A MINORITY VIEW
BY WALTER WILLIAMS
RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2009
Dumbest Generation Getting Dumber
The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international comparison of 15-year-olds conducted by The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that measures applied learning and problem-solving ability. In 2006, U.S. students ranked 25th of 30 advanced nations in math and 24th in science. McKinsey & Company, in releasing its report "The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America's Schools" (April 2009) said, "Several other facts paint a worrisome picture. First, the longer American children are in school, the worse they perform compared to their international peers. In recent cross-country comparisons of fourth grade reading, math, and science, US students scored in the top quarter or top half of advanced nations. By age 15 these rankings drop to the bottom half. In other words, American students are farthest behind just as they are about to enter higher education or the workforce." That's a sobering thought. The longer kids are in school and the more money we spend on them, the further behind they get.
While the academic performance of white students is grossly inferior, that of black and Latino students is a national disgrace. The McKinsey report says, "On average, black and Latino students are roughly two to three years of learning behind white students of the same age. This racial gap exists regardless of how it is measured, including both achievement (e.g., test score) and attainment (e.g., graduation rate) measures. Taking the average National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores for math and reading across the fourth and eighth grades, for example, 48 percent of blacks and 43 percent of Latinos are 'below basic,' while only 17 percent of whites are, and this gap exists in every state. A more pronounced racial achievement gap exists in most large urban school districts." Below basic is the category the NAEP uses for students unable to display even partial mastery of knowledge and skills fundamental for proficient work at their grade level.
The teaching establishment and politicians have hoodwinked taxpayers into believing that more money is needed to improve education. The Washington, D.C., school budget is about the nation's costliest, spending about $15,000 per pupil. Its student/teacher ratio, at 15.2 to 1, is lower than the nation's average. Yet student achievement is just about the lowest in the nation. What's so callous about the Washington situation is about 1,700 children in kindergarten through 12th grade receive the $7,500 annual scholarships in order to escape rotten D.C. public schools, and four times as many apply for the scholarships, yet Congress, beholden to the education establishment, will end funding the school voucher program.
Any long-term solution to our education problems requires the decentralization that can come from competition. Centralization has been massive. In 1930, there were 119,000 school districts across the U.S; today, there are less than 15,000. Control has moved from local communities to the school district, to the state, and to the federal government. Public education has become a highly centralized government-backed monopoly and we shouldn't be surprised by the results. It's a no-brainer that the areas of our lives with the greatest innovation, tailoring of services to individual wants and falling prices are the areas where there is ruthless competition such as computers, food, telephone and clothing industries, and delivery companies such as UPS, Federal Express and electronic bill payments that have begun to undermine the postal monopoly in first-class mail.
At a Washington press conference launching the McKinsey report, Al Sharpton called school reform the civil rights challenge of our time. He said that the enemy of opportunity for blacks in the U.S. was once Jim Crow; today, in a slap at the educational establishment, he said it was "Professor James Crow." Sharpton is only partly correct. School reform is not solely a racial issue; it's a vital issue for the entire nation.
Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. To find out more about Walter E. Williams and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
[/align]
__________________
John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
At a Washington press conference launching the McKinsey report, Al Sharpton called school reform the civil rights challenge of our time. He said that the enemy of opportunity for blacks in the U.S. was once Jim Crow; today, in a slap at the educational establishment, he said it was "Professor James Crow." Sharpton is only partly correct. School reform is not solely a racial issue; it's a vital issue for the entire nation.
ZOMGWTFBBQ? Sharpton actually said something useful and correct that I can agree with?
Education has become more about looking out for the interests of teacher's unions than about teaching kids.
In my state, the union is very powerful and opposes any educational entity that doesn't involve union teachers: virtual schools, charter school, school vouchers- did I mention that these programs are usually wildly successful until the union uses its political pull to have them shut down?
__________________
Obamanfreude - 1. taking pleasure from the misfortunes of an Obama supporter as he or she is adversely affected by the policies of their Dear Leader.
At a Washington press conference launching the McKinsey report, Al Sharpton called school reform the civil rights challenge of our time. He said that the enemy of opportunity for blacks in the U.S. was once Jim Crow; today, in a slap at the educational establishment, he said it was "Professor James Crow." Sharpton is only partly correct. School reform is not solely a racial issue; it's a vital issue for the entire nation.
ZOMGWTFBBQ? Sharpton actually said something useful and correct that I can agree with?
Education has become more about looking out for the interests of teacher's unions than about teaching kids.
In my state, the union is very powerful and opposes any educational entity that doesn't involve union teachers: virtual schools, charter school, school vouchers- did I mention that these programs are usually wildly successful until the union uses its political pull to have them shut down?
Did you really just blame the Teachers Union for poor education policies and practices? You could not be more wrong about that. In fact, I have to listen to my wife every night, who is a teacher, gripe about how powerless they are to hold kids back, give failing grades, discipline kids and the list goes on and on. This blame falls square on the govt and their "cant hurt anyones feelings" idea.
These are the same types of people that brought about affirmative action and the like. Its sickening to destroy a nation to make a minority happy. Im tired of it.
