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'Kids Don't Care, Can't Read': 10th Grade Teacher Quits, Blames Tech And Parents (finance.yahoo.com)

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[–]A1sauc3d 195 points196 points  (29 children)

American school system seriously f*cked up in recent years it seems. Needs a serious overhaul. Feel bad for the kids that weren’t ever challenged or held accountable for learning the material honestly. That’s on the adults to hold them accountable. But if you make it so they can’t fail, of course they’re going to slack off. They’re kids!

Are we just going to have a generation of especially incompetent people? Or is this less big of a deal that it seems from the outside looking in. I’m not a teacher nor do I have kids.

[–]ItsSadTimes 97 points98 points  (2 children)

It's gonna least to a brain drain 100%. No more new scientists with all the foreign ones not wanting to come to the US, some of the existing ones wanted to flee the US, and the new generation not caring to learn anything because why should they bother. They're gonna be wage slaves anyway, so they might as well do the bare minimum, I guess.

It feels like that "let it rot" mentality in China and Japan. No image for a future, so the younger generations lose all hope.

[–]Panigg [score hidden]  (0 children)

Can't really blame em.

[–]krelpwang [score hidden]  (0 children)

Don't worry, AI got you covered.

[–]MrICopyYoShtlazy and proud 43 points44 points  (5 children)

It's really bad. I tutored 8th graders and they struggled to read on a 3rd grade level or spell simple words correctly. Their writing was riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes.

The more worrisome part is they're struggling to think for themselves. They just explain that a dog is a dog because they're a dog, instead of explaining what makes an animal a dog. They just stop at point A and don't think or even consider how you can get to B from A.

Very sheep-like behavior and no understanding of implication.

[–]Plarocks 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Just like what our overlords planned.

[–]Barnyard-Sheep[S] 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Without critical thinking

  1. People become more selfish and only care about what's best for them

  2. People easily fall for conspiracies and propoganda

[–]CongealedBeanKingdom [score hidden]  (0 children)

I'm a teacher and I completely agree. Been saying for years that being able to search for answers immediately has ruined people's ability to research, but now AI has made it very clear that a lot of people would rather shift the responsibility of having to think about anything. It's frightening.

[–]secondtaunting [score hidden]  (1 child)

Wow. That’s scary. I do worry about the future.

[–]IceGamingYT [score hidden]  (0 children)

Don't worry I have an idea on how to fix it, there's this woman I know, great woman, fantastic woman, she used to run the WWE with Vince McMahon, another great man that loves and treats women the same way I do.

I can think of no one more qualified to fix the educational system in merica, have you seen the ratings WWE get? Make America Stupid Again.

[–]grammarkink 34 points35 points  (8 children)

It's a growing problem. I moved to California in '96 and have seen how mismanaged public education from the 80s has failed this populace. Absolute morons who can't think critically, or for themselves. Horrible reading comprehension, I legit thought I was perhaps meeting a lot of dyslexic people. Nope, they just can't follow basic instructions. They never learned how to learn. If the entire country is following suit, we're doomed.
Idiocracy is happening at an exponential rate.

[–]Vikkio92 46 points47 points  (6 children)

A lot of redditors are exactly like this. For years now I’ve had to leave discussions halfway through because their reading comprehension was so bad, they weren’t getting what I was saying no matter how many times I rephrased the point.

It’s like they were having a separate conversation that I had nothing to do with, even though they were replying to my comments. Scary stuff honestly.

[–]nebulacoffeez 14 points15 points  (3 children)

Some of them may be bots that are designed to argue & enrage, but yes there absolutely are a disheartening amount of real people who are like this lol

[–]Vikkio92 9 points10 points  (2 children)

Honestly, the fact that they might have been bots might be my only solace lol

[–]FlowchartMystician [score hidden]  (1 child)

I got a fun anecdote for you.

I noticed once I got into an argument with an account that was able to read my 4+ paragraph message then write up and send their own 4+ paragraph response in literally less than 30 seconds. The good news? That's obviously a bot.

The bad news?

...it was responding to my points more directly and it was less likely to go off on some insane non sequitur than the accounts I'm highly confident were real people.

[–]Vikkio92 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Yeah, that’s… depressing 😂

[–]Jahidinginvt 3 points4 points  (1 child)

And nuance is dead. Not even a weak pulse. DEAD.

[–]FlowchartMystician [score hidden]  (0 children)

The more i learn about the situation now, the more horrified I get.

I was in elementary school in the 90s, and I know literature was already on the way out because I've never read any of the books people say were "required reading" and I can't even remember any of the legendary authors whose works I've never read.

The only reason I'm even able to type this, instead of taking one look at a keyboard, saying "That's not in English! English is ABC!", and never texting anything in my life? I hopped on the internet when it was "the big new invention" and "all the rage" and I learned things myself because I wanted to and the information was available to me.

