BEST LINKS US

Education and Learning

Education and Learning -BestLINKS US



This page provides links and discussions about education in general--a huge industry.   Because there are tens of thousands of classroom teachers across the country, more people work in education than any other faction of government.

Education touches us all and helps us with tools to think and succeed in life... or results in our failures because of it's own.

At the bottom of this page are links to topics and Trivia.  They're FUN!


Education - General Links



Published by "Thought.com" focusing on educational issues, STEM, and interesting articles for the intellectually curious


Thought Co.
a comprehensive education website

Resources for Educators
Home Schooling
ThoughtCo. on Education 
 Various articles and topics including
  Special Education for the Disabled


Crash Course Series  FB
You Tube videos on various topics
Courses especially for young people



Top 10 Education Links
Topics for students, teachers and more



US Dept of Education

Student Loans & Forgiveness

Special Education    Data

SchoolSafety.gov

Bullying, school violence, federal site

Program to help adults get their High School Diplomas


Stand with Parkland
Site to promote school safety from mass shootings and violence


This will surprise you...some of these are MUST READS for high schoolers!


A Treasury of Primary Documents

This is an invaluable set of links to American and European classic and important documents throughout history--like the Bible and early translations, Constitutions, early Colonial, historic documents from the US Founding Fathers back to the Middle ages and more than you even know about.


Bring back Home Ec Classes

Some people think public schools should bring basic life skills back to middle and high schoolers.  Topics might be much more than cooking and sewing traditionally offered only to girls.  Examples all of us need include: healthy eating and meal prep, laundry, shopping, house cleaning, light repairs, choosing contactors, car buying and light repairs, home budgeting, banking, first aid, eldercare, parenting, medical skills, even getting along with each other. What happened to drivers ed?  And critical thinking skills to learn fact vs opinion in the media.  These are topics that should be integrated throughout students' years. 


PARENTING Interests in Schooling--a BestLinks page on parenting, health care, special education, problem kids.

Advice for Parents of Special Needs Children

  Special Education kids need parents to be focused advocates with the schools;
 but be careful not to be rude, nagging, or obnoxious if you want to help them.

Pre-school - for getting kids
 a head start


Parents can find many pre-school programs to give their tots an early start at learning--priming the pump!  Some are private, some are publicly funded schools.   Read on to learn why starting early helps them grow better.  Helps them socialize.  Think.  Pre-school is not the 'babysitter' or 'fun and games."   Read on:

Rasmussen College

Critical timing:  helping young children with developmental delays


One in 68 children today has Autism, which can be a devastating condition that can be improved only with EARLY diagnose and special education starting at age 3. Learn the warning signs and if you see them, get help right away.   Click here to learn the signs and what parents and teachers should do.





Public Schools

Public schools are generally composed of:

  • Primary schools (grades Kindergarten -6th)  for pre-teens, and 
  • Secondary schools  (grades 7-9) called "junior  high/middle schools" for young teens),   and high schools (grades 9-12 for older teens).
 They are mandated by state laws and are offered to all children without charge, funded in whole or in part by taxation.  States require that all children up to a certain age must attend structured schools OR be provided with a structured home schooling environment by parents.

Non discrimination.  Public schools are generally inclusive (non-selective) in admitting all students within the geographical area that they serve.   The Supreme Court ruled in 1954 that schools must not be racially segregated.   Integration of the races was difficult in some states for years after that court ruling but has been accomplished, in some places by busing students for racial balance from one area school to another.

Public schools are in locally run districts.  They are government's largest employers of dozens up to thousands of teachers. They are administrated by elected, un-paid school board members of 6-9 citizens, elected periodically by the public in each school district. 

School Districts build and operate the public schools within their boundaries.  Districts can be large , supervising several high schools and grade schools, or sparsely populated but larger rural ones often with just one high school -- but they might bus students in from a wider area.

