Politics And Current Events

[Trip McNeely]

Arguing against teaching history is pretty laughable. Unless you want a country of Marjorie Taylor-Greens who like comparing everything to Nazism despite having zero educational reference for what that means

My dumbest friend often says “I hate all history” and is the least cultured person I know. He’s great financially and is pretty damn wealthy and successful …and in most cases like talking to a piece of cardboard

[King Colby]

This imaginary financial literacy class would probably mean nothing to a teenager, just random numbers without any real context. Attitudes towards debt and income doesn't have much to do with learning amortization schedules. It's behavioral, and going to likely derive strongly from your family and their financial condition.

Are you familiar with Junior Achievement? There is financial literacy programming from K-12. I have personally taught JA day to 2nd, 5th, and 7th graders and had a mostly engaging experience with them. And this is in places like Wilkinsburg.

Imagine if they dedicated one period for one semester each year to cover this curriculum, rather than one 6-hour school day (lunch and "specials" excluded) per year.

I am sure that is helpful, and I am sure an educator would do a better job explaining why this doesn't extrapolate, and the content isn't intrinsically engaging to the point that this experience would translate to anything beyond, what sounds like, a break in these kids standard school routine.

So your position is that financial literacy is unteachable and therefore students shouldn't be held accountable for financial decisions until some undefined future point in time?

[Trip McNeely]

Also the best way to teach kids about personal finance is through a summer job and that seems to be a bit of a rarity nowadays

[MWB]

I teach middle school math, and part of the curriculum is percents. Every year I talk about how this is something you'll use the rest of your life with things like tax, tip, sales, how stores create prices by marking up the cost to them. There are definitely a lot of "ah ha" moments for them. They like knowing the real world applications (although some will always say something about just using an app to find tip). I do think it is beneficial to them. The problem is, though, that they don't really then apply it beyond the classroom. They're not paying for meals and leaving a tip. Kind of the same issue in high school. They don't have a credit card yet, or a mortgage to pay off. So yes, it would be beneficial to a degree, I agree. But for many, since they can't yet see it in action in their lives, it doesn't have the same weight as we may like to think.

[NAN]

Also the best way to teach kids about personal finance is through a summer job and that seems to be a bit of a rarity nowadays

Can't let my kids work at McDonald's or kennywood. That would be too hard.

[Troy Loney]

I am sure that is helpful, and I am sure an educator would do a better job explaining why this doesn't extrapolate, and the content isn't intrinsically engaging to the point that this experience would translate to anything beyond, what sounds like, a break in these kids standard school routine.

So your position is that financial literacy is unteachable and therefore students shouldn't be held accountable for financial decisions until some undefined future point in time?

Yes, or that it's not something that can't be corrected by messing with a school curriculum.

For me, my trig teacher complained about this same **** in high school. He spent one day talking about balancing a check book and budgeting. It was very helpful, and the amount that you can actually teach someone does not extend significantly beyond that. That lesson combined with a excel elective that I took in high school was everything one needs to learn the x's and o's. The rest is behavioral.

and edit. what MWB said above.

[tifosi77]

"My dumbest friend" lol

[NAN]

Cliff notes the last few pages. Only way to teach people real world financial applications are to let them experience in the real world, but what typically is said person's first experience in real world financial application should be forgiven because it makes their life harder.

And mikey has the answers to all of life's problems.

[Gaucho]

heh

[Trip McNeely]

"My dumbest friend" lol

Lol it’s the truth. Guy has zero drive to gain knowledge. Just totally content in is ignorance hahaha

[NAN]

"My dumbest friend" lol

Lol it’s the truth. Guy has zero drive to gain knowledge. Just totally content in is ignorance hahaha

I'm guessing he doesn't have a lot of stress or anxiety either?
Might be onto something.

[Troy Loney]

Cliff notes the last few pages. Only way to teach people real world financial applications are to let them experience in the real world, but what typically is said person's first experience in real world financial application should be forgiven because it makes their life harder.

And mikey has the answers to all of life's problems.

