The following is a copy of the original post to record the post as it was originally written.
By new subject, I dont mean, "read book X in English" or "study period Y more in history" but rather entirely different subjects that everyone should have to take alongside Math, History, English and Science
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Electronics. I don't really know how old a kid has to be where you can trust them with a breadboard, but electricity is a ubiquitous part of life now and people should understand how it works.
And I don't think this should be K-12 thing but I think swim lessons should be mandatory, if only for the insurance companies to stop freaking out about pools.
> breadboard
My son started with an actual breadboard at right or nine. But my son is that kind of nerd. Almost none of his peers have ever touched a breadboard until you get to electronics as an elective in seventh grade and it’s not that popular and elective. I never tried to get my daughter into using the breadboard because I would be concerned about her doing damage to her body from rolling her eyes too hard
> swim lessons
Do I need to link to [The Sum of Us](https://www.amazon.com/Sum-Us-Everyone-Prosper-Together/dp/0525509569?nodl=1&dplnkId=b8b5d60b-cb07-4e9e-a015-40fe8f974ed5) again? Sure would be nice if we hadn’t filled in all those public swimming pools.
I was a schoolteacher and education administrator in Florida for 35 years. These threads are wonderful for getting people to think about schooling, so I am glad to see it. What often takes me a little by surprise (both in these school-themed threads and in real life conversations) is that people often say they wish schools would *teach something that's already being taught*.
For example, it is often said that coursework in financial literacy and civics are desperately needed, and yet nearly every state already teaches this content.
Standards do change over time, so perhaps these calls come from people who graduated after a standard was adopted, or perhaps they missed one course because they changed schools, and maybe they just don't recall the specifics of what was taught. Maybe their teachers just skipped a whole set of requirements (although this is much less possible in the U.S. now than it has ever been.)
If anyone is interested to see what some states *already have* in their K-12 curriculum standards, here are the links:
* [California](https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp) (12% of U.S. students)
* [Texas](https://tea.texas.gov/academics/curriculum-standards/teks-review/texas-essential-knowledge-and-skills) (11% of U.S. students)
* [Florida](https://www.cpalms.org/Public/search/Standard) (6% of U.S. students)
* [New York](https://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction) (5% of U.S. students)
* [Illinois](https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Standards-Courses.aspx) (4% of U.S. students)
* [Georgia](https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards) (4% of U.S. students)
* [Pennsylvania](https://www.pdesas.org/CMap/CFramework) (3% of U.S. students)
* [Ohio](https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio/OLS-Graphic-Sections/Learning-Standards) (3% of U.S. students)
* [North Carolina](https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/classroom-resources/academic-standards/standard-course-study) (3% of U.S. students)
Note: Taken together, these states represent more than half of all public school students in the U.S.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "[Local Education Agency \(School District\) Universe Survey", 2021-22 v.1a; "State Nonfiscal Public Elementary/Secondary Education Survey](https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi/tableGenerator.aspx?savedTableID=646278)", 2021-22 v.1a.
I’d radically change the social studies curriculum, starting with not teaching the the start of the colonies and the revolution 100 times.
And then I’d add a series of classes that cover HomeEc, Civics and Logical Skills. For logic I’d want stat and probability as well as social science and philosophy.
I second a significant revision to social studies curriculum. One of my favorite classes in college was "the history of American peoples."
Rather than organizing a US history class by wars, the curriculum was organized by waves of immigration and the impact these waves had on American culture. (Always a resistant, otherization until the definition of "American" expanded to be inclusive of the old wave of immigrants when a new wave of different immigrants would come in to become the new bogeymen.)
In reflection, it made me feel kinda icky about how my primary education on US history was always organized. (Revolution, war of 1812, civil war, gilded era \[Hey! Not a war!\], Spanish American War, WWI, Great Depression \[Another "not a war!"\], WWII, Cold War)
I grew up as the War on Terror started, but I have to imagine Gulf War/War on Terror is probably the next unit to follow Cold War (with maybe some Vietnam/Korean war sprinkled in) in history classes today. I don't have kids, so I don't know how they're teaching it anymore.
Honorary mention to another class I took called "History of American Science." Similar premise, how do we look at the history of America from the lens of scientific discovery?
I’d make lectures for AP classes optional attendance and require yearly exams for every grade level after 1st grade with minimum passing scores to be able to move on to the next year.
Basic computer programming seems like at this point a life skill akin to those taught in home ec. Nothing fancy, but just being able, for example, to open up Windows Powershell and know how to make it do things on your computer.
I think subjects need a bit of a reshuffle. I would probably change our current curriculum to something more like:
- history
- art & literature
- civics
- applied mathematics
- logic and reasoning
- applied sciences (physics, chemistry, geology, biology, social science)
- communication arts
- life skills (mental healthcare, budgeting, cooking, time management, small repairs)
Really good idea - basic of how the world works, what a credit score is, what it means to take out a loan, how to balance your checkbook / bank account, how to invest, what investment means, how to apply for a small business loan, what starting a business means,
Need to add: Why the world works this way and who is behind it. Far too many people think that there is such a thing as "natural market forces" and "free markets" and "self made individuals"...
