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7y

This is going to take a second to get dev related, please bear with me.

So, I'm from a pretty small (and poor) town. Like most small towns, not many give a damn about computer science/IT (that shows by the fact I'm the only CS major. And there's one IT major).

Now, my high school offers a few "career prep" classes. There's (no exaggeration) almost 5 or 6 classes for medical majors to prepare themselves; like 4 different agriculture based classes; 2 business major classes; and surprise surprise...not a damn Computer Science or IT class.

Yes, we have a computer class. But can you even call a "How to Use Microscoft Products" class an computer class? Finally by my senior year, I got pissed off by this.

I had/have relatives that have worked/are working in the school system, so it wasn't hard to get a meeting with the superintendent and the assistant superintendent to discuss my thoughts. They were both open to and even supported my ideas. But due to funding, it wasn't a feasible idea at the time. (Especially since not many care about CS or IT.)

This is where I get really really pissed off. Being that the town is small, the people with money/a name tend to control things. So, a former principal retired with the expectations to work in another county. However, this job fail through. But there was a "magical" opening for a job that didn't exist before this job fail through.

This pisses me off. We can create a job for someone and afford a full time salary for them, but we cant get an actual CS class. (And this isn't the first time a job was created for someone.)

rant

money

fucked up

education system
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  • 2
    7y
    it happens, the closest thing I had was a typing class in high school. but I'm not really worried about it cause even back then I realized the education system is broken and outdated
  • 1
    7y
    So what is it that you want to do then? Have your own class? Is it a theory of computer science sort of thing or a more practical approach to the subject with actual workshops? Maybe something in between.

    I can see why is not happening, I also come from a small town (150k p) with needs that revolve around the manufacturing industry and IT its a hard pitch. But if you are to sell the idea of a educating you probably have to build infrastructure that shows how you can improve life through tech within the context of your town. Build a website and showcase work, start small independent chapters of hack gatherings. Once the idea of tech as a source of improvement for life is in the wild you'll get your class if that's what you want.

    Just showing up and asking for it its a bit of a cold sales strategy. Fuck their brains with something beautiful and collect your reward!!! Whooo
  • 3
    7y
    @codePolitics 150k small? shit try 12.5k that's the population as of the last census
  • 1
    7y
    @codePolitics Excuse me sir, 150k is a small city, not a town.

    But they have part time employees that teach 2 classes and leave. Or they could have an IT department member come in for one period on MWF and teach, giving us HW to do on Tuesday and Thursday. There's definitely a few ways it could be played out. Or Instead of 3 Microsoft classes, transform one into an Intro to CS class.
  • 1
    7y
    @PerfectAsshole My county has 50k, but that's because we also have one of the biggest counties based on land size.

    But the town I live in is under 5k.
  • 1
    7y
    @jhh2450 I come from a small town, I work and live currently in a 2.5k pop town... Still valid argument. How's your class any better than a Microsoft based one on that context? What difference is gonna make within the context of the town?
  • 1
    7y
    (1/2) @codePolitics My class would teach you something more than how to paste a fucking picture into a word document. Aka something I learned in middle school. It would act as an introductory course everyone has to take at college; breaking down basic syntax of a simple language.

    What's the difference it'll make? The commissioners are always complaining about the youth leaving and going to bigger cities and towns. They want us to be 21st century. If you start to teach 21dt century classes, 21st century jobs will come.

    A guy from this town went to another city and started a pretty successful company. He then tried to return to my town to open up a satellite office, in effort to modernize the town. (Pretty sure it failed, as I've not seen much about it lately.)

    I went to speak with the founder and just talk for a bit, but he was out that day. Their office building was a really big building that had 3 employees; 2 coders and 1 HR. And that HR person was from the main office.
  • 1
    7y
    (2/2) @codePolitics Now, the purpose of these career classes that are offered are to help people see the job opportunities out there and try subjects out. Most high school students have really no idea what they want to do until their last year. What if this class existed? What if a lot of people discovered programming and liked it? What if there were enough people to feel that company's positions up? What if that lead to more companies coming to do the same thing here? (Yes, this is all speculation, but it's pretty valid speculation.)
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