REAL reason for our economic crisis....EDUCATION!!!

[BillyIdol]

Hey everybody, I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season!!!

I am a special education teacher/NSX owner here in So. Cal. I just won Teacher of the Year 2008 which was real cool (I let each of the judge's have a drive in the NSX, just kidding). I have been teaching for 17 years and still wake up excited on every morning because I get to mold young people's lives. I love teaching!

I think that the reason that we are having the economic crisis is that people can't ADD/SUBTRACT....seriously. I mean I hear about people who are bringing in $2200 a month, and then they ask me....if they can afford a $3000 a month mortgage. I tell them, "No way, can't you add?" Americans are so bad at personal finance and math, it isn't even funny!!!

We have morphed into a bunch of soft crybabies that are so insecure about ourselves that we have to buy stuff that we don't need to impress people that we don't even like. We can't say no to anything. And we keep on buying, buying, and buying. Seriously, I am sort of amazed that it took this long for the economic crisis to take hold. I was sort of expecting it about 25 years ago.

It took this long for our sucky educational system to finally catch up with us. We hardly produce any scientists or engineers because we are too lazy to study. We don't make anything. Well, Americans don't really like to study, but they sure know how to hustle and work hard. But hustling and working hard isn't enough when you refuse to get educated and refuse to engage in lifelong learning.

I really think that America's reign as the world's superpower is over. I hope I am wrong. Why is it over? Because the education system is broken beyond repair. We now live in a global economy, and there are a bunch of foreign kids that are hungry for success that are studying day and night and these soft, crybaby American kids are way to busy downloading porn and playing video games to even compete. Imagine how bad you think the public school system is...ok...got it? Now multiply that by 1,000,000. That is how bad it is.

Why do American schools suck? Hmmmmm.

For one, lack of competition. Another is the teachers' union that has effectively halted any type of competition in the American school system. The principal can not fire bad teachers because they are protected by the union. In California, you get tenure after 2 years. If you are barred from firing bad employees, you have a constipated f'ed up system. Who suffers? The students do. Where is the students' union? The teachers have a union. Why don't the kids have a union? Do you know what happens if you have a guaranteed job? You do as little as possible! Well, most of them that is. There are some wonderful, awesome teachers in the world, but they are the exception, not the rule. To find out more about this google Stupid in America John Stossel.

I'm truly surprised that we have gotten this far as a superpower with our current educational system. We need a complete overhaul. Will it happen? No...I don't think so. What needs to happen is so radical that most Americans can not handle it. I'd say that we need to try vouchers on a national level. Oh yeah...Obama doesn't want to give choice to you, but he wants it for himself because he enrolled his own children in private schools. Why vouchers? Well, instead of "improving the bad school to make it like the good school", why not just go to the good school. Makes sense doesn't it? This will make the bad schools close. If there are no students to teach, nobody gets paid!!! YAY!!!! The bad teachers are fired, the good ones get bonuses. Did you know that the teachers' union opposes any bonuses paid for superior teaching?

Another thing that really irks me with people in education is their consistent antimoney/antibusiness stance. They are always telling the kids that money is evil and rich people don't deserve their money. They are training kids to be employees, not business owners. No wonder these kids end up broke!!! They won't even let a child sell candy at school to act as an entrepreneur. They forbid that. Crazy!!! They all talk about how money is so evil....until....their own teachers' contract comes up, and now they want more money for less work. The whole system is so antiquated it makes me sick.

Tips:

1-Send you child to a private school. Catholic schools have a good reputation.

2-Get involved in your child's education.

To find out what is going on that is good in education, google Michelle Rhee Charlie Rose.



I welcome any comments or questions related to education.


Your education insider,
John

 

[BD]

Don't want to bring in politics but this is a political related issue in some aspect.

The teacher's union refused to allow the educational system to grade the teachers. University Professors has become extreme liberal, which taught the kids "free thinking" in the name of progress. This do as you wish approach is hurting the core value of the "old" American family" system.

Not trying to bring religion into this mix, but EVERY close friend of my from high school who were brought up in a none-religious family have all divorced. Some of them are on their third marriage. Every Christian friends I know who are married are still married, with kids doing well in school and some of them are ready to enter elite colleges. Some of these friends even moved to a different state where they can do well with single income and have the mom watch over their kids full time.

