Jackson Jambalaya

I agree with your suggestion 100%.

Works fine in Japan and South Korea. We are already copying Japan's economic policies that sucked, lets actually copy one of their good ideas.

Obama stuttered it well when he said everyone must have skin in the game. At some point, we should take at least one of his suggestions out of respect for the office. That suggestion was general enough to make sense.

Actually, the parents and kids in New Mexico already do that and more. They have weekends where they paint and repair the schools as well. Local businesses provide the supplies and parents and kids, the labor.

Good post except the part about liberal causes. Applies to both liberal and conservative causes. Most kids today don't understand the concept of work, liberal or conservative. Good read yesterday about USM athletes, coaches and administrators saving money by cleaning up.

But, pray tell, what if your little prince has football/baseball/soccer practice all week, and all day with the geometry tutor on Sats., and Sunday's of course, are out of the question. Can we just hire someone to take his place on this cleaning deal? I can easily imagine this from some parents I actually know.

I love the idea in theory, am totally supportive of it. But applying it may be something else again. I know kids that sadly have never cleaned jackwit in their lives. Granted, I think this would be a great way to teach them. But if it's such a great idea, why isn't it already being done?

Anon 2:47, have you ever heard a GOOD idea coming from government? They fight against good ideas.

The public school system is too busy to teach children how to clean and pick up after themselves. The system would rather teach them something useful ... like how to properly roll on condoms and about the joys of fisting.

KINGFISH FOR PRESIDENT!

Speaking of schools

KF, waiting to see you pick up on the Ole Miss General Ackbar movement. Seems to be gaining some steam!!

www.tmz.com/2010/02/28/admiral-ackbar-ignites-backlash-at-ole-miss/

http://www.notatrap.org/

The "damn janitors" are far from the ones needing to be cut in the Rankin Co School District. The custodians in the school where I work deserve way more than the minimun wage pennies they take home.

Do I want the Nat'l Bd certified teachers to get the extra $6,000 for which they worked hard--yes, but, for now, maybe they should be glad they have a job.

Should certified classroom teachers to be cut/riffed--NO. Sadly, that is happening in RCSD.

Classroom sizes will be increased and that will be to the detriment of the students. There's more going on in the RCSD than has been reported by the media.

Where should RCSD cuts be made? How about taking a look at the (new 9 million) district office...starting literally at the top with Supt Weathersby, his daughter and his son...NEPOTISM, big time. Those three make (can't say earn) more than $330,000.

There are numerous classified positions working out of the district office making really nice 5 figure incomes. Are most of them really needed? Doubt it.

The RCSD board needs to do whatever is necessary to keep classroom teachers in place and classroom size as low as possible. Students should be their priority. It will be interesting to see what actions they take.

By the way, KF, I know of classrooms where the teacher and students DO clean.

If you want to write about something of true importance, start at the RCSD administrative top and leave the "damn janitors" alone.

if only "someone" would look into how many family members of the RCSD administration work there and what their pay is....not JUST the Weathersby family either!

Does Rankin County School District still have two public relations people or has the recession forced them into one?

Parents would raise holy heck if you told their darlings that they had to pick up paper or wash something.

You want to know what type parents teachers and principals are having to deal with?
Check out this link --
http://www.connectioneconomy.com/2010/02/16/why-gen-x-parents-are-so-painful/

Ever heard of PE? Or assigning details from PE classes. Instead of PE that day, its a kid's turn to help clean. This is not hard.

If the parents do raise hell about it, then that is further proof it NEEDS to be done.

Go Tell It On The Mountain!!!! AMEN!

The is ZERO correlation between class size and grades. ZERO.

ZERO correlation......???? Please give some back-up sources.

What K-12, subject certification do you have, Paul, and how many years have you taught in an elementary, a middle-school or a high school classroom? How many students are in your classroom-----25, 30, or more?
Is your job dependent upon your students' standarized test scores?

Anon 9:47, I simply ask these questions;

1. Have classroom sizes gotten smaller or larger over the last twenty years?

2. Have average grades gone up or down in the last twenty years?

I am sure that if you determine there must be a correlation, then you must come to the conclusion that smaller class sizes LOWER grades. This is called LOGIC.

Still need a citation?

Paul, the fewer number of students in a classroom allows a teacher to much better meet the individual needs of his/her students.

Such needs (math, reading, etc) can vary greatly as any teacher knows. Meeting these needs can definitely make a difference in a child's ability to grasp the knowledge...thus the ability to make better grades.

A class of 21 students vs a class of 31 students....which is better for the student? A LOGICAL conclusion...smaller class size wins.

Anon 10:52, I made a statement, you asked for clarification, then I gave you the clarification.

Since you are the one arguing that class size has a connection to grades, have grades gone DOWN or UP with the smaller class size? I said that class size had nothing to do with performance, YOU said it did.

Your statement is true, that one's assumption would be that the smaller class would produce better results, yet that assumption is WRONG, no matter how good the logic seems.

