News-Record.com

"The problem comes from parents not knowing how to handle situations as they arise"

No, the problem comes from government forced touchy, feely 'diversity' policies that truck in gangs from the hood to outlying youth camps that used to be decent schools.

These government youth indoctrination camps that litter the landscape need to shut down asap and the state should stop robbing the citizens of their income to finance their social experiments.

" lack of discipline in our school system that has pushed some students to pursue GEDs instead of a diploma."

The crux of the problem in education today is the lack of student discipline and educator's hands tied from being able to enforce it.

Neo, busing was the solution to discrimination in the school system. White schools got money to function, black schools didn't.

Now the problem is rich vs poor. Schools in rich neighborhoods get money, poor ones don't.

A better solution would be for the state to take over funding of schools, and running them, like what is happening in Halifax County right now. Then local interests can't favor one school over another based on skin color or socioeconomics.

Discipline has to start in the home. Parents need to be invested in what their kids do.

Teachers need to be given the authority to control their classrooms.

Principals need to back up their teachers and not tolerate the troublemakers.

Kick out the true gangbangers who don't want to learn, and let teachers work with the ones who really want a future.

I still remember the paddle that my principal in elementary school had.

My letter on reducing bad school behavior --- published in the Washington Times:

Coercion creates tension
Letter, Washington Times, May 15, 2004

Structural factors increase the likelihood of school misbehavior ("Behavior problems hurt teachers, students," Page 1, Wednesday). Our systems of education are based on coercion. Families have no choice about whether to send their children to school. Families have no choice — unless they are well off — among schools. Schools cannot choose students. Compulsory education without choices is a formula for tension. The tension is exacerbated by an ever lower popular culture.

Providing more options — including nonpublic options — would lessen the coercion, lower the tension and allow schools to become distinctive: Let families choose schools, thereby enhancing their status and getting them to "buy into" their children's educations, and let schools choose pupils (with added funds following more challenging students).

TOM SHUFORD
Retired public school teacher
Lenoir, N.C.

Panacea said:
"busing was the solution... "

How is that working out for you?

Panacea said, "Schools in rich neighborhoods get money, poor ones don't."

Panacea - that's NOT the way it works in GCS and the state of NC. Please review the budgets of our pubic schools. In this state and in this county, there is a Weighted Student Funding whereby poor students receive 1.5 times as much money PER STUDENT in EACH SCHOOL as does a non-poor student.

In GCS, students at NW get the least amount of money per student than any other school. Parents are forced to make up the difference.

"A better solution would be for the state to take over funding of schools, and running them"

Would this address the lack of dicipline that Hugh speaks of, or would this mean that the state ties the teachers' hands instead of the feds?

Also, if "busing was the solution", why do we still have malcontents screaming 'racism' because Tyronne failed his end of year tests because he was too wrapped up in his bloods 'extracurricular activities'?

I with neo on this one. The only touchy feely experiments that should be conducted is touching butts with a paddle and having the student feel disciplined.