New recruit teacher is inadequate

[BoboChic]

This, basically. DD in Y7 started secondary school 2 weeks ago. One - and only one - of her teachers is totally inadequate. He is a new recruit. Parents and pupils have noticed pretty quickly that he doesn't have the first inkling of the subject he is supposed to be teaching. One approach has already been made to the school to alert them. What are the best words to use to describe this situation? Inadequate? Lacking subject knowledge?

wrt your insistence that 'US college degrees' are in your view so generic that they can all be classed as 'A levels plus first year university'.

Reading your comments, I am left scratching my head in astonishment at the spectacle of secondary level students from all over the world falling over themselves applying to leading American universities, and students from all over the US being accepted into the same places, and international rankings of universities showing major American universities dominating the top 50.

American Universities dominate the top 50 because they can cherry pick the best post graduate students from round the world, a by product of recieving the most funding of any universities in the world. Because of the nature of the way tax works in the states, many American universities recieve way more funding from industry and private benefators so have the best facilities. Also, getting an American degree (especially a post graduate one) is seen as a good way to get a job in the states and get a green card, lots and lots of people from round the world ( my self included, I loved my time teaching in New Brunswick NJ) would like to get a job in the states.

The degrees are good, I'm not denying that, as someone above pointed out more similar to Scottish universities than English. Students with good A levels can often be fast tracked into the second year at Scottish universities as they don't need to do the first if they studied the subject at A level. Many English universities will not accept students who have just done highers, often they will need to have done 3 advanced highers in order to get in.

American students applying to any of the top 5-10 universities in the UK needs very high SAT pass marks and high school diploma as well as 5 AP passes at level 5 ( knowledge gained during working at the American School London), where as offers are made to students with 3 grade As at A level. Sorry to burst your bubble.

What I was pointing out math is that you come on here pontificating about eduction standards, being very judgemental and rather smugly superior, when actually the American education system while good, isn't quite what you're making it out to be.

Surely there is an internet law somewhere, that if your writing about standards, you're going to feck it up yourself. Ah the irony!

The degrees are excellent, Longtimelurker, hence the dominance of global rankings, and the thousands of application from students worldwide and within the US.

For QS ratings, reputation among academics, reputation among employers, student to faculty ratio, international faculty and student ratio are all taken into account, with citations per faculty member accounting for 20% of the mix.
US News and World Report rankings rubric.
"The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2013-2014 list the best global universities and are the only international university performance tables to judge world class universities across all of their core missions - teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. The top universities rankings employ 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons available..."

Nobody would be willing to pay the price of attendance for four years at undergrad level in the US without some assurance of excellent value for money. Not all those foreign students are there for the cachet. All of them have to hand in papers and pass their exams in order to stay there once admitted. It is not just the postgrad reputations of leading American universities that keeps them on top of world tables, though obviously those reputations are excellent too.

Not that postgrad research isn't important. Maybe UK universities should be worried about the fact that so much research money flows into the US, and the superiority of the tax system that allows that, no doubt dreamed up by some farseeing American university graduates, should put a dint in British complacency. If the disparity of funding continues, many British universities will lose their shine.

If current trends are anything to go by, third level education will become more globalised, less parochial. This is already apparent with the international IB, accepted everywhere. The trend is away from early specialisation, which owes much to the notion that there is such a thing as raw intelligence, raw talent, and that it is a good thing to encourage this. This is an outmoded concept that was always related to the British class system. The American model that values effort over potential and offers four years of a grade point average instead of brilliant-day-of-the-exam performance as well as broad range of subjects is arguably superior. It forces students to apply themselves consistently to subjects they may not have a lot of interest in or feel they have much aptitude for, because excellent all rounders who are disciplined and can work is what American universities look for. The approach is certainly more in line with the up and coming int IB approach than the A level system is.

Students with 4s or 5s in AP subjects can skip core requirements in many universities, including Ivies. APs do count for something. Getting a 3 or lower is a waste of time, just as getting Cs and lower is in every other exam. A student with a raft of AP courses with 4s and 5s by way of results is going to be a very competitive applicant anywhere she applies.

Otherwise translated as, follow the money.

You're never going to agree so I'm not going to bother trying to persuade, I'm just going to take your argument apart

"the trend is away from early specialisation"

Which is why at A level our students take 4 As levels and 3 A2s. They don't specialise that early.

You discuss lots of international students applying to US universities. You think its only the US that has students from round the world applying to them? Go take a look at the number applying to UK universities.

By the way, nice try with the link but it does actually prove my point that the US universities reputation is heavily influence by post graduate work, 50 % or so of the wieghtings are around research reputation, citation and publication which would all be based on post graduate research ( undergrads in any system tendnot to produce ground breaking stuff, tend being the operative word)

US universities get more funding because of a "superior tax system", you're talking out of your arse there. US universities get more funding cause its a tax fiddle to donate to your alma mater, UK universities get lots of funding and produce great work too, there is no crisis in research funding here. We still, still produce great ground breaking work ( and we have the world's best physiscist)

"This is an outmoded concept that was always related to the British class system" Yet above you talk about the local taxes paying for your high schols and that the wealthier the area the better the schools. The British education system at least (for the moment) has more of a social way of funding, most schools get the same money per student and actually many that deal with high levels of deprevation get way more. The US system entreches privilige far more than the British

Having taught in both systems, and having a DH who is an academic at an outstanding UK university and has taught in both systems ( what reason do you think I may have had to be teaching in New Brunswick NJ for 10 years?) British undergraduates begin at a higher level than American, sorry.

A levels are fine, the IB is good, AP is good, students with 3 good A levels (A*-B) get accepted at all of the Ivy league schools( students with 4 or more are very often offered scholarships). Why do you think they only have to have 3 to get into Ivy league and Russell group universities and AP students have to have 5?. Its not cause the AP is so much better is it.

You then go on to discuss broader knowledge when previously you were saying how amazing your schools were because they gave students such a head start in specific subjects. You then further weaken your argument when talking about "raw talent" which again is the nature vs nurture argument.Are you saying that American kids are naturally more intelligent? Cause to be fair honey I've lived and worked there I didn't notice any difference between US teens and UK teens except US teens appeared to be slightly more materially wealthier in the 1980s.

You go round in circles and compromise yourself all the time in your arguments, you just want me to admit that the US system is better than than the UK, which I'm not going to do AND have been able to effectively argue that actually the English A level system is equal if not ever so slightly more adavanced than the US ( everyone can take A levels, your opportuinity to get them tends not to be based on the ability to live in a wealthy area, A levels student get to skip 1st years in other counries university system).

Also you then go and say Cs are a waste of time? Well it depends on the student doesn't it, a C grade for some is a product of excpetional effort and shows extremely good progress being made. Lots of students who get C grades in school go on to do much better at other levels, its not a "waste of time" because any learning is not a waste of time.

You are actually starting to sound like a bit of a right wing loony.

Actually, your arguments are so flawed I wouldn't even give you a C.

D- www: A good attempt use of linked evidence, but please check what your source actually says, if it does not support your argument then it is not worth using.

ebi: You are consitent with your argument, making two points that actually counter each other in the same argument shows lack of coordination, or a desire to stick to a certain dogmatic theme at all costs.

Must do better.

OP, how was your meeting yesterday? Any updates to be had?

The OP is still ever so busy putting the world's education system to rights on another -bonkers- thread.

But I'm on tenterhooks to hear her groundbreaking ideas...has she solved the education crisis in France?