However, US does have the best college in the world. Every one who is worthy want their kids attend school here. This is also a place where any one who like to receive college education can receive college education. You can be a HS drop out but attend community college with the guarantee of entrance to a four years institute if you achieve minimum GPA of 2.0. You may not go to a elite school but you can go to a State school.

The bottom line is, parental guidance is the key. If you have a dysfunctional family, most likely you will have a dysfunctional kids.

Finally, the mentality has changed over the decades. There is a direct relationship between "Settle for less" and "Settle for the best you can afford." This is some thing I have discovered in recent years. This is range from the product we buy to things we accomplish. What's in it for me? Why should I pay attention to things that doesn't matter to me? And I really care about other's opinion towards me.

Perhaps this is the price of an "almost" total freedom.

Just look at the Europeans, we're not far behind if we keep going this path.

 

[TyraNSX]

First, let me say I agree with you on a lot of points. Secondly, I don't have kids. Thirdly, I'm not religious.

In response to #1 of your proposed solutions, I would not want my kid having to deal with all the non-educational aspects of a religiously based education, particularly the Catholic ones.

I also would not want to get reamed on property taxes for a public school system I wasn't using and then get reamed a second time paying private school tuition. A big part of the reason I left CT was property taxes. Think ~$1K per year for the NSX. ~$2.5K on a ~1000 sq. ft condo. FU!! Please explain to me how my car burdens the school system. Or burdens any town services when it's in the garage 99.9% of the time & 100% of the winter up there. It is taxation without utilization & entirely un-American.

In response to #2, parenting in general has taken a nosedive in the past 15-25 yrs. Parents need to be involved not just in education, but discipline, eating right, learning right from wrong, compassion, and 57,000 other aspects of their kids' lives. Unfortunately, we live in a society where any moron with a functioning urogenital tract can have a kid. And then it's off to daycare, TV, pre-school, video games, the interweb, & their punk-ass hoodlum friends to raise them.

Why is Timmy a little bastard? Because Timmy's never heard the word "No!!" and had a foot up his ass. I'm not advocating abuse, but people seriously need to bring back structured discipline. Parenting classes in high school & or undergrad should be part of the curriculum. Prospective parents should spend $25-$50 on child psychology books. It parallels training a dog. If you don't know how, learn from those that do.You will be surprised at what good methods can accomplish. Don't scream & yell, make 1000 mistakes, and screw the kid up forever.


Lastly, the pay system is totally out of whack at the administrative levels. People making ~$200K to BS the public & clamor for more & more $$$ to "fix" the problem. Odd, since the millions before that didn't make a dent. Teachers making $25-$50K leave due to financial difficulty and not wanting to have to be prison guards in order to teach the 3 kids that actually want to learn. And why do they need to be prison guards? Because lazy ass, uninformed parent(s) aren't doing their job at home. The schools are there to educate, not raise & discipline. That's the parent(s)' job. But not any more & it shows in both the type of kids out there & the level of their academic achievements.

That's my 2 cents. For now anyway.

I'm truly surprised that we have gotten this far as a superpower with our current educational system. We need a complete overhaul. Will it happen? No...I don't think so. What needs to happen is so radical that most Americans can not handle it. I'd say that we need to try vouchers on a national level. Oh yeah...Obama doesn't want to give choice to you, but he wants it for himself because he enrolled his own children in private schools. Why vouchers? Well, instead of "improving the bad school to make it like the good school", why not just go to the good school. Makes sense doesn't it? This will make the bad schools close. If there are no students to teach, nobody gets paid!!! YAY!!!! The bad teachers are fired, the good ones get bonuses. Did you know that the teachers' union opposes any bonuses paid for superior teaching?

Another thing that really irks me with people in education is their consistent antimoney/antibusiness stance. They are always telling the kids that money is evil and rich people don't deserve their money. They are training kids to be employees, not business owners. No wonder these kids end up broke!!! They won't even let a child sell candy at school to act as an entrepreneur. They forbid that. Crazy!!! They all talk about how money is so evil....until....their own teachers' contract comes up, and now they want more money for less work. The whole system is so antiquated it makes me sick.

