Education in America

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

26 minutes ago, Big Blitz said:

 

[JaCrispy]

On 5/1/2023 at 5:40 PM, SUNY_amherst said:

I think young people are smarter today than they/we/I was/were 20-30 years ago. So that is a testament to education I suppose.
 

However I do think they are less resilient. I think educators need to fail students more when they deserve to be failed and I think administrators need to give teachers the support they need to do that. 

I would have to disagree…I think public school education has been dumbed down over the years, in an attempt to pass more students through the system….

 

54 minutes ago, Big Blitz said:

 

These people are animals…smh

[All_Pro_Bills]

6 minutes ago, JaCrispy said:

I would have to disagree…I think public school education has been dumbed down over the years, in an attempt to pass more students through the system….

 

As an example, an NEAP Report card on US 8th graders grasp of history reveals only 13% have a satisfactory level of proficiency.  That might help explain how easily those attempting to re-write past events have been so successful at duping the public.  13% is sadly pathetic.

Edited May 4, 2023 by All_Pro_Bills

[JaCrispy]

3 minutes ago, All_Pro_Bills said:

As an example, an NEAP Report card on US 8th graders grasp of history reveals only 13% have a satisfactory level of proficiency.  That might help explain how easily those attempting to re-write past events have been so successful at duping the public.  13% is sadly pathetic.

Agreed- and the same can also be said for basic math skills and literacy as well…

 

Most inner city kids that graduate high school can’t read higher than a 5th grade level…

Edited May 4, 2023 by JaCrispy

[All_Pro_Bills]

3 minutes ago, JaCrispy said:

Agreed- and the same can also be said for basic math skills and literacy as well…

 

Most inner city kids that graduate high school can’t read higher than a 5th grade level…

Thankfully their understanding of DEI concepts, terminology, and methods will provide a foundation for future success!

[Orlando Tim]

3 hours ago, B-Man said:

 

 

 

THE “MATH IS RACIST” ENDGAME: 

 

Chicago-Area High School Offers Racially Segregated Math Classes.

 

 

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/rick-moran/2023/05/05/chicago-area-high-school-offers-racially-segregated-math-classes-n1692877

There is only one reason to set up a separate group like this, which is you feel the group can't compete on a level playing field. We have women sports because they can't compete with men, and age groups because 8 year olds can't compete with 14 year olds. I will state absolutely that many black kids can compete academically, this will not raise that number.

[Big Blitz]

 

[Joe Ferguson forever]

On 5/4/2023 at 2:26 AM, JaCrispy said:

Agreed- and the same can also be said for basic math skills and literacy as well…

 

Most inner city kids that graduate high school can’t read higher than a 5th grade level…

This is not new. I was on a grad school teaching assistantship for a year at a public state university with open enrollment in the 80s. Taught General Chemistry lab. These were mostly middle class kids and not many from the inner city. About 1/4 of them didn’t understand fractions or exponentials. And some were pre med!  This is a problem with priorities imo. High school sports proficiency is more valued than academic achievement in many places as is social standing. It’s a societal problem and parents are sometimes to blame. No doubt many schools are lacking too. 

[Andy1]

5 minutes ago, redtail hawk said:

High school sports proficiency is more valued than academic achievement in many places as is social standing. It’s a societal problem and parents are sometimes to blame. No doubt many schools are lacking too. 

100% agree. 

[Big Blitz]

 

[DrW]

1 hour ago, redtail hawk said:

This is not new. I was on a grad school teaching assistantship for a year at a public state university with open enrollment in the 80s. Taught General Chemistry lab. These were mostly middle class kids and not many from the inner city. About 1/4 of them didn’t understand fractions or exponentials. And some were pre med!  This is a problem with priorities imo. High school sports proficiency is more valued than academic achievement in many places as is social standing. It’s a societal problem and parents are sometimes to blame. No doubt many schools are lacking too. 

 

Question: Did the university something to improve this situation? It would be easy to say "That is not our job" - which is true but not helpful. We were facing the same dilemma in Biochemistry I which is a junior level course for BS/BA Biochemistry majors (most pre-med or some other pre-...) that contains a lot of pretty simple math, which a significant fraction of the students could not master. Thus, we added a mandatory one-semester-hour course in "Biochemical Calculations", and it clearly helped - not as much as we would have liked, but there was definite improvement.

