MASON CITY – The Mason City Community School District Board of Education wants the public’s feedback on “how to continue to have world-class education in Mason City Schools.”
Three community listening posts are planned.
According to the school district, the first listening post will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2014, at 10 AM in the Board Room of the Administration Building at 1515 S. Pennsylvania Ave. The objective of this listening post is to ask the community to think about district funding and provide an opportunity to share ideas and suggestions with the Board and district administrators about what they want for students of the next 12 years, how the community can help and how to continue to have world-class education in Mason City Schools.
As school districts continue to struggle to fund their operations, the United States continues to rank poorly compared to other industrialized nations in education rankings.
According to a 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), organized and compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) survey released in December, among the 34 OECD countries, the United States performed below average in mathematics in 2012 and is ranked 26th. Performance in reading and science are both close to the OECD average. The United States ranks 17 in reading, and 21 in science. There has been no significant change in these performances over time.
While the U.S. spends more per student than most countries, this does not translate into better performance. For example, the Slovak Republic, which spends around $53,000 (U.S. dollars) per student, performs at the same level as the United States, which spends over $115,000 per student.
if all of you know the answers then why don’t you try to run the schools
I’m actually a very good teacher. I make how to videos all the time. Not that difficult. One certainly doesn’t need a “degree” or teaching certificate to be a teacher. Remove the obstacles to teaching, and I’ll show up the next day.
What are you going to teach anyone? How to be crazy and a leach on society. Maybe you can show the the benefits of living off welfare and having everyone else support you. Pretty soon it will be spring and the men with the butterfly nets will be coming for you again. They will be the ones on the Harleys with the loud pipes. You are a legend only in your own mind, what is left of it.
And Iowa Sucks how can you teach a brain dead druggy to take responsibility for their mistakes and quit leeching off the working.
When you design society the correct way, and not the exploitative way…that’s when.
World class education? Let me translate that for everyone… more bullshit to add to the other bullshit we won’t ever need in life.
@student-they have to justify their salary some how. My biggest problem is that they tell every child that he or she should go to college and the majority of them are not college material. There is nothing wrong with being a tradesman. The way it is now there are a bunch of kids that come out of college ready to set the world on fire and they end up deep in debt and over educated. Now, they can’t get a job and end up living with daddy and working at slinging burgers if they work at all. I used to see those kids all the time coming into a plant and they couldn’t even read a tape measure. What a waste.
“World class education” How’s THAT for tooting your own horn? Sure they’ll listen and then pat themselves on the back and do what they want.
The government pays a $100,000 at least for each child K through 12. What do childless people get?
They get to pay it. It’s totally unfair to make people without kids pay to educate other peoples kids. How can you educate a state full of LVS’s anyhow? You can’t teach a rock to dance.
@SUCK DRUGS for Brains=You are a shining example of how we have wasted our tax money over the years. The only good thing is more and more of your buddy’s are getting thrown in jail and it is only a matter of time before we get you too.
I’d say from reading comments on NIT that Iowa Sucks is far more intelligent than you LVS.
@Philly-and both of us are a lot brighter than you. Your only claim to fame is your insanity.
Actually I consider my concepts and points to be quite basic really, but with company like you, it must appear professorial. I’m quite embarrassed that I even need to spell things out like I do.
But LVS, everyone knows you’re a non-essential, sycophantic cad.
I’ll break them down even further to their most simplistic form LVS…where even you can understand:
1. Chart your own Destiny
2. Keep Your Laws Off of My Body
3. Think and Act Locally
4. Utilize Common Sense
5. Be Fair and non-hypocritical
6. Don’t bother people
7. Don’t pollute the environment-Use Renewable Energy
8. End All Forms of Slavery and Control
Most of my writings embody these principles.
@Philly-your writings only show your lack of integrity and your split personality. Hard to learn anything when you are in a rubber basement and locked away from society.
LVS, you’re allowed to get away with your name calling because free speech, and your anonymity. Calling someone insane whom you disagree with or don’t understand validates most of my points. You’re precisely the people I want to get away from, and feel students and humans shouldn’t be forced to be with hurtful, bigoted, small-minded persons such as yourself.