Tips:

1-Send you child to a private school. Catholic schools have a good reputation.

2-Get involved in your child's education.

To find out what is going on that is good in education, google Michelle Rhee Charlie Rose.



I welcome any comments or questions related to education.


Your education insider,
John

 

[Cairo94507]

I have to first say congratulations to BillyIdol on being named teacher of the year. I could not agree with you more when it comes to raising and teaching children. IMHO, the unions are largely, not solely, responsible for the collapse of the "Big 3" in Detroit. I see the same thing happening to our school system in a lot of respects.

I believe Americans, by and large, are way too busy trying to keep up with their perceived neighbors, (as seen on TV and in magazines) to spend time actually raising their children. They do not want to accept responsibility for anything. It is the teacher's job to raise their children-right???

Also, let me not forget that entire sector of society that believes they are entitled to just sit on their collective asses and collect public assistance money for almost everything and just drink, get high, have babies, rob and steal from those who have worked hard, gone to school and actually support themselves and their families. This particular group, which seems to only be able to communicate in uttered catch-phrases and words which are apparently, according to them, on par with actual death when expressed by others, is what is wrong with our society. We have 10% of our society completely destroying the society in which we all live. Turn on the TV and generally, everyday, it is littered with the shooting deaths of these uneducated, illiterate, unemployed, uncivilized, criminals killing each other. Which, quite frankly, does not concern me except when some poor "real human" gets caught in the cross fire. Just to tie this to the OP thread- these same morons are popping out babies without ever giving a thought to actually raising their own children and supporting them. So it is a self-perpetuating cycle of poverty and criminality.

 

[SOURCE 1]

I am getting ready to sign my daughter up for school starting next aug. I am scared to death to send her. If I agreed with home schooling I would do that. But I remember how "held down" I was is school, meaning that if I did not conform to the masses I was pointed out by teachers as that kid that isnt doing what he was told. I knew froma very young age that I was meant to be self employeed and build my own future. I was not concerned about things that concerned the masses. However it was tough to deal with in school. Did they teach us financial planning? NOPE, Do they teach actual money management? NOPE they teach you how to get a job and try to keep it. THATS BS! Show these kids the real world and how to make it on their own and not sucking from the teet of there parents and others who will coddle them andmake it all better.... Parents now a days are horrible roll models and enablers. It will just get worse as the times go on because no one is trying to do anything about it. My daughter understands at 4yrs old that she must put effort forth to get what she wants. That is the key that helped me get to where I am in life. My parents did not give me anything.. I wanted that cool new pair of air jordans well guess what I better get the grass cut, do my chores, and deliver papers for a few weeks.. They werent about to give them to me.

Sorry for the rant but it drives me crazy!!!!

 

[Ski_Banker]

Very big congratulations for your award!

As an outsider, I very much agree with your points. In particular, something that I've written about in several of the finance/economics threads, your point about not teaching kids basic economics and personal finance. It absolutely blows my mind that kids spend 12, 16 years in school for the purposes of "to get a good job and to make decent money" BUT we don't spend ANY time teaching kids what to actually do with the money they make! That 1/2 of the equation is completely disregarded in the education system! It's a tragedy, and yes, it is certainly a big causal factor of our economic crisis.

Just a thought, but perhaps you could consider using your new status/award/recognition to bring awareness to the problem and the (easy) solution -- teaching some personal finance in public schools.

 

[CL65 Captain]

So.... perhaps what you are saying is that if you are 17 and living in Mom & Dad's basement during the beginning of the worst economic downturn we have ever seen that maybe it would not be a good idea to buy a NSX?

 

[lowellhigh79]

Look no further than Ghandi's Seven Sins of Society (it's called many other things-just the way I like to frame it):

Politics without principles, Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice. As Idol is framing it, the wealth without work applies here.

Regards,

Danny

 

[BillyIdol]

Thanks for the kudos for the Teacher of the Year award guys!!! The recognition was really cool. I got to go to a banquet. Did I get a bonus? Nope, but it was still cool.

Source, for goodness sakes, don't let your daughter go to a public school, please!!! Don't ruin her life!! Sell the NSX and spend the money on private schooling. Private school money is money well spent. Each teacher is accountable or they are gone.