  Board meetings often are held weekly and are open to the public.  Boards set policy and hire a paid Superintendent who carries out their policies.   Larger districts have staff supervising district-wide curricula of what's taught to which grades.   Smaller districts may leave those tasks to the Superintendent or school principals. 

Principals and teachers report to the school superintendents -- not directly to the board members.  Schools receive tax funds from county levees or state grants.   They also fall under state laws that dictate some state-wide policies about minimum student achievement and standardized tests.    

Sports and Special Education.  Schools also fall under certain federal laws under the US Department of Education--which mostly mandates education for gender equality in sports and also rights and expensive needs of handicapped children.

Larger districts may operate their own Special Ed programs but sometimes smaller districts ban together with neighboring districts, forming Special Education cooperative classes within scattered schools to more efficiently educate handicapped /special needs children.  They are tightly supervised by both federal and state laws assuring the civil rights of children with unique physical or mental learning needs to be given the appropriate education to fulfill whatever potential they possess.   These are often students with some level of retardation, or reading disabilities, speech issues, behavioral problems, blindness, deafness, or others.   The idea is that schools cannot stash handicapped children in corners as they once did decades ago.

Public schools are not mandated by law to educate adults but most have programs to help adults who have been unsuccessful at getting a diploma.  Most provide catch-up adult programs so they can earn GED's (General Education Diplomas) or teach immigrants English as a second language.  School paid special education for handicapped young people usually ends when they turn 18.


Charter schools

A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. Charter schools are an example of public asset privatization.   Often they have specialty themes, such as schools focusing on math and science, the arts, specific cultural needs, and other criteria.


Private schools

Private schools may or may not employ state certified teachers and are not operated or funded by taxpayers.  Many are operated by religious organizations; the largest in the US is the Catholic school system operated by local or regional religious dioceses. 

Parental representation in private schools is limited.  Funds are usually by the religious organizations and tuition paid by parents of students attending.  Most religious schools are run by church priests or appointed advisory boards of parents.   Religious schools usually offer traditional academics found in public schools, but also religion classes that are not allowed in public schools.



Owl & Mouse   Your Children Learns
Interactive online Maps  - Educational programs



STEM Skills for the Future
Education for this century
 Science Technology Engineering Math
Many links including NASA for kids and teens


Education.com 
Worksheets for Kids
Teaching tools for many grades




 

EdWeek is a teacher resource. Requires a monthly subscription after a half dozen free articles.

Teachers aids, some good ideas, dumbed down to keep em interesting


Non Profit tracking Hate Groups in America;  
Learning for Justice:  involved in the accurate teaching of racial issues in America's schools.




Do Schools Start Too Early?


Most all parents know that teens, especially, stay up late.  It's their nature.  And studies show that teens need from 8-10 hours of sleep nightly to be alert.   Yet schools still get high schoolers up for their buses before dawn!    Naturally, sleep-deprived teens have a hard time staying awake in class. 

Is this insanity to please working parents, please farmers needing their teens to work the crops before sunset, or just scheduling school hours to accommodate their fleet of school buses.   

Many people think it would be better to schedule grade schoolers to start earlier because that's an ideal time for younger children's learning, and high schools to start later in the morning.  Schools are sooo slow to change!    Has your school district discussed flipping high school and grade school start times to match learning?


Education Reform

Here are some links dedicated to improving public education from K-12 and beyond.   Consult this page to follow efforts of reforms and areas where they're sorely needed.

HuffPost Education Reform   FB
Running articles on what is being done, or what should be done to fix what is broken.


Reinventing Education 
- the most important idea (a 2011 article)


What ever happened to
 "A Nation at Risk?"

After all the hoopla from a blockbuster 1983 report saying schools were failing--did they get better after 30 years?  Article 2013

Conservative Hoover Institute assesses its impact


Getting ready to graduate with a Diploma? 
Great.  But you're only HALF DONE!

Colleges and Trade Schools


These links relate to preparing for life and career skills beyond high school. Most people understand a high school diploma doesn't eman young people are prepared for a satisfying career without more schooling. 


