anyone up with making high school optional?

[freepcrusher]

My views have gradually been turning into a kind of left libertarianism. I think the way schools work is counter intuitive at times. I went to a private high school but one time I was at a student exchange event and I went to another public school, that had about a 60% graduation rate. I felt like a good half the kids there would have been kicked out of the school I went. And those were the ones who had made it to jr year.

It seems that people bemoan high dropout rates but I'm starting to think schools should be proud of it because it means they aren't lowering their standards. Harvard Law School isn't upset for instance that they have a low acceptance rate.

When I hear that some high schools graduate students that read at an eighth grade level, I think that's the smoking gun that my idea is a good one. It seems a lot of money is being spent on forcing kids kicking and screaming to do something they don't want to do.

[Cory]

No.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

That's not 'left' anything. It's right-wing. Antediluvian right-wing.

[This user has not been convicted of 34 felonies]

no (high school student)

[publicunofficial]

It's called dropping out

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Yes. A pothead was expelled for lighting up a joint in the bathroom today. He never made any effort, and was a general nuisance for those of us trying to actually do our work. People like him should have the option to drop out freshmen year and save the student body/school system's money and time.

Besides, if America becomes an industrial economy again, we need more uneducated workers to do our filthy capitalist bidding.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Nothing sets you up for a modern, high-tech economy quite like an 8th grade education.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Besides, if America becomes an industrial economy again, we need more uneducated workers to do our filthy capitalist bidding.

A bold platform for your future run for office.

[memphis]

We need some major revisions to our curriculum to make school more worthwhile and relavant, but, obviously, having a bunch of Oliver Twist hooligans running around all day isn't in anybody's best interests.

[freepcrusher]

this documentary converted me to the cause of not chasing after the students with the hope that when their older and more mature, they can get a GED.
http://video.pbs.org/video/2283603203/?starttime=6820000

I should note that I still think public schools should be basically free and tax dollars should go into it.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Besides, if America becomes an industrial economy again, we need more uneducated workers to do our filthy capitalist bidding.

A bold platform for your future run for office.

ChairmanSanchez 2032: So Conservative that he will take us back to the Gilded Age!

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

While high school is awful, walking around with nothing but an 8th grade education is worse. Ideally, it would be restructured so as to allow for teaching real skills as opposed to trash. Shop class, auto repair, and hunting would supplement history, basic math, and natural philosophy. Cut out Calculus, Physics, and other such pointless wizardry.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

While high school is awful, walking around with nothing but an 8th grade education is worse. Ideally, it would be restructured so as to allow for teaching real skills as opposed to trash. Shop class, auto repair, and hunting would supplement history, basic math, and natural philosophy. Cut out Calculus, Physics, and other such pointless wizardry.

Learning how to forage for berries would be important, too.

[krazen1211]

We could certainly do with massive reductions in the massive profit made by those fat cat teachers unions.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

We could certainly do with massive reductions in the massive profit made by those fat cat teachers unions.

I'm more concerned with legacy costs.......they leave in their early 50s with benefits for toooooooo long.

[DC Al Fine]

While high school is awful, walking around with nothing but an 8th grade education is worse. Ideally, it would be restructured so as to allow for teaching real skills as opposed to trash.

One of the biggest problems with education today is that we don't accept that some students aren't capable of doing the work or simply won't do it. Sticking those kids in courses designed for university preparation hurts on both ends. The kid isn't getting an education that will be any use to them and often they take away from the other children's learning with discipline issues.

It'd be far better to recognize that college prep isn't for everyone and allow students who aren't academically inclined to take more practical courses. At the same time we should make opportunities available to attain college prep credits after graduation for the people who had maturity problems rather than cognitive issues.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

I wouldn't go that far, but the dropout rate should not be increased - Obama's plan to make it 18 is going to benefit no one - and we really need to look into the option to allow high school students to transition to online classes in most areas. The social atmosphere in high school is terrible and holds many people back from focusing on learning.

[ElectionsGuy]

Leaning on yes. While education is a very important part of people's daily lives, if someone really wants to quit, then they should. But that should come back to bite them later in life. I really feel that people should have rights to control their lives more, but I would feel absolutely terrible for people to just throw their lives away because they made a stupid decision while they were young. Education, though, should be heavily encouraged by friends, family, and society. Dropping out and deciding to quit shouldn't be any normal occurrence (Ideally). People should learn from their mistakes and build their lives off their own decisions. This is tough for me, and where libertarianism stretches pretty far, no traditional republican would probably support optional education.

[This user has not been convicted of 34 felonies]

Yes. A pothead was expelled for lighting up a joint in the bathroom today. He never made any effort, and was a general nuisance for those of us trying to actually do our work. People like him should have the option to drop out freshmen year and save the student body/school system's money and time.

Basically, give up on those who don't fit the mold of the model student. Makes sense.

PS, since when do you care about proper education considering you pluralized the word "freshman" when you were referring to a singular year?

[Kitteh]

Yes. A pothead was expelled for lighting up a joint in the bathroom today. He never made any effort, and was a general nuisance for those of us trying to actually do our work. People like him should have the option to drop out freshmen year and save the student body/school system's money and time.

The obvious solution here is to not expel kids from school for smoking a joint in the bathroom.

[barfbag]

No it should be mandatory until the age of 18, age of 16 with parental consent to drop out, or graduation from 12th grade.

[H. Ross Peron]

That's not 'left' anything. It's right-wing. Antediluvian right-wing.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Yes. A pothead was expelled for lighting up a joint in the bathroom today. He never made any effort, and was a general nuisance for those of us trying to actually do our work. People like him should have the option to drop out freshmen year and save the student body/school system's money and time.

The obvious solution here is to not expel kids from school for smoking a joint in the bathroom.

I would agree, but joints affect the students learning habits. So what would be the point of school if students did all they could to avoid learning, even if it means altering their mind?

[Hifly]

No, and anyone who believes in this should be exiled to Panama or some sh**thole South American country.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

No, and anyone who believes in this should be exiled to Panama or some sh**thole South American country.

Panama is a sh*thole? I'd love being a businessman in a country that is crucial to international commerce.