For some insight into the heart of the problem: John Stossel "Stupid in America" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx4pN-aiofw

Man....the stories I could tell you about the incompetence and arrogance (because they have tenure via the teachers' union) of public school teachers.

And now for part of the solution from a tough Korean (Michelle Rhee) (I'm part Korean too) who works for the DC public schools: http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/9170



Take care guys!
John

 

[steveny]

Hey everybody, I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season!!!

I am a special education teacher/NSX owner here in So. Cal. I just won Teacher of the Year 2008 which was real cool (I let each of the judge's have a drive in the NSX, just kidding). I have been teaching for 17 years and still wake up excited on every morning because I get to mold young people's lives. I love teaching!

I think that the reason that we are having the economic crisis is that people can't ADD/SUBTRACT....seriously. I mean I hear about people who are bringing in $2200 a month, and then they ask me....if they can afford a $3000 a month mortgage. I tell them, "No way, can't you add?" Americans are so bad at personal finance and math, it isn't even funny!!!

We have morphed into a bunch of soft crybabies that are so insecure about ourselves that we have to buy stuff that we don't need to impress people that we don't even like. We can't say no to anything. And we keep on buying, buying, and buying. Seriously, I am sort of amazed that it took this long for the economic crisis to take hold. I was sort of expecting it about 25 years ago.

It took this long for our sucky educational system to finally catch up with us. We hardly produce any scientists or engineers because we are too lazy to study. We don't make anything. Well, Americans don't really like to study, but they sure know how to hustle and work hard. But hustling and working hard isn't enough when you refuse to get educated and refuse to engage in lifelong learning.

I really think that America's reign as the world's superpower is over. I hope I am wrong. Why is it over? Because the education system is broken beyond repair. We now live in a global economy, and there are a bunch of foreign kids that are hungry for success that are studying day and night and these soft, crybaby American kids are way to busy downloading porn and playing video games to even compete. Imagine how bad you think the public school system is...ok...got it? Now multiply that by 1,000,000. That is how bad it is.

Why do American schools suck? Hmmmmm.

For one, lack of competition. Another is the teachers' union that has effectively halted any type of competition in the American school system. The principal can not fire bad teachers because they are protected by the union. In California, you get tenure after 2 years. If you are barred from firing bad employees, you have a constipated f'ed up system. Who suffers? The students do. Where is the students' union? The teachers have a union. Why don't the kids have a union? Do you know what happens if you have a guaranteed job? You do as little as possible! Well, most of them that is. There are some wonderful, awesome teachers in the world, but they are the exception, not the rule. To find out more about this google Stupid in America John Stossel.

I'm truly surprised that we have gotten this far as a superpower with our current educational system. We need a complete overhaul. Will it happen? No...I don't think so. What needs to happen is so radical that most Americans can not handle it. I'd say that we need to try vouchers on a national level. Oh yeah...Obama doesn't want to give choice to you, but he wants it for himself because he enrolled his own children in private schools. Why vouchers? Well, instead of "improving the bad school to make it like the good school", why not just go to the good school. Makes sense doesn't it? This will make the bad schools close. If there are no students to teach, nobody gets paid!!! YAY!!!! The bad teachers are fired, the good ones get bonuses. Did you know that the teachers' union opposes any bonuses paid for superior teaching?

Another thing that really irks me with people in education is their consistent antimoney/antibusiness stance. They are always telling the kids that money is evil and rich people don't deserve their money. They are training kids to be employees, not business owners. No wonder these kids end up broke!!! They won't even let a child sell candy at school to act as an entrepreneur. They forbid that. Crazy!!! They all talk about how money is so evil....until....their own teachers' contract comes up, and now they want more money for less work. The whole system is so antiquated it makes me sick.

Tips:

1-Send you child to a private school. Catholic schools have a good reputation.

2-Get involved in your child's education.

To find out what is going on that is good in education, google Michelle Rhee Charlie Rose.



I welcome any comments or questions related to education.


Your education insider,
John

Now it's the banks that can't add or subtract. The reason why we are continuing in a downward direction is the banks have shifted all the way in the opposite direction. As a person who deals with banks every day I can tell you getting deals closed are near impossible.


Hustling and working hard can be enough in the right geographical areas. It won't work in California because of the competition level.

