What do they do in high school?

Here's something for you to chew on as you celebrate the graduating Class of 2007. It's the latest report from OPPAGA, and its title says about all you need to know: "Half of College Students Needing Remediation Drop Out; Remediation Completers Do Almost as Well as Other Students." You don't have to dig past the summary to get this point - 55 percent of all students entering Florida's public college and university systems require remediation in math, reading and/or writing. Only 52 percent of them actually complete the college prep work, taking an average of two years to do so.

Comments

[Goader]

Isn't it ironic that the county responsible for record teacher displacements is hosting Florida’s teach-in?

[John]

I have tried to tell this message to high school students for the last 35 years. The "usual" response is, "I got skills and will go to the NFL, NBA, MLB or some other sports related organization. Either that or a response that revolves around, "What do you know about real life, you have been in a classroom for 35 years and I have been in the real world for 17 years. I think the ultimate answer is very complex, but it will include addressing the act of respect for teachers and the messages that we try to share on a daily basis. Too many times teachers are "blamed" for the fact that teenagers have not had the experiences that seasoned teachers have had. I understand that a few teachers mess up the reputation of the profession, but what about all of the teachers that daily put up with newspapers, politicians, parents, and administrators that have not been in a classroom for 15 years telling us what to teach, how to teach, who to teach, when to teach, where to teach, I lose sight of why I teach.