kids is better than an expert with 25 kids to teach.
Public schools have terrible curricula, procedures, and accountability. Go look at any school in Detroit and see how effective schooling is. They have all the things you mention, and they are ABYSMAL. Truly a terrible option, every one of them. They are also VERY well funded.
Homeschooling doesnt have a guarantee of success. Public school does come with a guarantee of failure.
> Public school does come with a guarantee of failure.
I disagree, because it's demonstrably false, but I don't think there's a reasonable point of debate here. I'm sorry you feel that the state has failed so badly here.
https://www.niche.com/k12/cass-technical-high-school-detroit...
One of detroit's best schools. 58% are proficient in reading at their level. 20% (!) Are proficient in math. That is a failing grade. The other schools are not better.
Enrolling a student at a school like this is a bad idea. Perhaps "guaranteed failure" is hyperbolic, but reality is not far enough from that statement for any sort of comfort.
These are badly functioning systems that need a major overhaul.
2 replies →
> It's a completely random chance
No, I don't think these outcomes are being determined by RNGs, but rather by much more deterministic inputs related to the intentions and resources of the parents.
I estimate that I have a 90% chance of being better. If you aggregate everyone in the country, the median person might not have a 90% chance of being better, but that has nothing to do with me.
Can you explain why you disagree? Students have been performing worse each year, beginning a couple years before COVID. For example, scores and number of test-takers on the AMC 10/12s have decreased. Similarly, teacher retention is at an all-time low. Do you think it's relatively easy to fix, or that things will naturally get better over time?