And all the things I learned on my own in the late 90s/early 00s is stuff I don't think is so easy to learn today. Between the internet becoming so commercialized and software being available to solve every little problem, even I have been struggling to learn new things I want to learn and I've become fairly proficient at learning online!

Then there's chatgpt...

I just don't see how kids even have the opportunity to bridge the gap anymore. Every step of the way, it's obstacles compounding on other obstacles and there's never any reward.

[–]chrono4111 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Are we just going to have a generation of especially incompetent people?

All according to the conservative handbook.

[–]Barnyard-Sheep[S] 17 points18 points  (2 children)

In fairness, it's not only the US. Adolescence took place in the UK and apparentley captures the school system scene pretty well over there

[–]TheTimn 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Idk. One of my best friends taught middle school math in the states for years, the married a guy in the UK and went there to teach. I asked her which she preferred (she absolutely loved teaching in the states) and her answer was hands down the UK. 

[–]purritowraptor 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've taught in the UK and the classroom scenes in absolutely nailed it. 

[–]reala728 4 points5 points  (0 children)

They're essentially just daycares at this point. Schools have been having their funding slashed for ages. I was in elementary/primary school in the 90s, and even then teachers were having to buy their own supplies for class if the kids forgot pencils and paper and stuff. And I mean what's the alternative at that point? Just have the kids sit at an empty desk all day? I can't even begin to imagine how much harder it is now.

[–]HommeMusical [score hidden]  (0 children)

Needs a serious overhaul.

The US has two political parties. One is actively against education, repeatedly funnelling the money that used to go to education to tax cuts for the rich and to the military; the other is more in favor of education, but not enough to actually product the radical change that would be needed, or really, any significant change at all, because they too emphasize "the most lethal military" in the world over America's children.

So sadly, it won't happen unless the DNC has a radical remaking. But unfortunately, they continue to move to the right...

[–]neur0 4 points5 points  (4 children)

You’re writing a lot to simply spell out that teachers need to get paid more but you’re right about the system overhaul. Funding dwindles every year 

[–]A1sauc3d 9 points10 points  (3 children)

Teachers absolutely need to get paid more. Significantly more. But nothing I wrote was about that. I’m talking about the institutional standards that make it so kids can no longer fail. That makes it so everyone’s grade is padded out to the point where they inevitably pass and continue on to the next grade regardless of if they’ve mastered any of their current grades material. As far as I’m aware the teachers have no choice in the matter. That those rules come from above and they’re forced to follow along. Again, that’s just what I keep hearing. I’m not a teacher, and would be happy to learn more about the situation.

But paying teachers more wouldn’t fix the problem I described above. If the rules are coming from above that it’s out of the teachers hands.

[–]troymoeffinstone 7 points8 points  (2 children)

No Child Left Behind made it so that schools that fail students get reduced funding. Add that to already underfunded schools means the schools become a pump instead of a filter. I don't think it would be a stretch to say that kids 6 grew up getting pumped through the system ended up current Trump voters.

[–]A1sauc3d 2 points3 points  (1 child)

“Kids 6”? And yeah, funding for schools is all sorts of messed up. It shouldn’t be based on pass rates or local tax bracket. All kids should be given a high quality education regardless of where they live or how much their parents make. That should be a top priority for a country as whole. But a critical part of a high quality education is being held accountable for mastering the material. Like I said, your average kid will cut as many corners as possible while still achieving what they view as an acceptable grade. So if you make it so you get an acceptable grade by default, they’re going to put zero effort into the work. It’s just human nature. Especially for kids.

But no child left behind got implemented back in 2002, right? It seems like the problem has been exacerbated even further in recent years. At least from the outside looking in. Idk what change caused it or exactly when it happened, but I feel like there’s gotta be more to the picture than just no child left behind, right? Again, I’m completely ignorant and here to learn. Not making any claims of being right or anything lol

[–]three-one-seven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

NCLB was a conservative fever dream of a policy that emphasized “holding teachers accountable” and “being able to get rid of bad teachers” and then used their propaganda machine to perpetuate the idea that teachers are lazy moochers instead of incredibly valuable professionals. It was part of a coordinated propaganda effort to achieve a culture shift wherein teachers and education are devalued… because like you or someone else here said, the school system is now cranking out graduates with zero critical thinking skills.

Just like they drew it up.

[–]Hippy_Lynne 52 points53 points  (1 child)

Education has the highest return on investment of any social spending. The problem is it takes almost a generation to see the effects of changes on spending. In the '80s they begin defunding public education but we didn't start seeing the effects of that until those politicians were out of office. And the ones that have gotten into office since then have no incentive to change it because there won't be results fast enough for them to survive the next election. There's also the fact that corporations/politicians actually don't want the population too educated because then they are harder to take advantage of.

