This week, history and civics scores across the nation plummeted to record lows among eighth graders. Just 13% of students performed at or above the “proficient” level in U.S. history. It is the latest appalling report on our declining educational system — a matter that should be treated as a national crisis of literally historic proportions. As discussed in prior columns, we are graduating students from high school who cannot proficiently read or do math. School districts have responded by solving the problem by simply lowering standards and eliminating gifted programs. Now we are producing citizens who know little about our history or our values.
The decline has been blamed on the pandemic, though these declines have long plagued our public schools. Nevertheless, the lockdowns had a profound impact on the psychological and intellectual development of our students. While other countries refused to shutdown their schools or go to virtual classrooms, the school districts and teacher unions pushed for closures. In Europe, countries cited ample scientific evidence refuting the need to close schools. However, experts in this country were banned from social media and attacked in the press for raising these studies. The National Education Association and teacher union leaders supported censorship during this period.
What is even more maddening is to hear those who opposed reopening schools, like Randi Weingarten, now insisting that they were really pushing for keeping schools open despite their public statements to the contrary. As the costs of this disastrous decision mount, suddenly no one in education or the media was opposed to in-person classes.
Putting those decisions aside, the drop in scores also reflects a deemphasis on civics and history over the last decade as other subjects have been given greater priority. I have watched with growing alarm the lessons given to my own children in public schools. History often seemed a vehicle for making political or social commentary.
I have been a huge supporter of public schools my whole life. While my parents could afford private schools, they helped form a group to keep white families in the public school system in Chicago in the 1960s and 1970s. They wanted their kids to be part of a diverse school environment. I also sent my kids to public schools for the same reason. I view our public schools as important parts of our society as we shape future citizens.
Now our educational system is dropping in history and civics scores as well as math and English. We are failing our children across the board and undermining a rising generation of citizens. Yet, we are likely to see just another shrug followed by some mumbling about the pandemic. There will also likely be demands for more money despite the unbroken record of failure in many of our public school districts.
These scores once again show how educators and unions are killing public education in this country. They continue to treat families as virtual captives rather than respond to these demands for competence and accountability. Many are voting with their feet and leaving public schools in jurisdictions allowing vouchers or other options.
The drop in civics scores may be even more alarming than the declines in math and English. We can train people for jobs in this new economy. It is far more difficult to shape citizens who have never been taught about the underlying struggle and values that define this nation.
James Madison is often quoted for his statement that “a popular government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps both.” What is not widely known is that Madison made that statement in response to a letter from William Taylor Barry, a Kentuckian who wrote him about the effort to create primary and secondary educational programs in his state. Information remains the paramount value in public education as well as the transparency needed to secure it.
In the same way, the farce that is our current educational system is producing a generation of historically illiterate citizens. That can only be a tragedy in the making.
Professor Turley,
I am no fan of Randi Weingarten, but why are you misrepresenting her position in the Fox article you linked to above? The article never says Weingarten argued she was “really pushing to keep schools open” as you incorrectly conclude. Rather, it says she understood the importance of reopening must be balanced with the competing interest of keeping people safe. I quote:
“Weingarten argued back at Jennings that she knew “the importance of reopening schools and the importance of making sure that people were safe.”
Especially in an article noting the poor state of literacy of American schoolchildren, your readers expect basic 5th grade reading comprehension from the good professor. This conclusion you drew falls well short.
(Everyone: please click thru hyperlinks when reading articles on this blog! Trust, but verify.)
“Weingarten argued back at Jennings that she knew “the importance of reopening schools and the importance of making sure that people were safe.”
Judge her actions
This has absolutely nothing to do with the substance of her position. This is about reading comprehension from Professor Turley.
Mr. Turley wrote:
“What is even more maddening is to hear those who opposed reopening schools, like Randi Weingarten, now insisting that they were really pushing for keeping schools open despite their public statements to the contrary. As the costs of this disastrous decision mount, suddenly no one in education or the media was opposed to in-person classes.”
She never “insisted” that she was “pushing for keeping schools open.”
“Judg[ing] her actions” is irrelevant to the subject of the post. Do you know what “reading comprehension” is?
“keeping people safe”
An overweening focus on safety, safety, safety at all times, everywhere!!!! is going to be the death of us–or it will drive (has driven?) us to madness.
Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. We should not be surprised if we see another holocaust, world war (which would kill many and knock us back to the 1800s), plague epidemic, etc. A generation won’t get it, and the politicians will be too busy lining their own pockets. Glad I will be watching from somewhere else.
Don’t buck the System, You simply have to Obey the current the Narrative, fight Your inner urges to deviate, tell yourself to become Numb, Comply and Institutionalize. This was all packed into the COVID Shot program.
IF you did as They asked, you should be fine. All is well, Follow the Line and stay in-between them.
