Here is one of the proposals President Barack Obama mentioned in the State of the Union speech that must have played well in the White House, but would be a terrible idea if it really was implemented:
Many soundbites sound good, but have very harmful consequences in the real world. That’s the case for President Obama’s proposal in his State of the Union Address to not allow anyone to leave school until age 18 or graduation. This proposal originated with “the National Education Association, which stands to gain from the idea a measurable boost to its dues-paying ranks, and which has in fact proposed mandatory schooling for nongraduates up to age 21.” This proposal could result in an increase in school violence by bored and frustrated 17-year-olds who hate school but are forced to attend. It would also make it even harder for teachers to maintain order in dangerous schools, contributing to an exodus of talented teachers who would rather teach than be babysitters or policemen. And it could result in truancy charges and arrests for parents who fail to get their stubborn, fully-grown offspring to attend school.
As one commenter notes, “If the union is really pushing something like this, I wonder how many of the members actually welcome it. How many teachers really want to deal with a 17 year old who doesn’t want to be in school? The type that drop out can’t be a joy to teach.” Commenting on the NEA’s ultimate desire to keep people in school until age 21 (Obama wants every American to attend college or at least get “more than a high-school diploma”), another commenter notes, “I suppose Obama would send the cops after those notoriously unproductive dropouts Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.”
It would also make it even harder for teachers to maintain order in dangerous schools
Nah. What they would do is warehouse the would-be dropouts in another building. Put a teacher in charge who would look and act more like a jailor, give them some notional education until their 18th birthday. Then out they go.
Our local high school does this now. Which is how they can claim that the high school is one of the most successful in the state: the chronically bad kids aren’t _at_ the high school.
But it is a stupid idea.
The federal government has direct oversight over one school system in the US: the District of Columbia schools. Which are some of the worst schools in this country.
What the Fed _should_ do is enact these reforms in D.C. Make _their_ schools good. Then we can copy what works, ignore what doesn’t.
Comment by Brian Dunbar — January 26, 2012 @ 09:52
I love the blithe assumption that there’d be no legal or moral question about conscripting 18-21 year old adults. Or do you still have military conscription on the books? I guess if you do, then they’d try to leverage that to expand their definition of national service to include school.
It might be legal, but it would still be inhumane, immoral, and pretty much guaranteed not to work.
Comment by Nicholas — January 26, 2012 @ 10:09
Or do you still have military conscription on the books?
I’m not sure what the legal status of conscription here is. My layman’s understanding is that it’s around, but dormant, and can be turned on if needed.
All males must register with the government when they turn 18. Which puts you in the ‘pool’ of manpower they can draw on.
I got a ‘you have not registered’ notice by mail in boot camp. That was good for a brief laugh because 1) I had and 2) I was already in the friggin’ military.
Comment by Brian Dunbar — January 26, 2012 @ 15:20