Reply #333: I'm still not understanding your original point

[Heddi]

were you suggesting that I would have responded differently if the OP were talking about misogyny in America, or schools, or anti-woman attitudes in society?

I probably would have.

And I do think there is a great deal of anti-intellectualism in this country and I do believe that it starts not just in school, but at home as well. I think that some parents do teach their children to treat other children "differently". I also think that some of that comes with being a kid. Fitting in. Peer pressure, the whole thing.

I find it interesting that on television or movies, when someone who is "smart" is portrayed, they are always portrayed as wearing glasses, being a total dork, geek, having no social or intrapersonal skills. Just like the "fat" person is always able to make self-depreciating jokes. Just like the man is always a numbskull who is fat and balding but married to a subserviant beauty queen who has all the answers, but lets him think that HE is the smart one.

I think that the media has done alot to form our opinions of people, whether they are smart, or pretty, or ugly, or fat, or dumb.

But what is a reflection of what? Does the media reflect reality, or does reality reflect what we are "taught" by the media?

I find it appalling that non-testable areas of school cirruculum are cut, such as recess, music, art, library time, creative arts, PE, so that more time can be spent "teaching to the test", thanks to NCLB and their ridiculus method of tying school funds to standardized test scores.

I think that teachers are vastly overworked and tremendously underpaid. I think that our public school system is failing, and that when people cry "Well how much MORE money do we spend on it?" should be answered with "well, we've obviously never even come close to spending ENOUGH to FIX IT".

I do not think a child can learn when they live in sub-standard housing with one or two parents who are forced to work 60+ hours a week just to make ends meet. A child cannot learn effectively when they are force-fed (through very powerful and successful marketing strategies) sugar filled, nutritionally devoid "foods". A child cannot effectively learn when they are pigeon-holed based on a standardized test that does not take into any account personal experiences or cultural or economic differences, as well as the all important differences of learning styles.

I think that it's a shame that "heroes" for children and "role models" for our youth consist of over-paid, marginally talented singers , rap, and sports stars. That no one strives to be an explorer or scientist or writer or artist. That the goal of one's life is to make as much cash as possible as quickly as possible so that one can have as much, if not more, "bling" than the next fellow.

I find it disturbing that we pay actors and rappers millions of dollars, yet teachers get paid, on average, a bit more than minimum wage. I find it appaling that "vocation" and "trade" and "blue collar" are synonmous with low pay and low education. I find it ridulous that more children are not encouraged to start out their college careers in a jr., tech, or community college.

I find it unacceptable that only the students with the highest GPA's are ever counceled on post-high school plans. That the only ones who are even TALKED to about college are the ones that would most likely go anyway. The only ones that are GROOMED for post-secondary education are those that don't need the grooming to begin with.

I find it unacceptable that we give children mixed messages--be all you can be, but don't be TOO much of it or else you'll be a nerd.

I find it unacceptable that parents do not teach their children more actively about the wrongness of bullying, and that bullying continues to occur regardless of the victim's GPA.

I find it unacceptable that we live in a dumbed-down society that values entertainment over exploration and development. That actors are worth more to society than an astronaut or physicist. That more children read Rolling Stone than Popular Science. That biology and chemistry are "electives" and not "required" of high school students. That we wait until after the "critical point" of language development has already passed before we offer our children the opportunity of bilingualism. That we spend more money on high school sports than all other extra cirrucular activities combined.

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And I would have been HAPPY To address those points had this thread not turned into what the other 2...3 had turned into---a Gifted v. normal thread.

And if you notice, upthread, when these issues are addressed by other posters, those posters are QUICK to be reminded that yes, that's bad, but ti's REALLY bad for the gifted kids!!! As if that is the ONLY issue addressing school-aged children today. That there is NO greater issues that perhaps feed into that. No, we must talk about Gifted and gifted only.