Of all the cheesy slogans I saw throughout my school years, "Knowledge is Power" is the one I truly believe. And the hardest to convince people of.

[–]No_Talk_4836 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Luckily most of the stuff they could take advantage of us of can be taught in a pamphlet or short video.

So they have incapable workers fully aware of their rights.

[–]Beautiful-Key8091 49 points50 points  (5 children)

I just found out today, my nephew, age 8, can't read or write.

He speaks very well, and articulate his thoughts well.

When I found out today, I was trying to help him read.

He had trouble pronouncing words that we've covered.

"This" he is reading it as "Tee-is"

"Real" he is reading as "re-ag"

"House" --> "Ohuse"

"And" --> "Ah-nde"

He confuses the letter "I" (capital i) with "l" (lower case L).

After that, We went over the ABCs (I needed to know what's wrong) and I asked him how do you pronounce each letter (he did great at) and to give me a word that starts with that letter. He couldn't produce the simplest words like "Apple," - "Boy," - "Cat" etc

At his age, I was reading 1-2 grade levels ahead. Our education system is rock bottom at best

Although, he is doing amazing in math.

We will keep at it. I am already planning reading drills and lessons.

[–]No_Talk_4836 10 points11 points  (0 children)

God that’s horrifying. Thank goodness was you caught that so you can teach him.

8, I was in 1st grade, gong into 2nd. I wasn’t quite reading habitually yet, but I had the alphabet.

[–]ath_at_work [score hidden]  (0 children)

What do his parents say? Why haven't they signalled this problem?

[–]Wjreky [score hidden]  (0 children)

Can I ask where in the US you live?

[–]airbornx [score hidden]  (1 child)

Not to be that guy but to be that guy. Preschool and home is where I learned to read and I did the same for my child. You're borther/sister didn't take the time to make sure their child could read.

[–]ameliasophia [score hidden]  (0 children)

Although to be fair, parents are expected to work a lot more than in previous generations, it’s much more unusual to have a stay at home parent where I live, usually both work. 

It’s still possible to teach your child to read before they start school, I did for my daughter. But I don’t think it’s fair to chalk the whole difference up to one generation being lazier. 

[–]TapRevolutionary5738 29 points30 points  (0 children)

At least the teacher is blaming the right things, I'm getting a little tired of teachers quitting and blaming the fact they can't beat kids.

[–]81Z83RR7 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Trust it’s by design. They’ll be prison fodder.

[–]AmberDuke05 8 points9 points  (1 child)

I think America has a major issue where parents don’t respect teachers and make demands of teachers.

[–]Ajrob88 [score hidden]  (0 children)

That is part of it.

I am a Special Education Math Teacher. A parent emailed me, demanding I stay after school 3 days a week to tutor her son, who does no work in class, and that I need to pay for his Uber home each time.

I laughed, said no. Forwarded to admin (I’m fortunate to have very supportive admin).

Mom replied that I have to do what a parent demands, as she is the costumer.

I am not in customer service, I’m a teacher.

[–]Mo-shen 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This tracks. Have family in TX and one of them a fourth grade teacher.

The kids dgaf and neither do the parents. The parents think it's the teachers responsibility that their child excels and learns.

It's not, it's the parents responsibility. The teacher is just one of the tools that parents can use.

[–]Fabulous_Computer965 3 points4 points  (3 children)

Watched a young guy (21ish) try to pronounce the word Ionizer today. He was pronouncing it with an "L" .

[–]DueGuest665 6 points7 points  (2 children)

Ha. I just did the same

[–]Fabulous_Computer965 [score hidden]  (0 children)

🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠

[–]ameliasophia [score hidden]  (0 children)

Tbf they did capitalise the word in the middle of the sentence 

[–]xookenanarcho-socialist 1 point2 points  (0 children)

begging people to look up whole-language learning and how disastrous it is

[–]Excellent-Bread-3449 [score hidden]  (0 children)

this is so true. I have to lock my son's phone to force him to read. He's a freshman. Him and his friends are mostly morons. They have no curiosity.

[–]AaronBonBarron [score hidden]  (0 children)

The kids genuinely can't read, because they're not taught how.

https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/

[–]7tenths1965 [score hidden]  (0 children)

It isn't just the USA. Certainly here in the UK there is a noticeable lack of critical-thinking skills. Many of the schools care more about OFSTED ratings than actually allowing teachers to be good teachers. Apathy sets in.

When I was in school, all of the metal-work, wood-work, materials teachers had come from a career in engineering, teachers didn't just present a PPT slide-show and call it a 'lesson'.....I'm sure there are still some great teachers out there, I imagine they feel exasperated with the 'OFSTED' mentality that pervades in some areas.

[–]pecheckler comment score below threshold-29 points-28 points  (3 children)

What did she try adapt to the temper tantrums when asking kids to write a paragraph?  How did she try to overcome the challenge of teaching literacy skills? 