Edited May 6, 2023 by DrW

[Joe Ferguson forever]

8 hours ago, DrW said:

 

Question: Did the university something to improve this situation? It would be easy to say "That is not our job" - which is true but not helpful. We were facing the same dilemma in Biochemistry I which is a junior level course for BS/BA Biochemistry majors (most pre-med or some other pre-...) that contains a lot of pretty simple math, which a significant fraction of the students could not master. Thus, we added a mandatory one-semester-hour course in "Biochemical Calculations", and it clearly helped - not as much as we would have liked, but there was definite improvement.

No. Sink or swim. Lots of sinking. 

[Orlando Tim]

Due to Covid many parents are as addicted to their phones as their kids are and give no back up when contacted about their child's usage of phone in class. I don't take a kids ever because if they have porn with another student I am not going to be in possession of it. Parents are the issue because if your parents don't love you enough to discipline you then nothing will matter.

[Joe Ferguson forever]

17 hours ago, DrW said:

 

Question: Did the university something to improve this situation? It would be easy to say "That is not our job" - which is true but not helpful. We were facing the same dilemma in Biochemistry I which is a junior level course for BS/BA Biochemistry majors (most pre-med or some other pre-...) that contains a lot of pretty simple math, which a significant fraction of the students could not master. Thus, we added a mandatory one-semester-hour course in "Biochemical Calculations", and it clearly helped - not as much as we would have liked, but there was definite improvement.

I've been thinking about your comment.  If those students didn't have the gumption to learn basic math skills before entering a pre professional program, do you think they are likely to be successful in their profession?  No one is likely to offer them remedial help in the professional world nor should they, imo.  For competitive spots, the goal should be to choose the best, brightest and most motivated.  The unknowing public deserves that.

Edited May 7, 2023 by redtail hawk

[Doc]

22 minutes ago, redtail hawk said:

I've been thinking about your comment.  If those students didn't have the gumption to learn basic math skills before entering a pre professional program, do you think they are likely to be successful in their profession?  No one is likely to offer them remedial help in the professional world nor should they, imo.  For competitive spots, the goal should be to choose the best, brightest and most motivated.  The unknowing public deserves that.

 

So, what about Democrats actively trying to lower education standards?

[Joe Ferguson forever]

14 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

So, what about Democrats actively trying to lower education standards?

We aren't.  I'm certainly not.  I do support mandatory competency tests for academic advancement.  Also, post graduate and basic education standards are very different things.  A high school education and a professional degree infers and confers much different responsibilities and rewards.

[Doc]

1 hour ago, redtail hawk said:

We aren't.  I'm certainly not.  I do support mandatory competency tests for academic advancement.  Also, post graduate and basic education standards are very different things.  A high school education and a professional degree infers and confers much different responsibilities and rewards.

 

Sure Dems are (maybe not you specifically).  Standards are most certainly being lowered and it's not Repubs that are in charge of things like that.

[DrW]

5 hours ago, redtail hawk said:

I've been thinking about your comment.  If those students didn't have the gumption to learn basic math skills before entering a pre professional program, do you think they are likely to be successful in their profession?  No one is likely to offer them remedial help in the professional world nor should they, imo.  For competitive spots, the goal should be to choose the best, brightest and most motivated.  The unknowing public deserves that.

 

In an ideal world, you were certainly correct. However, the world is not perfect. We have already a dramatic shortage of doctors and nurses in rural areas, especially here in the wide and dry expanses of West Texas. Here I prefer a doctor who has learned some math after finishing high school to no doctor at all. 

[Joe Ferguson forever]

3 minutes ago, DrW said:

 

In an ideal world, you were certainly correct. However, the world is not perfect. We have already a dramatic shortage of doctors and nurses in rural areas, especially here in the wide and dry expanses of West Texas. Here I prefer a doctor who has learned some math after finishing high school to no doctor at all. 

i'm not sure I want someone who can't convert fractions to decimals doing my brain surgery or even inappropriately prescribing narcotics or antibiotics but perhaps that's just me.  No, I get it but incentivize actual capable people to come to W Texas instead.

Edited May 7, 2023 by redtail hawk

[Big Blitz]