I have told the story here several times of how I grew up and I bet some Prime members are sick of hearing it so I won't tell it again.

What I have learned from life is an education is MUCH more important than I ever thought it was. I see this now. My mother knew the value of an education and unfortunately also the cost. She knew we couldn't pay for it.

However I knew that school was teaching me to do something I didn't want to do, get a job. I wanted to control my own destiny and life. The schools do not teach people how to be independent. Schools teach structure and dependence. However without the little piece of paper that you get at the end of the journey you won't be running a large company. So without the piece of paper you need to build your own company, which takes a bit longer as I have found out.

Once again growing up as the underdog and now being a super power I understand how and why my life has been shaped and what has made me successful. It was that hunger. The hunger of seeing people around me that had all the things I wanted and couldn't afford and had no clue how to get. Those things seemed to come so easy to the people who had them and in many case, as I have found out it's true. Hey all it takes is 100k in AXP to make 5k in a month selling covered calls. 5k is 3x what most people make around here in a month working very hard. I keep going back to a post on F-chat about how ridiculously easy it is to make money in this country through investments. What the poster seemed to miss was "for some people." The rest of the people are caught in a perpetual circle of pay check to pay check and not because they can't but simply because they don't have the education to know how to do anything different.

So, now I have a daughter. I am top dog in this area. How do I insure that my daughter does not become complacent? How do I instill in her the same values I learned by growing up poor? Well here is my chance to make a difference for my family, for my daughter. It's not going to be an easy road but I have to take it.

I have lived in the same house since 1989. I have rehabbed it to perfection with all high end materials. It's the nicest house in this area. I am moving. There are 166 houses worth more than 2 million in the county I am moving to. In the village I am moving to 164 of those two million dollar houses are located within the village. I am not going to be the top dog anymore. My daughter will aspire to greater things instead of being complacent where we are now.

The school system is the best in the state and is in the top 10 on the Forbes 100 list. My daughter will get a good education. Networking is one of the key factors of success. It took me a long time to get that through my thick skull. My daughter will be networking through the proper channels.

I see now how my mother gave up everything to make sure her children would excel. When I was younger I thought she was so stupid for not trying harder for herself. I see now she was sacrificing for a better life for her children. Now is my time to make that sacrifice. Now is my time to shape my daughter into the best person she can be. This will be my life's work. Everything else from this moment on is secondary to my daughter.

If I have to sell everything I own to get her in this school district I will. If I have to work twice as hard to make sure she gets a proper education, I will.
I will make what ever sacrifice I need to just like my mother did.

So education doesn't start with the student or the teacher it starts with the parent. This parent is ready to learn. This parent is ready to open my daughter up to a world I didn't get to see and I have my mother to thank for getting the ball rolling.


http://www.education.com/schoolfind...senior-high-school/test-results/twelth-Grade/

 

[steveny]

Also, let me not forget that entire sector of society that believes they are entitled to just sit on their collective asses and collect public assistance money for almost everything and just drink, get high, have babies, rob and steal from those who have worked hard, gone to school and actually support themselves and their families. This particular group, which seems to only be able to communicate in uttered catch-phrases and words which are apparently, according to them, on par with actual death when expressed by others, is what is wrong with our society. We have 10% of our society completely destroying the society in which we all live. Turn on the TV and generally, everyday, it is littered with the shooting deaths of these uneducated, illiterate, unemployed, uncivilized, criminals killing each other. Which, quite frankly, does not concern me except when some poor "real human" gets caught in the cross fire. Just to tie this to the OP thread- these same morons are popping out babies without ever giving a thought to actually raising their own children and supporting them. So it is a self-perpetuating cycle of poverty and criminality.

This is right on target. However you might be labeled an elitist by some for saying such things. IMO these things need to be said and they need to be said out loud to the very offenders you outlined.

It's no different then the 10% of crazy people who controlled Iraq. This country is being controlled by 10% of the POS people the only difference is they are at the bottom on the pile by choice and the top 90% are being forced into letting them have free run. Oh you can't say that or this about those people they are people too. Nope, not when all they do is steal, rape, pillage, and mass produce more soilders to do the same.

It needs to end regardless of how it is done. I don't care if I am labeled an elitist if it's what has to be done to save this country then go ahead and label me that way.