I would say right back, that following many of what society has tried to pass off as edicts and gospel is what’s really insane…but there’s too much to go into detail about. I have my chance to tell the system exactly what I think of it, and I’m not going to miss my opportunity. I may become reborn again into the same asinine, corrupt system I left, and I’m doing my best to correct the problems so I won’t need to repeat the infliction upon my person.
If I live another 40 years, and then am reborn a year after my death 40 years from now, I wouldn’t want to be thrust into a world of school shootings, bullyism, and social hierarchy. I would want to stay in the comfort of my own solar ,wind powered home and learn via satellite from instructors online.
LVS, can I call you a moron? I just felt the need to…thanks. I feel better now.
Iowa Sucks, you know that sometimes I agree with your view of the world, and other times I wonder where your brain is at. Why should everyone of us pay to educate today’s youth? Very simply put – so we have educated people in leadership positions in business, politics and other areas that benefit everyone. One of your big complaints is with law enforcement and their out-dated (and uneducated) views on legalization of marijuana. If we don’t educate people so that they can make intelligent decisions about things like legalization, who do you think will make those decisions? Those same people you blast for being simple-minded and uneducated are the ones who will end up in charge. And they will make decisions based on what they are told is truth and not on what they have discovered for themselves. That what education should be about – discovery and open-mindedness.
In the internet age you educate yourself. Google is 1000 times smarter than ABY educator. Learn how to study for yourself. Who needs formal education these days? It’s outmoded and often biased too boot.
Sorry Iowa Sucks, but if someone doesn’t have the internet, then that person is out of luck? That egotistical, self-righteous, and simplistic mind of yours needs to age some before I will consider what you have to say seriously.
Hmmm…what’s more costly? Provide everyone in the city with free internet access (as Quinn Symonds proposed) or pay for buildings, janitors, teachers, para hall monitors, coaches, heating, cooling, security, materials, labs etc etc. There’s a reason college degrees are being offered online…it’s because it’s quicker and easier to get the information that way.
However with all this said…I still believe in being somewhere in person….but I clause this by saying education should be completely voluntary and optional. If someone doesn’t feel comfortable going to a traditional high school the should not be forced to.
In fact most schools should be broken up into specialized satellite vocational centers where students can focus on a specific field. Generalized Education is a waste of time and money.
The only thing that really counts is getting really good at something of technical value.
Looking back at the debacle high school years, I see now the only class i enjoyed was band, because i actually got to do something…and welding and shop and art came in second and third. Sitting in classrooms and listening to some teacher profess was boring and caused me to skip class. when are educators going to figure these things out?
“Sorry Iowa Sucks, but if someone doesn’t have the internet”
Oh my! Then let’s spend $100,000 per student to do it another way! The truth is, is that you’re in the system, probably a teacher so you’re just looking out for yourself here.
Social skills!? You can’t learn how to socialize without going to school? You’re just in the system and want to protect a paycheck. I’m not fooled. Probably a teacher.
@Joao-Philly’s whole idea of society comes out og the tailpipe of a Harley or in the rubber rooms at 5 east. He wasn’t allowed with normal society. That’s why he lives in a basement. even his mother won’t let him in.
It appears from your post that you need proofreading skills that probably aren’t offered on the internet. Besides that, inform me in your infinite wisdom, how social skills can be ‘learned’ from the internet.
@bodacious-I agree with you on this. The problem you are going to run into here is that you are trying to reason with insane people. Hard to do.
Oh you mean the “social skills” where pecking orders and social hierarchy are developed by all the doctor’s and lawyer’s kids? The social skills that send the message to the kids of “who’s who” in this town? I think I’ll pass on those.
I don’t think that your assessment is a fair one Phil. We all learned social skills – how to get along with people, how to handle differences, how to adapt to unfamiliar situations and so on. I wasn’t a doctor’s kid nor was I a member of the elite group. I did, however, learn from my experiences in school. I also learned from my experiences out of school. How you used those skills, or how you interpreted those skills, or how you perceived others in the school landed on your shoulders. I didn’t envy the doctors’ kids nor did I emulate them. I enjoyed their company at times and other times, I didn’t. My choice. My friends came from all social circles. I made that choice. I could have excluded people because of their background, but I didn’t. It sounds to me like you were jealous of those whose economic or social situation was better than yours. I could have cared less. I just wanted to have fun.