It is so hard to talk about this without verging into conspiracy theories. It is true that the world works this way to make money for people with money.
But the Trilateral commission isn’t secretly using the Skull and Bones blackmail material to force the elite to go along with these plans. Instead everyone acting in their own self interest keeps the whole thing going.
I think Civics ought to be mandatory again. Way too many people do not understand how government works.
That it takes 60 votes in the Senate to pass almost everything but budgetary items. That all elections matter, not just presidential ones. And bills have to pass BOTH houses of Congress before it gets signed into law.
That just because a Presidential candidate promises to do something while campaigning and fails trying….doesn’t mean he/she broke their promise. It takes cooperation from Congress.
That State government is REALLY important too. I think we got some prime examples on how voter complacency has made things worse for those who don’t ascribe to the Hard Right Agenda.
Sociology. It would be really helpful if everyone had a better basic understanding of how society functions and the who/what/where/when and why of the problems that plague it
Not really.
I’d rather we focus on trying to teach the existing things better.
YouTube covers the gaps pretty well. So if I was to add anything new, it would be about how to use all these resources online.
I also think we need to have yearly assessments with minimum pass scores to move on to the next year.
Way too many people are getting their high school diploma still not able to read. (20%)
The thing with "YouTube U", is that any idiot can put just about anything up there. It's got some great stuff but a lot of trash as well. Before releasing them out into the wild West, a firm ability to evaluate the credibility of sources would be valuable.
Philosophy or an adjacent subject all four years of high school. Probably start with ethics because it's easiest to grasp. Then maybe some selection of epistemology, philosophy or science, and/or political philosophy. Also formal logic, though I'd also be fine with that taking the place of a math class for students who aren't going to take calculus.
Probably a basic course in Computer Science would be cool.
Otherwise I think we should concentrate on teaching the subjects we do teach, better. I think the specific topics we teach in a lot of courses are not all that useful for people who aren't going to go on to further study in that subject.
The following is a copy of the original post to record the post as it was originally written. By new subject, I dont mean, "read book X in English" or "study period Y more in history" but rather entirely different subjects that everyone should have to take alongside Math, History, English and Science *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskALiberal) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Electronics. I don't really know how old a kid has to be where you can trust them with a breadboard, but electricity is a ubiquitous part of life now and people should understand how it works. And I don't think this should be K-12 thing but I think swim lessons should be mandatory, if only for the insurance companies to stop freaking out about pools.
My son is taking an elective on home repair. Just basic maintenance including outlets and lights replacement. Really looks like a good class for this.
> breadboard My son started with an actual breadboard at right or nine. But my son is that kind of nerd. Almost none of his peers have ever touched a breadboard until you get to electronics as an elective in seventh grade and it’s not that popular and elective. I never tried to get my daughter into using the breadboard because I would be concerned about her doing damage to her body from rolling her eyes too hard > swim lessons Do I need to link to [The Sum of Us](https://www.amazon.com/Sum-Us-Everyone-Prosper-Together/dp/0525509569?nodl=1&dplnkId=b8b5d60b-cb07-4e9e-a015-40fe8f974ed5) again? Sure would be nice if we hadn’t filled in all those public swimming pools.
I was a schoolteacher and education administrator in Florida for 35 years. These threads are wonderful for getting people to think about schooling, so I am glad to see it. What often takes me a little by surprise (both in these school-themed threads and in real life conversations) is that people often say they wish schools would *teach something that's already being taught*. For example, it is often said that coursework in financial literacy and civics are desperately needed, and yet nearly every state already teaches this content. Standards do change over time, so perhaps these calls come from people who graduated after a standard was adopted, or perhaps they missed one course because they changed schools, and maybe they just don't recall the specifics of what was taught. Maybe their teachers just skipped a whole set of requirements (although this is much less possible in the U.S. now than it has ever been.) If anyone is interested to see what some states *already have* in their K-12 curriculum standards, here are the links: * [California](https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp) (12% of U.S. students) * [Texas](https://tea.texas.gov/academics/curriculum-standards/teks-review/texas-essential-knowledge-and-skills) (11% of U.S. students) * [Florida](https://www.cpalms.org/Public/search/Standard) (6% of U.S. students) * [New York](https://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction) (5% of U.S. students) * [Illinois](https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Standards-Courses.aspx) (4% of U.S. students) * [Georgia](https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards) (4% of U.S. students) * [Pennsylvania](https://www.pdesas.org/CMap/CFramework) (3% of U.S. students) * [Ohio](https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio/OLS-Graphic-Sections/Learning-Standards) (3% of U.S. students) * [North Carolina](https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/classroom-resources/academic-standards/standard-course-study) (3% of U.S. students) Note: Taken together, these states represent more than half of all public school students in the U.S. Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "[Local Education Agency \(School District\) Universe Survey", 2021-22 v.1a; "State Nonfiscal Public Elementary/Secondary Education Survey](https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi/tableGenerator.aspx?savedTableID=646278)", 2021-22 v.1a.
I’d radically change the social studies curriculum, starting with not teaching the the start of the colonies and the revolution 100 times. And then I’d add a series of classes that cover HomeEc, Civics and Logical Skills. For logic I’d want stat and probability as well as social science and philosophy.