 

[jond]

I think the cause of this recession(hopefully not a depression) is from Harvard grads, not highschool dropouts.

It's from the people who kept interest rates artifically low.
It's from the people who mandated banks lend to bad credit risks.
It's from the people who pushed refinancing into everyones faces.
It's from the people who allowed $0 down loans.
It's from the people(bank owners) who did shady credit default swaps.

The dumb public were merely pawns IMO.

Lastly, I'm not sure this is over. If the USD collapses, we're all going to look dumb.

 

[Cairo94507]

This is right on target. However you might be labeled an elitist by some for saying such things. IMO these things need to be said and they need to be said out loud to the very offenders you outlined.

It's no different then the 10% of crazy people who controlled Iraq. This country is being controlled by 10% of the POS people the only difference is they are at the bottom on the pile by choice and the top 90% are being forced into letting them have free run. Oh you can't say that or this about those people they are people too. Nope, not when all they do is steal, rape, pillage, and mass produce more soilders to do the same.

It needs to end regardless of how it is done. I don't care if I am labeled an elitist if it's what has to be done to save this country then go ahead and label me that way.

Thanks; I do not consider myself an elitist, I consider myself a realist. Just watch the news, read the paper and when necessary, open your eyes while driving through these areas and pay attention to what you see going on around you. Then form and opinion about from where the real problem comes.

 

[brahtw8]

There are always going to be people who are lazy and who commit crime. Those people exist at all levels of society.

There is a correlation between poverty and some types of crime.

I believe the notion that the bottom ten percent control this country is mistaken.

Education is critical to our continued success. I disagree strongly with the idea that the public education system should be abandoned. We need accountability, but we also need adequate compensation for dedicated teachers, as others have noted.

Parental responsibility is important. We should do more to encourage parental responsibility.

I believe one way we do that is by providing affordable or subsidized or (gasp) public daycare for those who work. We need to eliminate a lack of supervision or the use of television or video games to supervise children.

I think health care is an important component of this as well, particularly on a preventative level, as it relates to strengthening our workforce and students.

You know, all of that pinko communist socialist crap.

The idea that basic social welfare is anti-american or anti-democratic is absurd.

I understand the viewpoint of the hardworking conservative, the person who has made something from nothing. I did not come from money. My parents are middle class and I got what little I have through education, not inheritance.

Yet I benefit from publicly subsidized loans for my law school education, consolidated and refinanced in 2001 at 4% fixed for 20 years, i.e. welfare. That is just one example.

 

[steveny]

There are always going to be people who are lazy and who commit crime. Those people exist at all levels of society.

There is a correlation between poverty and some types of crime.

I believe the notion that the bottom ten percent control this country is mistaken.

Education is critical to our continued success. I disagree strongly with the idea that the public education system should be abandoned. We need accountability, but we also need adequate compensation for dedicated teachers, as others have noted.

Parental responsibility is important. We should do more to encourage parental responsibility.

I believe one way we do that is by providing affordable or subsidized or (gasp) public daycare for those who work. We need to eliminate a lack of supervision or the use of television or video games to supervise children.

I think health care is an important component of this as well, particularly on a preventative level, as it relates to strengthening our workforce and students.

You know, all of that pinko communist socialist crap.

The idea that basic social welfare is anti-american or anti-democratic is absurd.

I understand the viewpoint of the hardworking conservative, the person who has made something from nothing. I did not come from money. My parents are middle class and I got what little I have through education, not inheritance.

Yet I benefit from publicly subsidized loans for my law school education, consolidated and refinanced in 2001 at 4% fixed for 20 years, i.e. welfare. That is just one example.

Your loans aren't welfare as you are using them to better yourself. However you would not believe the amount of people I know who have used those loans to get an education and then went right back on welfare. Those loans are just another way for some people to steal.

As for subsidized day care, great as long as the person who dropped off the child is actually going to work AND they have to sign a contract that states they won't sue the day care provider.

People with nothing to lose and time are their hands are dangerous.

 

[KooLaid]

University Professors has become extreme liberal, which taught the kids "free thinking" in the name of progress. This do as you wish approach is hurting the core value of the "old" American family" system.