Or we should teach them that student loan debt is going to significantly decrease their standard of living, delay their ability to own a home and start a family. So they should just not go to college, instead, live in their parent's basement, work minimum wage jobs and play video games.

[NAN]

heh

I don't know why, but everytime you randomly come in and post "heh", I just picture some guy with a cigar and a glass of scotch, sitting back and enjoying the lunatics run around the asylum and giving out a little laugh.

[tifosi77]

Also the best way to teach kids about personal finance is through a summer job and that seems to be a bit of a rarity nowadays

My first job was lifeguard at an apartment complex swimming pool. It cost around $300 to get all the certifications I needed before I could do the work. I had a half day of orientation and training on the physical plant, and my first paycheck was like $53. I cashed it and went to the mall and bought a pair of Wayfarers for $48 and change.

[tifosi77]

heh

I don't know why, but everytime you randomly come in and post "heh", I just picture some guy with a cigar and a glass of scotch, sitting back and enjoying the lunatics run around the asylum and giving out a little laugh.

I sorta feel like this is pretty accurate, actually.

[Gaucho]

well, I gave up smoking so

[NAN]

Cliff notes the last few pages. Only way to teach people real world financial applications are to let them experience in the real world, but what typically is said person's first experience in real world financial application should be forgiven because it makes their life harder.

And mikey has the answers to all of life's problems.

Or we should teach them that student loan debt is going to significantly decrease their standard of living, delay their ability to own a home and start a family. So they should just not go to college, instead, live in their parent's basement, work minimum wage jobs and play video games.

Probably. Then the smart people without cultured brains can get the real jobs, pay off their debts, and have a strong financial portfolio.

[NAN]

Also the best way to teach kids about personal finance is through a summer job and that seems to be a bit of a rarity nowadays

My first job was lifeguard at an apartment complex swimming pool. It cost around $300 to get all the certifications I needed before I could do the work. I had a half day of orientation and training on the physical plant, and my first paycheck was like $53. I cashed it and went to the mall and bought a pair of Wayfarers for $48 and change.

You turned out OK it seems like. Working a minimum wage summer job didn't kill you.

[dodint]

Also the best way to teach kids about personal finance is through a summer job and that seems to be a bit of a rarity nowadays

Can't let my kids work at McDonald's or kennywood. That would be too hard.

Hot Take: All those jobs are taken by mid-lifers and boomers that think those jobs are supposed to be careers.

[King Colby]

Also the best way to teach kids about personal finance is through a summer job and that seems to be a bit of a rarity nowadays

Can't let my kids work at McDonald's or kennywood. That would be too hard.

Hot Take: All those jobs are taken by mid-lifers and boomers that think those jobs are supposed to be careers.

So do the people who think they should be making $15/hour

[King Colby]

Arguing against teaching history is pretty laughable. Unless you want a country of Marjorie Taylor-Greens who like comparing everything to Nazism despite having zero educational reference for what that means

My dumbest friend often says “I hate all history” and is the least cultured person I know. He’s great financially and is pretty damn wealthy and successful …and in most cases like talking to a piece of cardboard

It's not an either/or for me. I just find one to be more important than the other. One makes you a functioning human, the other makes you less of an idiot

[King Colby]

The problem is, though, that they don't really then apply it beyond the classroom. They're not paying for meals and leaving a tip. Kind of the same issue in high school. They don't have a credit card yet, or a mortgage to pay off. So yes, it would be beneficial to a degree, I agree. But for many, since they can't yet see it in action in their lives, it doesn't have the same weight as we may like to think.

This is where parents come in and should be seeking opportunities to teach real life lessons to their kids.

Unfortunately that seems to be the case less and less anymore.

[tifosi77]

Honestly, i think"being less of an idiot" is more useful than being 'functional', if I'm understanding each term.

[Gaucho]

Yes.

[MWB]

Honestly, i think"being less of an idiot" is more useful than being 'functional', if I'm understanding each term.

This. One could argue that know how societies work and people interact would make you more (or at least as) functional.