Are you trying to argue AGAINST your own point? Because if the argument is class size has an effect on grades, then EVIDENCE tells you that SMALLER class size has a negative impact. Why would you want kids to have lower grades?

Again, class size has nothing to do with grades. Teachers are getting dumber in my opinion and they are W-A-Y overpaid.

School uniforms is another joke that has no impact on grades.

What a great idea. Children could actually socialize with one another. In grandson's school, children appear to be in the military. They are always in a line, no talking or touching and moving step by step.

Anon 10:52; wouldn't that all depend on the quality of the teacher?

Smaller classes in theory should improve grades, unless the teacher is a lazy pos, or has favorites, behavior problems of their own, etc.

In those cases, class size is pretty much irrevelant. It's not always realistic to assume smaller classes guarantee better grades. Hardly.

First, correlating class size to grades by using average grades over the years, like there is not a single other factor involved, is simply dumb.

Arguing against smaller class size is equally dumb. An inherent problem with public school is the cookie cutter idea of learning. Not every child learns at the same rate, or the same way.

If your purpose is simply to raise average grades, then just change the grading system. If your purpose is to teach each individual child to their individual greatest capacity, it can be done but it can't be done if the teacher's time is spread over more and more students. Hence, the point that smaller classes allows all to learn more in relation to their own individual ability.

Mr. Mitchell?
Here you go ----
"Results from the Tennessee Project STAR (Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio) study have continually demonstrated that reducing class sizes in grades K-3 to 13-17 students substantially increases children's reading and mathematics scores. These gains are particularly significant among minority and economically disadvantaged students."

"Recent findings from Tennessee's Project STAR study demonstrate that students attending small classes in grades K-3 outperformed their counterparts on standardized tests in grades 4, 6 and 8; continued to outperform classmates at the high school level; took more advanced classes; were less likely to be retained a grade or drop out of high school; and were more likely to prepare for college by taking college entrance exams."

If you would like more information with the cited studies - go to:
http://www2.ed.gov/offices/OESE/ClassSize/myths.html

Not a bad idea. And lets have some of them plant gardens to help with the cost of free lunches.

Having worked in a school where uniforms were required and having a child who was required to wear a uniform in middle school, I can attest that uniforms have a positive effect upon students' behavior.

It's appalling what some parents allow their child to wear to school.

Girls can be especially cruel toward others about their attire.

Parents, uniforms will save you $$$ and there will be no arguments about what to wear/not wear. Much less hassle in the mornings!
If you consider it important for your child to "express his/her individuality " by what they wear....let them to so elsewhere...after school hours.

Whatshername, AGAIN, I am NOT the one arguing that class size has anything to do with grades, I certainly appreciate your anecdote, too. I can produce one for every single school district in the country that would overall prove that class size has nothing to do with grades. Anyone that says grades are going up because of class size has not studied the data. Grades are NOT going up. But check Japan, where one of those "minorities" (you say are dumber) live. Their classes are almost twice the size of ours and their grades are better. I guess a whole country doesn't trump Tennessee's data, though.

It took guts to say that minorities were dumber than whites, though. Of course, I disagree with your statement regarding that as well.

Neither Whatshername nor the study she cited said "minorities were dumber than whites". Appears you should work to improve your reading comprehension, Mr. Mitchell. I suggest a small student/teacher ratio so the instructor can give you more one-on-one assistance.

Parents, uniforms will save you $$$ and there will be no arguments about what to wear/not wear.

Pure unadulterated bullshit. Sounds like you have a real problem managing the expectations of your child.

Uniforms do NOTHING to improve test scores nor grades. Uniforms DO NOT save dollars.

Sorry, Anon 6:41, she said this, "These gains are particularly significant among minority and economically disadvantaged students."

If you are arguing that class size and grades are related, WHICH I REPEATEDLY HAVE SAID THEY ARE NOT, then you are saying that minority and poorer kids are dumber. Or, I guess that you could be arguing that poor and minority PARENTS are dumber, but it has to be one of the two.

Once again, I am not arguing that class size and grades are correlated at all. Again, there is no relationship. Well, I guess there is, IF you are a racist.

I still do not understand why this even came up. This post was about cutting janitors and getting the kids to clean up the school. Then someone spewed the typical make classes smaller idiocy.

One more thought that I had in my Lortab induced hallucinations. (Root canal today. YAY!) If you are actually trying to argue that class size has an impact on grades, then you should actively lobby to make the ratio 1-1 because that would be best "for the children." That means the end result of your ridiculous idea is that all schools should be closed immediately and let parents pay individually for each of their kid's education.

I'm in, great idea, y'all.

Anon 6:42,
I never said or meant to infer that uniforms improve test scores/grades.
In my family, uniforms did save us money.

...that explains it.

The fun part is even when I am on dope, I make more sense than most folks. Ridiculous, huh?

You're right, Paul...your sense can definitely be described as ridiculous.

Anon 5:07, which of the multiple anons are you? And I am very sorry if I beclowned you, too.

Wait, sorry, I just realized that you were the one defending the racist, whatshername, I certainly do not apologize. Racism is terrible, why do you support it? That's sick.