tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458172893016186479.post1166641543528790599..comments2024-03-09T03:28:44.216-05:00Comments on Thoughts on Education Policy: Book Review: Kids FirstCorey Bunje Bowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09764159604965707919noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458172893016186479.post-70106131385478519002011-04-20T08:42:56.709-04:002011-04-20T08:42:56.709-04:00Even if somebody could waive a magic wand and ensu...<i>Even if somebody could waive a magic wand and ensure that only well-prepared people had children, that would do nothing to solve the problems confronting the current youth of America.</i><br /><br /><i>the big idea that readers should take away should really be that we need coordinated child services run by passionate and competent individuals</i><br /><br />Now that would require a magic wand.<br /><br />Seriously. Any reform that requires lots of normal people to be exceptional is not going to work.Roger Sweenyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12734128265493099062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458172893016186479.post-50137752299198061292011-03-16T13:48:08.142-04:002011-03-16T13:48:08.142-04:00Corey: You're right that my proposed solution...Corey: You're right that my proposed solution wouldn't do much for the current crop of kids in our schools, but with low-income teenagers having children as early as 15 or 16 years old, it would help the next generation avoid the problems of this generation.<br /><br />With regard to your first point, you're right that it's not ONLY the children of young, uneducated parent(s) who can struggle in school. However, the solutions proposed by Kirp mainly target these types of families. Middle and upper middle class families don't need the state to teach their kids the alphabet or how to tie their shoes.Attorney DCnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458172893016186479.post-54066638591967278072011-03-16T11:00:20.235-04:002011-03-16T11:00:20.235-04:00I think that's a fair point, but with two prob...I think that's a fair point, but with two problems:<br /><br />1.) It's not only young people that struggle with parenting, and it's not only kids with ill-prepared parents that struggle with school. On paper discouraging ill-prepared people from having children makes some sense, but in the real world it could be a logistical and ethical nightmare depending on the extent of the efforts.<br /><br />2.) Even if somebody could waive a magic wand and ensure that only well-prepared people had children, that would do nothing to solve the problems confronting the current youth of America.Corey Bunje Bowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09764159604965707919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458172893016186479.post-9613451129629595142011-03-16T10:39:36.300-04:002011-03-16T10:39:36.300-04:00It sounds like what Kirp is advocating is essentia...It sounds like what Kirp is advocating is essentially an attempt to make up for the effects of uneducated and ill-prepared parents. My (cheaper) solution would be to put our efforts into discouraging uneducated, ill-prepared (young) people from having children that they are not equipped to parent.Attorney DCnoreply@blogger.com