Not everyone can or wants to go to college.  Fact is, most jobs require skills not always found at traditional colleges--everything from auto mechanic technicians, appliance manufacturing and repair, heating and cooling, landscaping, construction of all kinds, barber and cosmetology, food service and chefs, dental and health care assistants, automation technician, computer programming and repair, jobs in transportation, medical facilities, utilities, outdoor work, metal work, agriculture, sales, communications...lots more.

Many employers are saying because public schools are no longer teaching shop mostly for boys and home economics for girls, there's a severe shortage of people with hands-on skills ready to work, or ready for apprenticeships.   Many hands-on skills pay very well and learning those skills fresh out of high school can mean a long, rewarding career.   There are trade skill school all over the country.

 9 BEST FREE College online websites   
      Major schools - from LifeWire magazine


OpenStax
A part of Rice University, free / low cost online learning in many subjects.  Especially important as schools are closed and going on-line. Subjects include Math, Science, Social Sciences, Humanities, Business, Essentials, College Success, High schools

Our high-quality educational tools give students access to the learning materials they need to succeed, at little to no cost. Because we don't believe anything should come between students and their future.

Assess your Skills and Opportunities

When looking for a career, good planning means you assess your skills and likes even in high school as you choose courses to take and especially what to do after high school when it's time to learn a set of job skills to provide for you and your family for as many as 50 years.  The three things first to think about are these:

  • What are you naturally good at, using your talents with your hands, math, logic, whatever
  • What kind of work would you like to do that you would find interesting, whether working with people or equipment, or whatever
  • What career will pay you salary and benefits you require to satisfy your life needs

And then, as you look at careers, do your best to see if there are plenty of jobs available, jobs you will be qualified for and how to do that, and whether those occupations will be around in twenty years or if you'll have to learn similar or different skills as you move up your career ladder.

Trade Schools
- Finding your place to learn job skills



With retail automating while paying little more than frozen minimum wage and help wanted signs everywhere, let's get progressive ideas into schools.  Repubs cutting school budgets and whining about forgiving student loans is VERY short sighted.

High School Counseling is about CAREER PLANNING, not just helping kids fill out next semesters's class schedule!

Help every kid you know learn WHY to succeed in school and know that a high school DIPLOMA is only STEP ONE of CAREER SKILL BUILDING! Advanced skills will mean a MILLION DOLLARS in lifetime income for young people who get good training after high school!   CONSIDER qualified TRADE SCHOOLS for young people not interested in more academic college.

Here's what's HOT and what's NOT in who's HIRING



These are links about college choices, choosing schools, deciding majors to specialize in, and much more.


The Woke Movement 
on College Campuses

Something is going wrong on many college campuses in the last few years. Rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide are rising. Speakers are shouted down. Students and professors say they are walking on eggshells and afraid to speak honestly. How did this happen?  A revealing book on the subject of a certain narrowmindedness has creeped into higher education, as seen by the Me Too movement, racial interests, and a fear of risktaking...that's made us preoccupied with safety above knowledge.  

Read this Projectacademy.org PDF brief about it but Buckle Up
...you may not like all that you read.

College Bound Help for students with anxiety, depression or mental health disorders including eating disorders, Autism Spectrum, Bipolar, Substance issues and more.


Learning Links
These are general links to learning, skills needed to learn to learn, and topics about education, not directly related to schooling.   And they're FUN!


Calendars by month by Waterproofpaper.com  
See bottom of the page


Lifehacker Technophilia
   Quora.com  
Ask questions by topic area and get professional answers from one or more specialists in fields like Psychology, Journalism, Economics, History, Science, Tech, Education, Personal Issues, politics, Government, international events, and more.   If you have expertise, you may join and answer questions; the better your answers, the more questions you'll be asked!




Fun facts for the intellectually curious




Comprehensive site with trivial questions, answers, and more.

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