Are high schools obsolete?

I no way is high school obsolete. Sure they could use some fixing in the structure of the whole premise but on a whole no they aren't obsolete. What else are we going to do with the kids?? Tell them to go figure it out themselves?? Then we would have an ENTIRE generation speaking soley l33t. nm, idk.

I agree with Nathan. High schools aren't obsolete, they just need some tweeking. As our culture evolves so too does our education system need to evolve. I don't think it's obsolete though.

Merriam-Webster says obsolete is:
1 a : no longer in use or no longer useful
b : of a kind or style no longer current : OLD-FASHIONED
2 of a plant or animal part : indistinct or imperfect as compared with a
corresponding part in related organisms : VESTIGIAL

So... "Obsolete" might be appropriate, but I think it might be better to identify and discuss specific problems in our high schools. Math and science? Do they help make a fulfilling life? Do they promote social and cultural health? What values are high schools instilling? Money? Not that moral values can legally be promoted by public schools, so maybe schools should go private? I think we need to see a comprehensive study done on the differences between our schools and what they are "obsolete" next to. A comprehensive study might include social and cultural factors. Maybe we'll find out that schools aren't the problem...

I'm all for reform as long as it's done whole-heartedly and thoroughly. There have been (and continue to be) half thought out plans and policies that the state enforces with no communication from the people who end up teaching it. "Graduation standards " were one thing the state enacted then repealed 5 years later. Currently, there are social studies standards for classes students are required to take before they graduate. The standards are pretty strict and leave little room for electives or individually chosen courses (e.g. Geography in 9th grade, US History in 10th, Economics in 11th etc.) My social studies teacher admits that the department doesn't really know what to do about special cases , like an IB student pursuing a full diploma or unique classes my school offers that don't really fit into the mold.

My class was the only class that completed all of those "graduation standards" what were they called?? I can't even remember the right name. Anyway, most teachers absolutely HATED them. Most of them would literaly tell us, "Do a half assed job, you'll all pass and make the state happy and then we will get back to the stuff I have to GRADE you on."

It was pointless beyond belief, it wasn't incorporated into the curriculum in the slightest. It was pointless.

Maybe High School as a concept isn't "Obsolete" but how High School is often done is definitely "Inefficient." I think the original comment about the system being "Obsolete" was mainly based on the theory that we are teaching our students the same way we taught our grand parents and that they way we teach needs to change to match what we now know about how students develop and learn in our ever changing world. Our High School system needs drastic change (I agree with jon d. about change). More student choice, Small Learning Communities, ending school a year earlier, and Technology (not as education bait, but as a daily, real life tool for applying knowledge), to name a few simple directions we should give more thought to. We need to stop doing old things in old ways and start trying to do new things in new ways. It will be a challenge but our countries success depends on it.

High school in general or just America? I personally believe if we took some notes from secondary education from schools in Europe, the standard of teaching would increase. I went to British schools and my kids are in American and there is a world of difference and a level of "don't really care" from the teachers and students here.

I find it troubling that in this whole discussion of how high school functions the teachers are not include. The resources used for this is business and policy makers. Why was Education Minnesota, National Education Association or the American Federation of Teachers not included in the resources? Teachers are experts in how schools are run when will they be included in the discussion?

Brian, I agree that teachers need to be included in the discussion. I know many teachers and also have a daughter in high school. There are some very talented and dedicated high school teachers who are doing their best with limited resources; their life has become a whirlwind of bureaucracy, limited resources and increasing demands from "too busy" parents who are trying to make a living and keep on top of their children's' progress.

Hasn't it always been that they people that make the rules aren't the ones that have to follow them??

The piece that is too often missing in the high school discussion is the teacher voice. Too often teachers are not included in the discussions and too often teachers are hesitant to speak too loudly.

If we truly are to have valid high school change, teachers must be a part of the process.

Change is always hard, but if the major players are not present, then change becomes impossible. A true process of change in high schools means that teachers work together with administrators to decide where they want to go and then work together to make the changes so that school can be more relevant for more kids.

I am a substiture paraprofessional. I have listened to teachers from elementary to high school and the frustrations are the same. Too much paperwork from the state and too many students in their classrooms. The teachers are the people who are "in the trenches" and know what is going on and have viable solutions for what students need and how to give it to them. They know what works and what doesn't work and are willing to learn from other educators who have experience and wisdom to share. Putting education and how it works into the hands of those who do the work seems a simple solution and may take away from the need of so many administrators but then it would be nice to have some of those administrative salaries going towards hiring more much needed teachers. I don't think any of schools are obsolete, we have lost touch with what it takes to allow a teacher to do his or her job and especially have taken away why they became teachers in the first place, to educate young people and help them become the best they can be for the future of our state and our nation.

Here is a quote I've used with my on-line signature.

In times of change, the learners inherit the earth - the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to understand a world that no longer exists.
-- Eric Hoffer

As teachers compromise with the State, in little fits and starts, education will remain obsolete forever.

The teachers seem to have a union mindset. That is not a compliment.

One of the most important problems with schools today is the student population. Going to school is a big jump for young children and being around so many other kids is a very new experience. Having schools with very large numbers can change the perspective of the younger students, and the way they feel about education. With less people it will be much easier for the teachers to bond with the students, all the students. This way there won't be children left only partially socialized and educated, giving them a better chance in school. Having too many students also adds distraction to the classroom. For example: when you have a group of 6 or 7 people that are talking, everyone is focused on the same thing. Now compare that to a classroom and for every 6 or 7 students, there is another focus beside that of the teachers. Just a thought.

I agree with John F.'s comments. We could definately do some great things for students by meeting them in the world they live in...Technology and 21st Century Applications. Hybrid Technology/Teacher Facilitated learning is definately the way to go.