Im on board with both Lubricious and Briman...I don't think Briman was attacking teachers per-se, but rather the
protections-turned-abuses the teachers union affords it's members and which everyone must live by. The problem
is complex, but simply put, is the result of government intrusion, union abuse of the system, and loss of teacher authority and autonomy. When I was a kid, my mother sat with me and made darn sure I could multiply, divide, add, subtract, read, write, etc. Nowadays, parents treat schools like daycare centers and do not participate in the education of their kids. There are some truly excellent and motivated teachers out there, and they are being stifled,
abused and discouraged from excellence. Private schools are the way to go, it seems, because public schools have much more 'overhead' than readin' 'ritin and 'rithmetic.
Then, if by some miracle a kid is able to make it graduation, they are propagandized in High School and in Institutions of 'higher learning'. Anyone see 'Idiocracy" ? Therein lies our future...the land of dummies, ruled by idiots. We're half way there already (being ruled by idiots...heheheh)
I think someone once suggested that instead of trying to figure out why so many kids, particularly those in the inner city schools, do so poorly, they should try to figure out why a small percentage do well.
My mom made it clear to my teachers that she expected them to TEACH me. She also made it even more clear to me that she expected me to LEARN. I didn't sit in front of the TV playing video games. I studied and did my homework. The funny thing is that my mom worked nights. She wasn't even there to make sure I did. What motivated me? Well I came to enjoy learning, but there was a strong element of fear. Was I afraid of my mom? Yes I was. I love my mother but she could make failure to meet her standards painful. And I understood why.
I would say that the majority of parents in my schools didn't care very much whether their kids learned anything or not. Sure, teachers are not all perfect. Some are good, some are losers, most are okay. The problem is the parents.
May The Sheep Be With You
__________________
Proud parents of our own "Daddy's Little Girls"
I heard Jesus He drank wine and I bet we'd get along just fine.
There's alot of blame to be spread around on this one. Parents who don't encourage their kids to go to school/study/do homework/do well. Kids who'd rather spend hours playing Xbox than studying. Gov't's that would rather spend money on welfare than education. Teachers who teach their personal agendas than recognized ciriculum.
Did you really just blame the Teachers Union for poor education policies and practices? You could not be more wrong about that. In fact, I have to listen to my wife every night, who is a teacher, gripe about how powerless they are to hold kids back, give failing grades, discipline kids and the list goes on and on. This blame falls square on the govt and their "cant hurt anyones feelings" idea.
These are the same types of people that brought about affirmative action and the like. Its sickening to destroy a nation to make a minority happy. Im tired of it.
It might be different in different parts of the country, but in my state the Teachers Union (WEAC) is the government.
__________________
Obamanfreude - 1. taking pleasure from the misfortunes of an Obama supporter as he or she is adversely affected by the policies of their Dear Leader.
As far as kids/parents being unmotivated towards education, why force kids to go to school. If its clear that a 'student' is only in school because their 'parent' is using the school system as a babysitting service, why not boot the student and put them directly on the welfare system which they are going to be on the rest of their life anyhow? This also gives teachers a chance to teach instead of having to deal with the lowest common denominator.
To add: I don't blame individual teachers, some are really good, most are good enough, some are truly terrible.
__________________
Obamanfreude - 1. taking pleasure from the misfortunes of an Obama supporter as he or she is adversely affected by the policies of their Dear Leader.
I think someone once suggested that instead of trying to figure out why so many kids, particularly those in the inner city schools, do so poorly, they should try to figure out why a small percentage do well.
My mom made it clear to my teachers that she expected them to TEACH me. She also made it even more clear to me that she expected me to LEARN. I didn't sit in front of the TV playing video games. I studied and did my homework. The funny thing is that my mom worked nights. She wasn't even there to make sure I did. What motivated me? Well I came to enjoy learning, but there was a strong element of fear. Was I afraid of my mom? Yes I was. I love my mother but she could make failure to meet her standards painful. And I understood why.
I would say that the majority of parents in my schools didn't care very much whether their kids learned anything or not. Sure, teachers are not all perfect. Some are good, some are losers, most are okay. The problem is the parents.
May The Sheep Be With You
Well, to your credit, you mother definitely got involved. Seems that's becoming an increasingly more obvious quality necessary to a good education. Involved parents, regardless of their methodology, have a requirement and an expectation of performance. Kids with involved parents do much better than kids whose mothers are out smokin' crack....
As far as kids/parents being unmotivated towards education, why force kids to go to school. If its clear that a 'student' is only in school because their 'parent' is using the school system as a babysitting service, why not boot the student and put them directly on the welfare system which they are going to be on the rest of their life anyhow? This also gives teachers a chance to teach instead of having to deal with the lowest common denominator.
To add: I don't blame individual teachers, some are really good, most are good enough, some are truly terrible.
I take exception...unless the kid's a problem conduct-wise, he's not responsible if his parents are morons.
Everyone deserves a chance, and I'd rather sweat a teacher than cut a welfare check, especially to an able-bodied person who's just too uneducated to be useful. I agree there should be a 'weeding-out' process for non-performers; this process will serve both as a 'career move' (the world needs laborers as much as doctors), and as an example to those who would follow suit except they don't wanna dig ditches...a negative example can be very strong.
For lousy teachers, we need to discard the idea of tenure; slugs who milk the system from which they cannot be
culled are a burden. Fire 'em and hire somebody who WANTS to teach...there are many many people engaged in the teaching profession who entered the field not to teach or make a difference, but rather to get summers off, to get a week off in the spring, one in the fall, and all holidays. Slugs....
Dumbest Generation Getting Dumber
May The Sheep Be With You
