Your child brings this letter home from school...

[TiagoTiago]

There are significant differences between learning and just plain memorizing; unfortunatly more and more the schools and similar teaching entities have been ignoring the distinction...

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[Rassah]

School is not made to learn stuff, it's to get a diploma to give you access to better job in the future.

I would explain to them that school is mostly to teach you what there is to learn about, with maybe some guidance on where to start, but the actual learning is then done later on, on your own, on things you're actually interested in. Without going to school, likely the only things you'll ever bother with, or even be aware of learning about, are things you come across in your own life, which will likely be TV shows and fast food :/

[Anonymous]

School is not made to learn stuff, it's to get a diploma to give you access to better job in the future.

 are things you come across in your own life, which will likely be TV shows and fast food :/

If you have poor parents that don't give a damn without a book in sight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awOAmTaZ4XI

[TheColdOne]

Have you thought of sending your kid to a different school? l hope you don't send your kid to public school...I would congratulate my kid and tell them that plenty of people have received much worse punishments than he for doing the same thing.  I would hope that your child continues to stand up for himself in similar situations. Debate in academia is very important. Obviously the the teacher isn't used to being challenged.

[MatthewLM]

Tell the child "And this is why we murder people.".

[OgNasty]

This would be a good opportunity to teach your child that the world is full of average people and average = dumb. While learning to recognize and discredit misinformation you hear coming out of an average person's mouth is important, you must be respectful and argue your point maturely. That is where your child failed, and the reason he should 'serve his time' as they say.

[MoonShadow]

Send it to Fox News. They eat that stuff right up.

Although they will probably badmouth the teacher as being Anti-american for using kilometers in the first place. Real americans should not learn about these things or the terrorists will have already won.

Wait, What?

I'm sure that I'm older than you, and I learned both American Standard and Metric in grade school.  I can use both fine, but I hate using metric, and have not felt the need to teach it to my own (homeschooled) children.  If they foresee a need to learn it, they can learn it in a couple of days, or carry a pocket reference on their trip to Euroland.

[MoonShadow]

What do you do?

Send your son to a real school.

Publicly dress down the teacher, the principal and the school in general.  Hopefully in front of the kids classmates, and then announce that the son will be withdrawn and homeschooled.  And that they will be receiving a letter from your lawyer about their failure to perform with your tax funds, and that you will be expecting a refund for their wasted money.

How's that?

[MoonShadow]

it's to get a diploma to give you access to better job in the future.

Talk about failure, then.  The primary purpose of the public education system in the United States is not to educate children, nor is it to provide them a means to a job.  It's designed to indoctrinate the middle class children into the lifestyle that is consistant with mass production, and to limit their free thoughts.  This is from the founder of public education himself.  He was a true 'progressive' who believed that 'over education' of the masses can only lead to unhappiness in adulthood, since they were going to be stuck working in a factory or a refinery anyway.

[JBDive]

it's to get a diploma to give you access to better job in the future.

Talk about failure, then.  The primary purpose of the public education system in the United States is not to educate children, nor is it to provide them a means to a job.  It's designed to indoctrinate the middle class children into the lifestyle that is consistant with mass production, and to limit their free thoughts.  This is from the founder of public education himself.  He was a true 'progressive' who believed that 'over education' of the masses can only lead to unhappiness in adulthood, since they were going to be stuck working in a factory or a refinery anyway.

Beat ya to that one. See last post on page 1 

[cbeast]

What do you do?

Send it to Fox News. They eat that stuff right up.

I like how Atlas is on a "it's for the kids" kick. It's amusing to watch the debates that happen.

Another copy pasta libertarian propaganda tract. This never happened, but even if it did, the issue would be resolved between the parents and school Principal since there would be something in writing that may be actionable.

[Tawsix]

I'd go in and have a chat with Ms. Derpkins.  If that didn't straighten things out, I would then talk to the principal.  If it still wasn't resolved, and I couldn't have my child switched to a different class, I would pull them out of that school and send them to another.

Don't let schools walk over your kids, if they try and pull bulllshit, just walk in there.  They're a lot less inclined to try and push adults around than they are little children, trust me.  They melt like butter when they have to face someone their own age.

[AyeYo]

Send it to Fox News. They eat that stuff right up.

Although they will probably badmouth the teacher as being Anti-american for using kilometers in the first place. Real americans should not learn about these things or the terrorists will have already won.

Wait, What?

I'm sure that I'm older than you, and I learned both American Standard and Metric in grade school.  I can use both fine, but I hate using metric, and have not felt the need to teach it to my own (homeschooled) children.  If they foresee a need to learn it, they can learn it in a couple of days, or carry a pocket reference on their trip to Euroland.