I’ve always been prone to coloring outside the lines. Blue jeans get ripped, hair gets tangled, grass is never in perfect clumps and clouds aren’t a uniform puff shape. 😉
Ask any kid what they know about George Washington. They will tell you he was a slave owner. That’s all they know. the dumbing down of this generation is being done deliberately.
We can’t have our children understanding the tremendous sacrifices made by the Founders and members of the Continental Army now, can we? The selflessness that made them risk family, friends, and fortune to fight for an idea; a noble idea, to be sure, but an idea nonetheless. We can’t let them know about the dysentery, the consumption, the amputations with dirty implements, the marching with no boots or socks through ice and snow to reach the next battlefield just so they might take a ball to the brisket in defense of the freedom that had only been spelled out in a document and had yet to be earned. Then again, the spoiled, entitled little nabobs of today’s materialistic society would probably be unable to understand that kind of love for and loyalty to a commander as brave and bold as Washington or an ideal as ephemeral as ‘We, the People’ anyway, so why bother? But maybe, just maybe the same spark of liberty that flared to life within the earliest Americans will strike a similar ember in the souls of a few members of the current generation and those few will answer the clarion call and do battle for the benefit of all. Only about one-third of the Americans of the time supported Washington and his army, but that one-third managed to rock the world. We can only hope and pray that this generation will do the same.
All is not lost.
Lots of kids in SW PA know Washington’s not knowing French caused more than a few problems.
As long as progressives are in charge nothing will change They know that retaining an ignorant citizenry is key to holding power in perpetuity. And power is what they strive for above all else. Most progressives would fare poorly in a true meritocracy. They are destroying this country piece by piece
They know that retaining an ignorant citizenry is key to holding power in perpetuity
Amen
This statement applies to both parties. I see precious little intellectualism and knowledge of the world or history by far too many Republicans. As far as I can tell, they prefer populist voters easily swayed by propaganda into giving up their rights (re: the Patriot Act) or going to war (re: the war in Iraq) or eroding the republic by ceding control of education to the appointed (re: “school choice”).
I say this as an appalled fellow Republican.
Activate Selective Service and unleash the DI’s.
Margot,
I would agree with you . . . had we not a woke military.
As I understand it, even in the Marines, the recruits can hold up a yellow card saying they are stressed.
When I was at Paris Island, there were no stinking badges, er, um, cards.
And imagine giving these uneducated, entitled snowflakes a rifle. Looking around at the grocery store, I take a degree of comfort I am in better shape at my age than some of these high schoolers. And I know I can shoot better than them.
We are a free electorate only while be a well educated people.
If you consider Biden’s demonstrated lack of civic and historical knowledge, even for a demented person, this
decline is long, long in the making.
Is it any surprise given the right has been waging a war on education for the past 40 years?
not true
The Problem is the Dept of Education. All federal education spending in unconstitutional.
I agree the Department of Ed is a problem.
But, Republicans are causing plenty of their own problems. NCLB. Nuff said.
Obama and Democrats with Common Core.
Both parties are actively working to make everyone else ignorant and ineffective at self-governance.
Perhaps saying statists in both parties have been waging a war on education for the past 40 years is most accurate?
Only 5% of Detroit 8th graders read at proficient level
“Only one out of 20 students in the Detroit Public Schools Community District scored at a “proficient” level on the eighth grade National Assessment of Educational Progress reading test.”
https://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/commentary/only-5-of-detroit-8th-graders-read-at-proficient-level
Tragedy indeed professor.
The dumber they are, the more likely to vote Democrat. So this trend will not disturb the Left.
Close. The more poorly educated they are, the more likely they will be dependent. The more dependent they are, the more likely they are to vote Democrat.
“Disturb the Left”? It is very likely that such circumstances are actually part of their plan since the same approach has been used successfully in other “Left” countries such as China, USSR, N. Korea, Iran and Cambodia.
Excuse me, that’s Dumbocrat.
Actually, the more educated someone is, the more likely to be liberal:
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2016/04/26/a-wider-ideological-gap-between-more-and-less-educated-adults/
What does it mean to be well-educated?
Maybe those high-degree people on the left aren’t as well-educated as they think they are. Maybe they are missing a crucial component.
Anonymous – Education should not be confused with intelligence, let alone wisdom. “Education” merely means that someone has stayed in the educational system a long time. Given the atmosphere of many colleges, Republicans find such places unpleasant. If we look at intelligence, there is evidence that Republicans score higher than Democrats. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160289614001081 If we consider “wisdom” and look at how Democrats govern, we are forced to admit that Republicans score far higher than Democrats.
Actually, the more educated someone is, the more likely to be liberal:
The more time they spend being “educated”, the more time they spend consuming propaganda, the more likely they identity as Democrat.
AOC is the poster child. She has a college degree in Economics. Yet, simple concepts, she gets wrong. Yes AOC is exactly what the Dems want.
