Public Schools (Goals 2000, and such.)

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On Thu, 22 Aug 1996 20:22:53 -0700 "Bradley E. Young" <byoung@spry.com>
writes:


>Remember, our salvation was developed without money (just to prove 
>money
>ain't everything).

I was not even intimating that money is everything.  There have been many
hours of labor put into the development of the ACE program which is shown
by the amount of money that has been spent over the years.  Secondly it
has been developed by people that are attempting to impart God's wisdom
through the curriculum.


>I never intended to say that ACE is a *bad* program, it just has, in 
>my
>eyes, some deficiencies (and my wife, who graduated from an ACE 
>school,
>agrees with me!).  I think that paces should be re-tested 6-8 months 
>after
>the completion (with a lower passing score) to ensure that the pupil 
>does
>not just "cram".

And I didn't intend to say that everyone will be happy with the program;
only that if the program is used correctly that it can meet the needs of
MOST students.  I can retest you on any course that you take anyplace 6 -
8 months later and you are only going to retain a certain amount of it.  But it is apparent that the amount that students on the ACE program retain is right up there with any other program and in fact surpasses most. 
Why do you think that the students who graduate from ACE schools (where
the program is run correctly) score as high or higher than other schools
on College Entrance examinations?  Come on, you have someone who feels
the program did not meet their needs personally.  That is true in their
case I am sure.  But it can meet the needs of anyone that wants to work
the program correctly.  The proof is in the ones who have graduated and
went on.

Again I am not saying it is for everyone.  But I can say that I spent my
lifetime in a public school program locked into the same day by day
assignments as the rest of the class whether or not I could keep up with
them or I was finished in 5 minutes and it took them 45.  I never took a book home to study because I didn't have to.  I crammed for tests the day
before and got A's.  To put it mildly I was bored.  I wish I had the
opportunity at a curriculum that I could have progressed on at my own
speed and still been able to accomplish the ability to read and comprehend at over 600 words per minut (which is typical of graduates from ACE)
and retain 94% of what I read.  I am not saying I couldn't have made it in the public program (of course that is by being immersed in humanistic philosophy even then) but with the incentives the ACE program offers I
might have been much more motivated to do it.

>I think that teaching should reflect the real world.
>For instance:
>how often has your employer asked you:  if 7x(3x + 12x) = 1000 what is x?
>how often then do real world problems come into effect-- what is the
pitch
>of this roof?  How do you balance a checkbook?  etc.

I am not sure what you are getting at here unless you are saying that the
ACE program does not do this.  Again, it is available if the school uses it.  These type of problems are in the lower grades PACES already. 
General Math is available as an elective as is a college level course in
accounting.  And further, I was never given any of the "real world" type of courses you describe in any large amount in public school either.

>Brad's math program would teach basics at earlier ages, and from then 
>on,
>nothing but word problems!!! (and feel free to use your calculator) 
>with
>drills on the basic skills on a regular basis.

Calculators are not supposed to be used by an student until they have
mastered the basics.  Many ACE schools do not allow the use of
calculators ever.  Again if a child is allowed to use a calculator in lieu of mastering the concepts the school is not working the program correctly.

>I am also a proponent of a semi-classical education.  I wish that my 
>mother
>had forced me to learn Latin, music, art, etc.
>Literature and bible study stressed.  Literature, I feel, helps open 
>the
>mind, and helps to bring understanding of others.  Bible study would 
>be
>considered imperative, "Thy word I have hid in my heart..."

Greek is available already through ACE.  Might be more useful to Bible
Study then Latin.  Literature is required throughout the academic
program and requires them to read Christian oriented literature and not
worldly.  The Bible is built into every subject and every PACE from
God's point of view.  What more could a Christian want?

And then when a student has reached the high school level and a school is
using the program properly they are allowed to attend Jr. College at a
greatly reduced price (what a boon to the parents) and take courses at
the same time they are finishing High School.  We have at least a dozen students who are doing this and they love it.

So all I am saying is that the inadequacies of which you speak are not
inherent in the program or academic material.  The opportunity to
develop students far past what is offered in many other programs is
available is it is taken advantage of.