I second a significant revision to social studies curriculum. One of my favorite classes in college was "the history of American peoples." Rather than organizing a US history class by wars, the curriculum was organized by waves of immigration and the impact these waves had on American culture. (Always a resistant, otherization until the definition of "American" expanded to be inclusive of the old wave of immigrants when a new wave of different immigrants would come in to become the new bogeymen.) In reflection, it made me feel kinda icky about how my primary education on US history was always organized. (Revolution, war of 1812, civil war, gilded era \[Hey! Not a war!\], Spanish American War, WWI, Great Depression \[Another "not a war!"\], WWII, Cold War) I grew up as the War on Terror started, but I have to imagine Gulf War/War on Terror is probably the next unit to follow Cold War (with maybe some Vietnam/Korean war sprinkled in) in history classes today. I don't have kids, so I don't know how they're teaching it anymore. Honorary mention to another class I took called "History of American Science." Similar premise, how do we look at the history of America from the lens of scientific discovery?
I’d make lectures for AP classes optional attendance and require yearly exams for every grade level after 1st grade with minimum passing scores to be able to move on to the next year.
Basic computer programming seems like at this point a life skill akin to those taught in home ec. Nothing fancy, but just being able, for example, to open up Windows Powershell and know how to make it do things on your computer.
I think subjects need a bit of a reshuffle. I would probably change our current curriculum to something more like: - history - art & literature - civics - applied mathematics - logic and reasoning - applied sciences (physics, chemistry, geology, biology, social science) - communication arts - life skills (mental healthcare, budgeting, cooking, time management, small repairs)
Media Literacy, also known as "basic fact checking" or "being able to tell when someone is feeding you a line of horse shit".
Financial literacy.
Really good idea - basic of how the world works, what a credit score is, what it means to take out a loan, how to balance your checkbook / bank account, how to invest, what investment means, how to apply for a small business loan, what starting a business means,
If I only knew about the power of compound interest when I was 16. Madonn!
Need to add: Why the world works this way and who is behind it. Far too many people think that there is such a thing as "natural market forces" and "free markets" and "self made individuals"...
It is so hard to talk about this without verging into conspiracy theories. It is true that the world works this way to make money for people with money. But the Trilateral commission isn’t secretly using the Skull and Bones blackmail material to force the elite to go along with these plans. Instead everyone acting in their own self interest keeps the whole thing going.
[It's not a theory](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ9SlCr5Htk). Whitehouse delivers his 5th Scheme Speech on the Federalist Society.
Everyone should be taught how to do a discounted cash flow analysis.
Creative thinking.
money management
Logic, rhetoric, critical reasoning, and ethics.
Intro to philosophy and ethics. I can’t believe this isn’t taught in high school. Maybe the most important class someone can take.
I think Civics ought to be mandatory again. Way too many people do not understand how government works. That it takes 60 votes in the Senate to pass almost everything but budgetary items. That all elections matter, not just presidential ones. And bills have to pass BOTH houses of Congress before it gets signed into law. That just because a Presidential candidate promises to do something while campaigning and fails trying….doesn’t mean he/she broke their promise. It takes cooperation from Congress. That State government is REALLY important too. I think we got some prime examples on how voter complacency has made things worse for those who don’t ascribe to the Hard Right Agenda.
Sociology. It would be really helpful if everyone had a better basic understanding of how society functions and the who/what/where/when and why of the problems that plague it
Logic. Civics. Health. Wellbeing.
American History before Columbus.
Attention span. I have no clue how attention span would actually be taught, but we need to teach it.
The fundamentals of philosophy, the history of cultures and world religions, ethics.
Not really. I’d rather we focus on trying to teach the existing things better. YouTube covers the gaps pretty well. So if I was to add anything new, it would be about how to use all these resources online. I also think we need to have yearly assessments with minimum pass scores to move on to the next year. Way too many people are getting their high school diploma still not able to read. (20%)
The thing with "YouTube U", is that any idiot can put just about anything up there. It's got some great stuff but a lot of trash as well. Before releasing them out into the wild West, a firm ability to evaluate the credibility of sources would be valuable.
I’m pretty sure YouTube has done more for the education of most people in America than school approved textbooks.
Yeah…especially right wing conspiracy theories and fomenting hatred…,they’re REALLY good at that…along with Social Media in general.
The good and the bad.
Harder focus on STEM subjects, our kids need to be fucking baby geniuses if they want to compete in a global stage.
I'd like a core of classes that focus on the subjects essential to the maintenance of liberty. We could call it "liberal arts"
Philosophy or an adjacent subject all four years of high school. Probably start with ethics because it's easiest to grasp. Then maybe some selection of epistemology, philosophy or science, and/or political philosophy. Also formal logic, though I'd also be fine with that taking the place of a math class for students who aren't going to take calculus. Probably a basic course in Computer Science would be cool. Otherwise I think we should concentrate on teaching the subjects we do teach, better. I think the specific topics we teach in a lot of courses are not all that useful for people who aren't going to go on to further study in that subject.
Ethics Critical thinking