Just look at the caliber of the Democrat elected representatives and senators. Congressional witnesses are badgered about their old tweets yet no one will ask them questions of substance about their testimony because either the Congress-critturs don’t understand it or everything they do has been scripted and they can’t formulate their own cogent questions.
I’m with you, but please correct the typo in the fourth sentence (gradually when I believe you mean graduating). This is a particularly bad column to have one in.
Typo: “As discussed in prior columns, we are gradually students from high school who cannot proficiently read or do math.” The fruits of reducing the importance of the “Three Rs” can also be seen in Nashville’s The Tennessean newspaper and I suspect other regional papers as well (as well as some previous postings from Professor Turley), where such mistakes are common place.
The hard woke agenda is really the old Bolshevik agenda. They encourage turning children against their parents and then strive to make them as confused as possible with “gender fluidity” and a myriad of pronoun options that they demand you recognize. Lower test scores fit right into their woke agenda because a more confused population must then turn to the government to solve their problems and address their self-invented grievances (and it’s a catchy way to get them to vote for you). Lenin is probably turning over in his grave right now. Thank you, Jonathan, for an excellent article.
Until African Americans and Latinos demand education – not equity – this will only go lower.
Florida, and the other red states who are sure to follow, will fix it so nobody knows anything they don’t want anyone to know. Their laws, based on their beliefs. We all ready have to many museum’s that show people riding dinosaurs.
I believe you meant to write, “We already have too many museums….” However, since you appear to be so sure of your greater wisdom than those in “red states,” maybe not.
@FishWings…Educational reform in Florida mandates the teaching of Civics as the paucity of knowledge in that area has been recognized. On the other hand, that which your lot advocates in the realm of pedagogy is supported by a lesbian whose ‘spouse’ is an ordained Rabbi of equal persuasion. They and their minions have already made clear their agenda for Florida, against which its government and supporters of same stand.
Based off recent IRS tax data, people are leaving Blue states for Red states so much so, CA lost $29billion in tax revenue, NY lost $24.5billion.
Care to take a guess who were some of the biggest gainers? FL was one of them.
Seems the Red states must be doing something right. Education just might be one of them.
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/blue-states-become-biggest-losers-population-tax-revenue-irs-data-shows
I would agree. Our schools (local) taught history accurately and imaginatively (in a good way) until about 2000. Then they started, in some areas, to de-emphasize the civics and history. 2010 seems about right and what happened about then. Oh, Mr OBAMA (I will transform America) was elected 2 years before and his version got taught or no history at all was taught. Best thing is school choice with all parents having the right to take the tax money dedicated to their children and spend it where it will be best used for their children. Mandate, as the new law in North Carolina will require (working through the legislature) of teaching history and civics in all state supported colleges. Warts and all. I have no fear of an accurate history of the US but it needs to be done by recognized and accredited historians (not activist journalists). States can also require the same in all schools for a recognized high school graduate degree. Lastly, pass a national Right to Work law. I have nothing against unions and would encourage anyone to join one if their employer is not looking out for them. But Unions, including teachers unions, need to get their members the old fashioned way, by working for their members. They teachers unions could also be restricted to simply wages, benefits , healthcare, security, and continuing education.
The Professor might wish to do an additional column on 2 lawsuits filed in Colorado recently against school systems that encouraged very young students to attend LGBQTA “club” which outright recruited them to the trans lifestyle. Failed to tell the parents and swore the children to secrecy. Both children ended up suicidal. Sounds very messy
No Child Left Behind with its stupid emphasis on standardized testing and measuring everything to death started the slide. History was not something getting measured. That’s on GW Bush and Republicans.
BOTH parties are complicit. Statists of both stripes.
Standardized testing existed long before GWB. It can be useful, but it can be overused. It has value. How does one tell how far advanced in math a student is?
S. Meyer,
You are correct that standardized testing existed before GWB. However, it was expected to be used like a thermometer, to gauge how a child and a school was doing year to year, along with any improvements for both.
We agree that it can be over used. And GWB and Republicans put standardized tests on steriods.
GWB and NCLB turned standardized testing into a giant stick to punish people, to take funding away if schools didn’t increase test scores. So, schools, desperate not to lose funding either taught to the test or lowered their standards or both to try to increase their test scores. Schools with already very high test scores were punished for not increasing already extremely high test scores.
Now, schools are using standardized tests all.the.time during the year with MAPS testing. I’m not convinced all this testing is actually making a better educated population. They sure know how to take tests, but do they know how to communicate their thoughts and ideas?
You need lots of knowledge and practice writing and speaking to do that. I see a degradation of knowledge in favor of “skills”. Skill in writing in communicating, though, cannot happen without knowledge. If you don’t have much knowledge, then you won’t have much to say lest you become an empty barrel making a great deal of noise. Oh, wait. Isn’t that sorta what we have on campuses and in the streets?
