http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2011/12/why_do_virginia_theme_parks_determine_the_state_s_academic_calendar_.html?wpisrc=twitter_socialflow

The author is mistaken as to who owns and operates Busch Gardens. There is no connection between the beer company and the parks, and has not been for quite some time.

You are correct, Sir. I simply thought the context of the article was "interesting".

The author is mistaken as to who owns and operates Busch Gardens. There is no connection between the beer company and the parks, and has not been for quite some time.

Not only that, but underneath the picture he refers to Paramount's Kings Dominion. He should have done a little more research before writing this article.

Nvm

I just don't see the correlation between how opening schools two weeks earlier will so greatly increase the level of education. Increasing the quality of education increases the level of education, but not teaching the same watered down knowledge for an extra two weeks.

You're thinking too much about the quality of education. I honestly believe that is not the true goal of public education.

Clearly, the goal of public education is that no child be left behind (as to what is unstated, but test passage seems more important to most systems than does learning/education). What is measured is what one can somewhat expect.

If you teach students how to learn, and how to find knowledge using their resources, they will learn, and affectingly, will pass test scores. On the other hand, if a student is taught how to pass standardized tests, but not taught reasoning and how to search for knowledge, they will post good scores, but not excel at learning and retaining knowledge.

but why would they need those skills to work in my factories and buy my goods?

Someone (collectively) is breeding automotons.

What factories? Those pushing that agenda would tell you about free trade and a service economy!

Exactly, now public edu. is completely worthless

I guess I was referring to the old thinking but what does that leave us with today?

Traditionally, public schools reward complacency, a simple input output method of productivity. The teacher is the experts and the students should sit attentively and then reproduce and add to what they've learned.

These are not the skills desired in our current job market. CEO's from many business sectors tell me they are looking for people who can follow orders and routines but also appropriately challenge the system for positive growth. They want working partners with good character, strong work ethic and a desire to grow. Not someone who can just sit still all day processing and producing information.

Besides, even federally funded research shoots gaping holes in many commonly used public school practices. It is simply a horrifically inefficient system with too many pressures and too little funding.

For many of our children, it is unfortunately a very unhealthy environment and until another place is found for them, nothing can truly "fix" our public education system.