Im sorry but this article sounds like she’s a newbie to teaching and doesn’t like the difficult part of the job.

Perhaps she’s not cut out for teaching high schoolers. 

[–]Barnyard-Sheep[S] 23 points24 points  (2 children)

There is a lot of discourse, from young and old teachers alike, that the situation in schools has become quite bad since COVID. Students are less literate, worse behaved, unable to pay attention and more apathetic than even 10 years ago

[–]smoy75 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I mean look at the articles of people going into psychosis from ChatGPT conversations. Now you have multiple generations using it to write essays and teachers who are unable to take action against it. Critical thinking is dead or dying since productivity rules the day. But now you have kids growing up with AI, and a system that is cutting education budgets. I’m not surprised at all lol. There was an article from 2015(?), I may be totally off on that, from the UK saying that 1/4 of kids under 6 couldn’t pass basic literacy but knew how to open an iPad and use youtube. There needs to be a total reformation in society for nearly all spheres of we’re going to de-extinct ourselves

[–]Evil_Unicorn728 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We’ve devalued the profession so much that adults who now have school aged kids grew up with a constant stream of negative propaganda from conservatives about teachers that a good number of them have decided teachers are lazy, shiftless and greedy morons just collecting paychecks.

I have noticed, however, that my 5 year old daughter’s peers are generally reading and writing just fine, so I’m wondering if this is just the older end of Gen Alpha who got screwed by NCLB. The first Trump administration really did some major damage with DeVoss and her ilk. COVID traumatized a bunch of kids but no one seems to wants to admit that basically surviving an apocalypse might’ve screwed up some kids’ development. My kid was born right on the cusp of the pandemic so she doesn’t know how scary things got, especially for young people.

Investing more tax dollars in education could lead to better management of resources so kids who struggle early on get more help, and improvements to working class families’ economic/labor rights situation would give us the time and tools to be more involved. Overall, America’s social fabric is unraveling and we need to majorly overhaul our labor and education systems, get our priorities sorted out and steer away from this fascist tailspin or we’re FUCKED.

[–]00ishmael00 comment score below threshold-14 points-13 points  (0 children)

imagine a hydraulic saying: "this faucet is stupid, it won't repair itself. I quit!

teachers are PAID to teach those children. If children are not learning it's the teacher's fault.

[–]Green-Inkling comment score below threshold-51 points-50 points  (10 children)

Then isn't it your job to teach them how to read?

[–]potatopierogie 49 points50 points  (1 child)

They should know how to read by 10th grade. At that age, teachers are teaching information contained in text, and should be able to expect kids to read the assignments.

[–]TheTimn 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Idk why people keep saying she should teach 15 year olds how to read. It's comprehension and how to discern meaning from the works at that point, not what sound a 'qu' makes.

The tools and skills high school teachers learned aren't for that. Sentence composition is the lowest they would probably go. 

[–]Cat_Impossible_0 21 points22 points  (1 child)

The issue is admin is pushing them regardless if they had bad grades. It’s a business model for them. If a student refuses to learn knowing they will moved on automatically, there is nothing holding them back.

[–]Miserable_Drawer_556 11 points12 points  (0 children)

"No Student Left Behind" indeed

[–]Shadowbreakr 14 points15 points  (0 children)

No their job is to teach critical thinking skills and literary analysis and higher level thinking and information in high school. If you can’t read and do arithmetic by 9th grade it’s not on the teacher to dumb it down for students who are illiterate and neglect the students who are actually at the level they’re supposed to be at.

Students who can’t read should be held back, be sent to remedial schools, and parents should take an active role in catching them up not give teachers the impossible task of teaching students how to analyze Shakespeare at the same time they’re catching students up on basic grammar and literacy.

[–]AshWednesdayAdams88 10 points11 points  (2 children)

I knew how to read before I went to school. At a certain point it’s okay to ask parents to parent.

[–]Hippy_Lynne 1 point2 points  (1 child)

There are definitely some shitty parents out there, at all socioeconomic levels, and there always have been.

But a lot of parents living in poverty are fighting just to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Whether it's addiction, general instability, caring for other family members, or just working a lot, they don't actually have time to parent. Even if they are falling short, they are doing the best they can. I think we need to focus on helping those parents and not criticizing them.

[–]AshWednesdayAdams88 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If your child doesn't know how to read by 16, it's not on the teacher, which is what Green-Inkling was saying. I'm probably less forgiving than the average person in this subreddit, which is something I need to work on, but by the time a high school teacher gets the kid, there have been a lot of failures.

[–]SpaceMyopia 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah. Good luck with teaching a 10th grader how to read, while balancing the other demands of being a high school teacher.

[–]zeds_deadest 0 points1 point  (0 children)

OMG! It's happening in real time! We're all doomed!