The root of it happens LONG before college or even High School. I had the opportunity to work with Kindergarten children for a short while and it's clear that the study habits and work habits they pick up come from the very early years of school. But ultimately, it is not the fault of the school or the teacher, the greatest fault lies in the hands of the PARENTS. If more parents gave a damn about their children and their school from start to finish continuously, the child will succeed no matter what school or teacher they may come across.

Reason for the economic crisis is simple, greed. Money blinds most every americans' eyes. Stupidity just makes it easier for stupid people with money to get sucked into it. Other stupid people need not worry since they don't make enough to even pay rent. I guess maybe stupid is a strong word but its true about stupid people and I don't mean those who are unfortunate for some reason.

 

[transdzn]

John,

Great post and congrats on your achievements. Personally, I think majority are BAD PARENTS!!

Politics, religion, economics all play a factor, but it all comes down to how the student minds are shaped when they are at home. Open communication, discipline, and love goes a long way.

 

[hondacuraplanet]

Hustling and working hard can be enough in the right geographical areas. It won't work in California because of the competition level.

I have told the story here several times of how I grew up and I bet some Prime members are sick of hearing it so I won't tell it again.

What I have learned from life is an education is MUCH more important than I ever thought it was. I see this now. My mother knew the value of an education and unfortunately also the cost. She knew we couldn't pay for it.

However I knew that school was teaching me to do something I didn't want to do, get a job. I wanted to control my own destiny and life. The schools do not teach people how to be independent. Schools teach structure and dependence. However without the little piece of paper that you get at the end of the journey you won't be running a large company. So without the piece of paper you need to build your own company, which takes a bit longer as I have found out.

Once again growing up as the underdog and now being a super power I understand how and why my life has been shaped and what has made me successful. It was that hunger. The hunger of seeing people around me that had all the things I wanted and couldn't afford and had no clue how to get. Those things seemed to come so easy to the people who had them and in many case, as I have found out it's true. Hey all it takes is 100k in AXP to make 5k in a month selling covered calls. 5k is 3x what most people make around here in a month working very hard. I keep going back to a post on F-chat about how ridiculously easy it is to make money in this country through investments. What the poster seemed to miss was "for some people." The rest of the people are caught in a perpetual circle of pay check to pay check and not because they can't but simply because they don't have the education to know how to do anything different.

Steve, I don't know the story of how you grew up, but at times I feel that I'm the product of a reverse scenario.

Not to get into a diatribe of my life, I was a child prodigy, skipped third grade, and took college level Anthropology courses in 5th grade. My parents were of modest means and couldn't afford to send me to a school for gifted children, even though I had a half scholarship through my entrance testing (still would have meant $3,000 per year, a lot back in the late 70s).

I ended up becoming very bored with school......everything was far too easy, and I developed an intolerance for anything that didn't challenge me or peak my interest. Hence, I didn't end up Valedictorian.....or even close.

I'm one of those rare guys that you meet upon occasion that can work on anything mechanical with a degree of anal perfection. I've worked on anything from radiotelescopes to farm tractors. Built my first television out of spare parts when I was 9 or 10. I'm well-read, well-spoken, and have a solid character. So, today, here I am, having through my life's efforts done quite a bit for a lot of people, and I sit here and read your post, and realize that you have nailed the very reason that for my 37 years, I haven't been able to progress beyond the point of getting my hands dirty and getting by. Not that the divorce helped matters much, but the marriage helped it a hell of a lot less......

Just yesterday I stopped home on lunch, my house warm and spotless, the sun shining in the window, and shaking my head that I'm never there to enjoy it.

Wherever you came from, Steve, I admire the fact that you're where you're at, and wonder that if my parents could have sent me to the best education, where I myself could be.

I'll just end up being happy being me, in the end :smile:

 

[john@johnhudakracing]

I don't think that public education is the 'real reason' for the economy heading south.

Yes, the public education system at all levels is totally !@#$ beyond repair at this point due to 1000+ different contributing factors which I won't get into. We can all probably agree on that. I am a proponent of a private education because I know first hand that it produces better results. As such, I see the keyword here as being 'public'... it's about statistical averages and the best for the most yadda yadda... so I think you are automatically supposed to have tiny expectations...

