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comment by user-inactivated
user-inactivated  ·  4264 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Barry Garelick: Let's Go Back to Grouping Students by Ability

It didn't sound that sinister to me. I'd be all for it if it made secondary school less mindnumbingly tedious than it was when I was there. It seems unlikely that it would, since teachers are constrained by standardized tests, but not either loosing slow students or giving quick students nothing better to do but sleep is a fine goal.





alpha0  ·  4263 days ago  ·  link  ·  
humanodon  ·  4263 days ago  ·  link  ·  

"Proles" often go to Exeter as well as Andover. Yes, it's a WASPy school, but its existence is hardly proof of a conspiracy.

I should also add, that a lot of people I've met that went to these schools end up just as dopey and lost as the rest of us that went to public school.

alpha0  ·  4262 days ago  ·  link  ·  

The point is /not/ that PA is evidence of conspiracy. But PA and its cultural milieu is barely, if at all, reflected in the non-elite (youth) culture and norms. Recall the time when Latin was the preserve of the clerics. Not all the monks were noble born, but all were integrated into the exclusive system.

(That's because the social context has been degraded.)

user-inactivated  ·  4263 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Is your point that private schools exist?

alpha0  ·  4262 days ago  ·  link  ·  

My point is that we do know how to effectively educate our young. We have known for a few centuries, if not longer.

StephenBuckley  ·  4260 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I think your point, such as it is, is spread rather thinly over a few short sentences peppering the responses. Why not just say what you mean more explicitly in a longer post so we can all read it and respond? Then instead of including a handful of cynical quips you can actually participate in a dialogue.

Of course, if you're more interested in looking intelligent than intelligent dialogue, keep doing what you're doing and dropping breadcrumbs instead of sharing knowledge.

alpha0  ·  4260 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I'm simply pressed for time. Thank you for taking the time for the ad hom! ;)

StephenBuckley  ·  4260 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Any time!

alpha0  ·  4260 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Strange, the ignore list doesn't appear to work. (@mk)

mk  ·  4260 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Ignore will keep posts out of your feed, whereas mute will keep a person from commenting on your posts. Currently, we have no moderation effects on other people's posts. Hope that helps!

alpha0  ·  4260 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Got it. Thanks, mk.