I agree with L.A. BUT that is CA and a LARGE district. I'd need to know more about it and what their job description is if paid that much?
I think we need to make changes. I am all for new ideas. I do not like the current political game of simply bankrupting public schools in favor of private schools that do not have to be bound by the same rules as their public counterparts.
EIB used a great example about Indianapolis and a technical school. We need more technical schools. We also need these schools to take all who come, not just those that run fast and jump high OR the best and brightest. At some point, one way or another, we have to figure out how to educate those who have no home life and offer nothing athletically. Everyone here understands that "measurements" in education, such as grading schools is a joke. In my neck of the woods you could swap out the teachers from the top performing school (Ottawa Hills) with the teachers from the lowest performing school (Woodward) and not see a change in outcome. It is not the teachers but rather our approach to those students.
I have found this interesting.
Kids struggle in school because they are disinterested (for the most part). School is not emphasized at home and they have little regard in long term thinking. Put that same kid in front of a computer game and watch him go. We need to merge video games with learning. Just one example of attracting some of the kids who currently fall through the cracks.