Of course... for those that don't agree- and think government should be doing a better job educating your kid.... I would hope that you will go the extra mile and take action about your over-inflated personal property tax assessment being spent on Olympic sized swimming pools and homeland security improvements at your local high school. Have the teacher unions put students first. Stop them from rewarding poor performance, controlling curriculum, and fighting to keep vouchers off the table. When it's time to talk about a college fund- scream about the fact that states and charities throw ever increasing billions subsidizing state colleges; and yet no one can figure out how it is that 4 years of tuition costs as much as a house with record increases every year.

The problems are clear as day. Viable solutions are what count. Realize that real change requires new thinking- and that is difficult when you have all the same people making the decisions today that you did twenty years ago. It comes down to answers to very basic questions. Do you want to pay for your kids to learn the periodic table or would you rather have them sit in study hall and go to PE and home-ec socializing with all the inefficiencies like you did twenty years ago? Do you want them to have an "education" and be prepared for a relevant career or do you want to say your kids are "xxx college alumni" with a degree in nothing?

My 0.2 here is that parents double talk and in the end the majority get exactly what they want- something to complain about... and in this case the people asking are your average overly-opinionated suburban voters with children who are frankly over-sold, impressionable, naive, demanding, cheap, idiots, with unrealistic expectations that probably can't even think or do math for themselves let alone for their kids. If you want a reality check kids can and do far more with less all over the planet from the most humble of beginnings and let don't get half the opportunities that spoiled kids here do. Point: Thdeir is a fine line between being part of the problem versus part of the solution.

Anyways, all great discussion- just not relevant to the current state of the economy....

If you want to talk about our almighty god dow... then I think in the information age perception is far more important than reality. The fact is that we are still the wealthiest civilized society in the history of the earth by some stupid huge factor. I find it funny. One of my co-workers commented the other day how he was feeling down about the economy recently. Now, here is a guy that has worked at the same place for 15 years. No significant change in securities or 401K. Not an arm chair investor. His pay checks are the exact same this week as they were two years ago. If anything things are cheaper today than they were just 6 months ago. He doesn't own a business. I'm like WTF?

The point? I don't think the drama weenies on the 6 O' Clock news do more damage to the economy than a broker on wall street. It's more about basic human consumer psychology than anything else.

The real problem i think, is the non-sustainable, non-realistic, non-conservative economic (foot note: conservative does not mean republican) culture that is so prevalent today.

Farmer Joe's eggs is now owned by a bank in Asia, Bob's hardware has been heading south since home depot moved in and he didn't adapt, your parents portfolio dried up due to their yahoo stock, social security is in the tank, 11 trillion in debt, cheap financing everywhere, etc... etc... really at every level their is turmoil.

Look, I see absolutely no substantive global reason in this day and age why the average middle class citizen should be feeling huge quarter to quarter swings in our global industrialized economy. Ok, maybe aside from the fact that some very poor practices which weren't made with the best of intentions in (banking, securities, government spending) have lead to the fastest and greatest transfers of wealth in history. This has stood to destabilize and marginalize the fundamental markets which contribute to the real fiscal health of our economy.

Hardly new news there.

Just make good decisions and everything will be fine.

 

[mickeylex]

Personally, I think majority are BAD PARENTS!!

Politics, religion, economics all play a factor, but it all comes down to how the student minds are shaped when they are at home. Open communication, discipline, and love goes a long way.

And there you have it.

It's not the unions, its not public school vs. private school, etc. It's the parents. Bad parents - not involved with their kids lives create future bad parents. The sad thing is that parents these days blame others before looking within. Parents these days blame unions, the school, etc.

I still keep in touch with my friends from high school (public high school) and those of us where parents were involved with our educations are doing well. Lot's of Doctors, Attorneys, Nurses, Business Owners and a even a few professional athletes - all came from the public school I went to - why? It is because our parents took ownership and didn't blame others. :smile:

 

[NSX_Dreamer]

Even the smartest societies have down turns and cycles.

Yes education could be better, parents could be better, government could be better, people could be better, but bottom line it comes from a very basic human nature - greed.

Without greed none of this would have happened. Education / parents / government / banks all play a role, but the central theme is greed.

Name a single society that regardless of education / parenting / government / banking system that is not affected by this down turn. *cricket*

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen, I rest my case.