Regardless, school should be optional and not compulsory. So you were one of the normal ones who relished his experience. For every 10 of you, there’s a couple who felt awkward, insecure, intimidated…some who didn’t get blessed with a handsome or pretty face, or nice body…some who were even deformed or malformed in various ways. You are assuming everyone comes out of the hatch with basically the same starting point, and then judge others based on their ability to make the best out of it. Well that worked okay for you, but it doesn’t for many others, and for those, I would say they shouldn’t be forced to be in a place they don’t want to be.
” For every 10 of you, there’s a couple who felt awkward, insecure, intimidated…some who didn’t get blessed with a handsome or pretty face, or nice body…some who were even deformed or malformed in various ways.”
So you method to deal with society is to hide away and isolate yourself; never to grow never to learn.
No Joan I’m not saying that at all. What I’m saying is children shouldn’t be forced into these large social group settings if they don’t want to, and I would argue they actually learn less. The traditional high school model does more to solidify community social strata than it does to actually teach kids and watch them learn.
The bullpen kids were tolerated only up to the point they became unruly or challenged the program…then they were kicked out. A special alternative school was created for them in a small mobile classroom trailer…which exists as a token to manage them, rather than train them in skills which will actually help them climb out of their circumstances.
The real point of school is a place for parents to put their kids while they are working. Sports programs, choral and music programs, and theater programs are showcases for the top of the crop, so their parents can gloat over them. The entire model is based on elitism and special interest.
They know who is who, and they have no real intention of adequately educating these small humans into skills they can actually use to benefit themselves and society. I went to the alternative school for a period of time, as well as regular high school. I learned SQUAT.
Please tell us, o chosen one, why you went to the alternative school. Couldn’t make it through a normal high school like millions of others before you? Was it too stressful for you?
Phil,
If you learned ‘squat’ in school, that is your fault. A teacher can’t teach if you don’t want to learn.
I went to the alternative school because I skipped excessively. I couldn’t stand being in the building, in the classrooms. It was such pure and utter BULLSHIT. Actually what I did was I attended first period band (because I liked that) then went out the door and caught a transit home. There I proceeded to self teach myself electric guitar. Like I said, I learned more myself than I did in school. AFter so many weeks of skipping they formally expelled me, then said I had to see a psychiatrist and attend the alternative school if I wanted back in. So I went and saw Anastasi, and was enrolled back into the alternative school. I sped through the Biology class and finished the tests in about 2 weeks. So I knew then and there that traditional education wasn’t the only option. Self learners could teach themselves. They didn’t need to be forced into a classroom.
If you need any more info…you’ll have to buy my autobiography. I’ll write one just for you. Pre-payment through Pay Pal. :_)
So you think the WHOLE system should be changed because it didn’t work out for you? Brilliant! But we already changed the system for the sake of the few at the cost of the many. It was called “No Child Left Behind”. P.S. You should put your autobiography on your website, what’s that address again?
“World class education”? I guess Mason City has the smartest school district in the state of Iowa as I saw this morning on Fox News that Iowa is among six other states that received an “F” rating in education. And I don’t think that means fine, first, fancy etc. Get off your butts people and attend.
If Michic wants to know how the people feel she needs to get on NI TODAY and read the comments. Matter of fact all administration for the school should have to read it, (if they can). I just find it hard to keep giving these guys a raise every stinking year.
@USMC-Michic could care less what we think. She is a control freak who is just using this as a opportunity to set us up to give her more money. Your idea is an excellent one, but will never happen because it makes sense.
In all honestly why should she care about what a couple dozen people think on NIT? It’s not that Matt has a great rep around time. She probably doesn’t, nor should she, read what is on here. There isn’t much value for her on this site. My 2 cents.
@SK-then why are you here? Save your money and spare us your opinion.
Here’s an idea. Let’s throw more money at the problem. Because as we lose more and more students (thank you for that Bookie) we will have less money for the remaining students. Isn’t that funny how that works. Less students equals less money from the state equals less school management and teachers needed. We had better come up with more money so they can continue the substandrd job they are doing but still get their raise.
More money, more taxes, thats what we need. Just give everybody another pay raise, thats the answer