Yet another reason homeschooling should be outlawed or regulated.  Knowing the metric system is a requirement for anyone of even moderate intelligence and education.  The US is the only country on earth that still uses the imperial system and the metric system is even used here for any type of science work above a elementary school level.

Regardless, you missed the point of his post.  He's making fun of Fox News for being a US propoganda outlet.

[MoonShadow]

Send it to Fox News. They eat that stuff right up.

Although they will probably badmouth the teacher as being Anti-american for using kilometers in the first place. Real americans should not learn about these things or the terrorists will have already won.

Wait, What?

I'm sure that I'm older than you, and I learned both American Standard and Metric in grade school.  I can use both fine, but I hate using metric, and have not felt the need to teach it to my own (homeschooled) children.  If they foresee a need to learn it, they can learn it in a couple of days, or carry a pocket reference on their trip to Euroland.

Yet another reason homeschooling should be outlawed or regulated.

It is regulated, the metric system isn't a core educational requirement in any state, nor should it be.  Try to keep your statist propoganda under wraps, you'll sound more credible.  I wouldn't want your to lose your job at the Justice Department, and then some other agent would have to monitor us.  At least I know who you are.

[FCTaiChi]

Oh come on, the average home schooled child is so far ahead of the curve it's not funny.  Saying homeschooling should be banned is ridiculous.  Every method has it's problems, but the benefits of homeschooling are far beyond the costs.

Do the people arguing against the metric system believe in US exceptionalism?  I think the reason for switching to metric should be obvious to anyone who has ever tried to science.

[MoonShadow]

Oh come on, the average home schooled child is so far ahead of the curve it's not funny.  Saying homeschooling should be banned is ridiculous.  Every method has it's problems, but the benefits of homeschooling are far beyond the costs.

Do the people arguing against the metric system believe in US exceptionalism?  I think the reason for switching to metric should be obvious to anyone who has ever tried to science.

The reasons to learn the metric system for scientific studies is obvious, but the metric system is easy enough for a teen or an adult to learn.  Teaching it to grade school children is what makes no sense.  They have no frame of reference in which to use it.  It's like forcing them to memorize the declaration of independence.  To what end?  So they can recite it to the grands on the 4th of July?  The document exists, and can be referenced.  Rote memorization is an utter waste of educational resources, particularly time.

[FCTaiChi]

I think kids measure things in school, and that is how they gain a frame of reference.  If they use a certain system the reference will be in that system.

[MoonShadow]

I think kids measure things in school, and that is how they gain a frame of reference.  If they use a certain system the reference will be in that system.

And they live in a nation that clings to the American Standard.  Whether or not you might think ill of that or not is irrelevant.  And teaching the American Standard isn't, and shouldn't be, a core requirement in any state either.  Kids should be taught the basics of measurement, not taught measurement systems.  They can be introduced to them, so that they are aware of the different systems, but no one really knows these kinds of things until they are old enough to need them.  Neither a kilometer nor a mile means much in the context of the average 8 year old.

[MoonShadow]

Teaching it to grade school children is what makes no sense.

Which means an average grade school child in America
will need an IQ of 130 to be able to compute the volume
of a swimming pool in less than an afternoon worth of work.

Great idea.

I never taught my eight year old son any standards of measurements, only the functions of calculating volume, and he was able to accurately compute the internal volume of the bathtub, refrigerator and minivan in about 30 minutes.  Once a child understands the process, the next obvious question was, "how do I measure the length, Dad?"  He did it in feet, using the tape measure that his grandfather gave him for Christmas. 

Granted, my son actually does have an IQ in excess of 130, so this doesn't actually disprove your BS theorem, but I still say you're full of crap.

[FCTaiChi]

Kids should be taught the basics of measurement, not taught measurement systems.  They can be introduced to them, so that they are aware of the different systems, but no one really knows these kinds of things until they are old enough to need them.  Neither a kilometer nor a mile means much in the context of the average 8 year old.

But an inch and a centimeter sure do mean a lot.  I remember sitting there in school and realizing that I could easily guess how long things were in inches, after using them for so many years.  Conversely I learned to weigh things in grams and it's very easy to estimate values when weighing. 
I understand you are saying we should have the right to learn whatever system we want, or no system at all.  I just don't see how it's possible to teach someone, say, language without them using grammar.  Why do you feel so strongly about not teaching a particular measuring system?  Are you against people teaching the standard clock, or should people decide how long they want their second to be?  I agree that people shouldn't be pushed to accept what everyone else takes for granted, but at the same time we can't communicate without common language.