I don't know what to say about this.  Should we accommodate them and make life all fluffy so that their feelings are cared for or show it to them like it is...life is a bitch and then you die.

And then they shoot up the school...

Then again, didn't the boomer's go through the non-PC gym class, in which dodge ball was the game of social separation and identity?  Last time I heard they didn't go shooting up schools.

Dodge ball is necessary for finding ones own identity.   No one learns from themselves more than having to face line drive balls coming at you from every angle.   And then having the opportunity to return the favor. 

Sorry, I don't find "uncomfortable" as an excuse for lack of effort.

I disagree to an extent. Kids who think they may not be college bound in high school may change their mind later in life, and regardless if they go to college or not a well rounded high school education will help them in life even if it has no immediate or obvious benefits.

On a more global note, I hate being know as a nation of idiots. That people of other countries call into question our IQ's and education, It wouldn't have happened 40 years ago, we have let ourselves go and we need as a nation to get back on track.

I think the secret is letting kids decide (say, as Juniors), what sort of curriculum they want.  The biggest problem I remember in high school is that I didn't really have a desire to learn.  Nothing really kept my interest, and I'm sure that hasn't changed for kids now.

I have proposed that a "written-in-stone" curriculum is good for the first two years of high school, and then when students start their Junior years, they have a choice of what to "Specialize" in.  It is almost like universities where you do general studies for the first two years and then major in something for your last two or three years.

So, you could have the first two years doing general studies (two english, two math, two history, etc.) and then as a Junior, you choose a specialization in one of the following (for example):

Science and Engineering
Linguistics and Cultural Studies
General Studies

Obviously, depending on money, you could break this up further and do a better job of "specializing" in a particular area.

So, for the Science and Engineering (S&E) student, you may get the following schedule:

Junior
  1)  Computer programming
  2)  Calculus I
  3)  Chemistry
  4)  Discrete Mathmatics
  5)  Electronics
  6)  American History
  7)  Any Elective (music, art, PE, etc)
    Any Elective (could be another technical course, or something else)

Senior
  1)  Calculus-based physics
  2)  Calculus II
  3)  Statics and Dynamics (fundamental mechanical engineering)
  4)  Technical writing
  5)  Intro to Computer Science
  6)  European History
  7)  Technical Elective (could be something in biological sciences or another math course)
    Any Non-technical elective (music, art, language, history, anything)

Obviously, the linguistics and cultural studies kids would be heavy on the literature, history, and foriegn language.  But it is important to note that they wont escape some math and science just as S&E kids won't escape some history and literature. 

It would be tough to pull off as you would need teachers that could actually teach those subjects.  But if at Graduation these kids received diplomas and certificates in their "major" areas, I think that would get a lot more kids excited about learning.  I know I would have been all about the science and engineering path, and would have had a much better start once I started college.

Switch around programming and comp sci......

A well rounded education is fine and I agree with your statement. What I am refering to is the requirement for students to take Math and English every year in High school. Leading the students to take whats is esentially the SAME CLASS 3 or 4 years running. If they haven'g moved upto high end math by Sophmore year, they aren;t going to. That time would be better spent in something that will benefit the child more.

Your reference to stupidity is actually about kids learning basic things. I have a friend who is a teacher who has students who graduate high school and don't know how to count out change. Tell time on a non-digital clock face. Balance a check book.

You want to raise the acedemic excelence, I just want to see them come out of high skrewl (Ihate using a Rushism but it is SO appropriate) with the basic skills to survive.