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A German exchange student's account of "Trump Country" - in defense of rural USA

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BajiBoxer

Banned
Is that depending on the state you live in, in the US?

But yes, that is criminal imo.

There are some national standards, but yes, the school systems vary a great deal from state to state. Actually not even between states. It's a huge difference just between villages/cities.
 

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
Its a good lesson. Its also more complicated because where she relocated in America doesn't even represent a lot of America in general, so there are so many different places that hold different standards in general.

But with that being said, it is a good lesson...she actually learned tolerance despite being in one of the most intolerant environments. She was able to understand that someone's environment can easily shape how they act and react to things and situations. So when she went back to Germany, she even took that with her and actually learned a lesson about her own home environment and how they think about the US and what they see in the news as well.
 
There are some national standards, but yes, the school systems vary a great deal from state to state. Actually not even between states. It's a huge difference just between villages/cities.

Excuse me, can you expand on this?

You guys don't have an standardized education system?

What about College requirements? are those different from state to state as well?
 

Beefy

Member
Excuse me, can you expand on this?

You guys don't have an standardized education system?

What about College requirements? are those different from state to state as well?

When one school can teach that god made everything and another teaches you about evolution, I would say they don't.
 

PillarEN

Member
Just to touch on bullying. I saw it in all 3 countries I lived in. I never saw the stereotypical tv bully either but definitely saw bullying. Bullying, fighting. Some schools were in better places, some more economicaly diverse. None of this anti intelligence in the class curriculum, but people being jerks was universal.
 

Subitai

Member
Excuse me, can you expand on this?

You guys don't have an standardized education system?

What about College requirements? are those different from state to state as well?
There are very basic standards at the federal level, but states usually set most of the requirements and then the local school district goes into even more detail. There is a lot of variation between states and then even more between districts. A school district in suburb Seattle, where Microsoft, Costco, Starbucks, Amazon, and Expedia employees live is going to have a lot of money from residential property taxes and a lot of parental pressure to push student standards has high as possible. This is a far cry from the small town that Paulina has visited where there is probably bare minimum revenue from property taxes (many inner city districts don't have enough) and what little push there is from parents is more for resistance from federal intrusion from things like common core. When you read things like, "your chance of success is determined most by the zip (postal) code you live in", this is what it is referring to.

College requirements are different for each university.

The only thing that is standard are the regular SAT and ACT tests. However they only measure math, grammar, and reading comprehension. There are additional more specialized SAT and ACT tests in specific subjects that more competitive colleges require, so only the more academically driven students are going to put time into them. Similarly, the Advance Placement tests that students can take that will replace a first semester introductory class are the same for every HS student taking them. Again however, only the most dedicated fraction of students will have the interest or resources to put time into preparing and taking them. Also keep in mind that many students don't even take the SAT because they're going to drive trucks, work the family farm, or do plumbing/carpentry/etc. They still need to know "how to learn" as all that work is getting more and more digital in some way.
 

nampad

Member
So being raised as an ignorant fool is something else as being a ignorant dumb fool? Yeah, not really. What matters in the end is that you are an ignorant dumb fool. It's the same with those idiots we have running around here in Germany.

Also, how open minded of Paulina that she might date a CDU voter now.
 
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