State of Education
The “Big” news is that the high school graduation rate is horribly low. There’s an easy way to fix that — and one that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools have employed with great success — just give everyone a diploma. Know what? I’m willing to bet that Detroit, with the 25% graduation rate, does just that. I mean, just about every public school I’ve worked with gives anyone a diploma who shows up — so I imagine Detroit does, too. So what does that say about the schools?
I think it says that the students have realized what I have known for years (if not decades). A high school diploma is completely worthless. It does not indicate anything. It does not mean that you know how to calculate overtime or do other basic math. It does not mean that you know anything about US or World History. It certainly doesn’t mean that you know anything at all about the English language and how to use correct grammar. In fact, can you name anything that is learned from a school that isn’t already learned somewhere else (apart from planning murders, of course)? I bet you cannot.
What value is there to a high school diploma? What does it tell you when students in Detroit are offered a diploma for just showing up — and they’re not even showing up? I don’t think it illustrates the need for more cash for education (as government does) — I think it shows that more and more people, students included, realize there is simply no value and no advantage to having a high school diploma. And I think they’re right.
Popularity: 11% [?]
Possibly similar posts - Education or Conditioning? - Civic Literacy Scholarship Contest - Capitalism in Education? - ACLU Stops Bibles in Schools - Rapist in School? Shhhh! Don’t Tell!
To be honest, my youngest son ended up quiting school at 16 and is going for his GED. Why, the school system here is about as corrupt as they come and all about getting funds and not about education. He has an LD and everytime I dealt with the school they either lied, broke the law, dropped the ball on procedure, or all three. But from what I have been hearing from college students, the advisors have more confidence in the GEDs than the core 40 diploma’s handed out by the gooberment schools! At least you HAVE TO KNOW your basic skills to pass the exams to get one! This is a sad state of affairs. Remember when some states had the standard where you had to pass a “regent’s exam” to get your diploma??? If they implemented that now… the colleges would be scrapping for students come this fall. Education should be simple. Private schools make parents sign an agreement to adhere to “their rules” or withdrawl their child. That is why they don’t graduate illiterates. The minute education hands control over to parents who may or may not care, they lose the ability to educate and become glorified babysitters. And of course, only parents who are themselves educated and understand the value of a good education attempt to homeschool, so those kids come out with a good education fit for college success too. When I was in my late thirties, I enrolled in Adult Ed at Anderson University and took a test to test out of freshman English. I had to write a 2 page essay on everything I knew about Mark Twain (Samuel Clemons). I test out of my freshman English requirement about 20 years after I graduated high school. Darn near burnt up my last two active brain cells doing it too!!! LOL!!! But my point is, even with ADHD, I got a strong education when I was growing up and it enabled me to do that. I don’t think there are too many high school graduates nowadays who even know who Mark Twain is, let along be able to write a paragraph about him that was grammatically correct!
the state of education is utter failure.
Man… judging by my typos above… the story may be hard to believe, but true. I can’t seem to type as well as I used to. quitting instead ofquiting; I “tested” out, not I test out; let alone not let along… and the “t” in “The” should be capitalized in the last sentence. Big ole DUH!!!!!
And you passed English? Well, at least you recognized your mistakes — most of today’s graduates would not.
I find that view interesting — that perhaps a GED is worth more than a high school diploma. I imagine that certainly could be the case, but I’m not sure if they’ve dumbed down the GED test to the levels of high schools. That would be very interesting if they haven’t!
And you’re correct — today’s government education system is about cash, plain and simple. I tried to explain that to some people who have their kids in government schools, but of course they didn’t want to believe it. They just laughed when I explained that the government schools have NOTHING to do with education. It’s about getting cash for it’s members (educrats) and NOTHING more.
The GED people tutor and make students go through and pass “pre-tests” before actually taking the GED. Aaron got his GED before going in the military. and did pretty well on his entrance exams. I have bought both Aaron and Morgan the Princeton Review study guides for the GED (two years apart) and it doesn’t appear that they have dumbed it down. Some of it boils down to people being lazy. Lazy or self-absorbed people don’t want to take the time necessary from their own pursuits to go to the schools, see what’s going on, talk with teachers, do the research and hold them accountable… too much work… it is easier to put on blinders and pursue the belief that the gooberment is doing a fine job! This is closer to being an inconvenient truth than the GORACLE’s Global Warming Debacle. So many parents hear the words “hold teachers accountable” and think it means that bringing a law suit against the school system for not allowing Junior “free speech” in class is what that means (Junior disrupting class and preventing others from learning is what they think free speech is about, and of course it translates into “free money” as well. I have reached the conclusion the percentage of parents who use the MO has passed the 50 percentile long ago and that is what has pushed it all to the crisis it is, and Gooberment/Lawyers are the ones who have promoted the very agenda that is causing teachers to fail at being able to educate. My sister and brother are both educators. It wouldn’t matter who signed their paycheck, they both went into teaching because they loved doing it. If their hands were not tied by stupid laws and stupid parents who don’t have time to support their children’s education but have time to bring on the lawsuits if it means filling their coffers and the legal system that enables them,.. well, from what I have seen, they are really good teachers. My sis retired last year and is working as a substitute at a local Christian school. She enjoys it sooo much more. Why… because it is more gratifying when you are enabled to teach to kids who want to learn.
That’s the disconnect that people aren’t seeing. The average person says, “Gee, I know Sally, she’s a teacher in the public schools, and she really cares about learning!”
The problem is, the SYSTEM does not. The system works hard to ensure they get cash. They do not care about education, learning, or the people who want to teach or learn. As you mention, most educators that honestly want to teach end up leaving the system because they’re STOPPED by the system for trying to actually teach. I know of at least 2 teachers in the Charlotte system who left the schools because they weren’t allowed to teach!
Be very clear: the current government school system is about getting taxpayer cash and giving it to members of the system and quite literally nothing else.
By the way… she is my MUCH OLDER sister… that’s how I introduce her to people anyway! LOL!!!!!
Oh, I know only too well. I have seen my sister cry over some of the stress caused by her administration not backing the teachers and not letting them teach the way they know works. It is sad. As you often say, Federal Gooberment was never meant to educate the public. I think it should be shouldered by states, cities and townships. Then when stupid rules contrary to the good of the students occur, you can find the person responsible and step on their neck!!!!
It should be completely local. There should be absolutely NO federal department of education — it does absolutely nothing to help schools. States should have a department if they want one, but in general they would do nothing but add bureaucracy to them. Schools should be completely local — city, town, or county — and should have local control and funding.
Detroit doesn’t hand out diplomas, instead they hand out welfare applications.
And you know, this issue isn’t even making much news around here. With the mayor being prosecutted that pre-empts everything. Nobody cares about anything else, it’s all mayor all the time.
That is soooo mainsteam media. When they do talk about things that matter, the spin it into a lie and sensationalize.
Well, QW, it’s not like Detroit didn’t already know! So it’s not news there because it’s expected from that government system. The mayor in trouble for a sex scandal is MUCH more entertaining — which is what people care about today, sadly.