On a side note, are standardized tests needed to determine how far a student has advanced in math? If we were honest with our courses, wouldn’t a passing grade of A,B,C show about how advanced and knowledgeable in math a student is? I agree a test score is a helpful metric, so I’m not suggesting we completely eliminate standardized tests necessarily, but how in the world was that determined in 1795? No SAT existed then, but some pretty impressive buildings were built nonetheless.
Albert Einstein apparently said in a Saturday Evening Post interview in 1929:
“I believe in standardizing automobiles. I do not believe in standardizing human beings. Standardization is a great peril which threatens American culture.”
Are we becoming bricks in the Wall or cogs in the Machine?
However, neither do I think we should go completely the other way, making everything highly individualized. There needs to be some unity and cohesion in the understanding of members of a nation.
There can be a balance. I was lucky enough to get educated in a way that respected both elements.
When one wishes to remove a mechanism used, one needs to replace it. What is your solution?
There are many courses where testing is easy, The sciences belong in that group, so I don’t think they have a problem with testing. As one moves away from the sciences, things become more subjective, but testing remains useful.
Most important is the ability to teach, but we see the profession is letting our children down. Competition and innovation will lead to improvement, but too many people are afraid of them.
S. Meyer,
“When one wishes to remove a mechanism used, one needs to replace it. What is your solution?”
Does a mechanism always have to be replaced? Cui bono? Students, parents, teachers, districts, communities? Or, corporations who can make a buck selling the “need” for their product or for their own data-mining purposes?
Despite my ornery initial response, I am actually not entirely opposed to tests like the ITBS when used as a thermometer and only for some things, as you noted. They should be used for encouragement at the local level as a means to help students, classrooms, or even whole schools see where they need to improve. No shame need be involved, just a check on a facet of reality. Right now they are over-emphasized, as though scoring well on them equals being well-educated (nevermind that students aren’t even tested on history, for instance). Would E.D. Hirsch with his emphasis on the Great Works and a generalist, knowledge-oriented education advocate for standardized tests? If so, how would he organize them differently?
I evaluate my kids’ progression in part based on their work and on their ability to discuss what they’re learning with me. Discussion is great because you can learn so much all at once–everything from content knowledge, to logic/organization of the knowledge, their skill at communication, to vocabulary, to their ability to interconnect knowledge via allusions or otherwise. I like looking at in-class tests, homework, papers or other kinds of writing, presentations, independent projects, musical performances, artwork, free reading and assigned book choices over the course of the year.
Before making a firm decision about standardized tests, I’d like to have a wider discussion about the pros/cons of standardized tests–what is too much, what is being overlooked or inappropriately deemphasized by their use, what is being lost? Should there be a greater emphasis on writing or even recitation–if not part of formal testing, at least part of assigned work?
I’d say the connection to funding and perhaps even for teacher evaluations should be eliminated (at least such that it becomes punitive). It ends up punishing schools in very challenging circumstances (or even putting stupid expectations on already highly performing schools like my own). In-class teacher evaluations by mentor teachers or principals or other people with a vision for excellence in teaching can more helpful for coaching towards improvements.
“Most important is the ability to teach, but we see the profession is letting our children down. Competition and innovation will lead to improvement, but too many people are afraid of them.”
I don’t see teachers letting our kids down, exactly. I see politicians letting our kids down, administrators letting our kids down (and, the interference of agenda-driven NGOs on both administrators and politicians). Heck, communities are letting our kids down because we the people are complacent or downtrodden or have lost our sense of responsibility towards schools. Teachers might need to regain a perspective of the overarching goals of education beyond their narrow field and beyond that of students becoming gainfully employed. But, doesn’t that fall on administrators to communicate that to teachers, and, above them, for school boards (and those who elected them) to communicate the purpose of education?
Disagreement with competition and “innovation” is more accurate.
Competition is the wrong metric for education. Attention and an aim for excellence leads to improvement–no competition is really necessary. Successful people try to improve their own craft, evaluating what went well, what could have gone better against the reality of their experience or against a body of knowledge. Having a vision and an overarching conception of purpose or direction helps, too. I think schools have been knocked off-kilter as to their purpose. They are incessantly told that their job is to make sure kids are “career ready” or “future ready”. Cog in the machine purpose laid on schools by agenda-driven corporations acting through the long arm of big government.
Not much innovation is actually necessary either, so it, too, is the wrong metric for improvement.
Sometimes the tried and true simply need to be done–like reading broadly, writing profusely, and communicating understanding consistently and in a variety of manners. Too many kids do not read broadly, do not write much across subjects, nor do these things consistently.
Maybe our kids need a little less exacting interference and being measured like so much livestock.
Maybe education needs a little more balance (right now it is effectively all STEM and all tech, as if that is the end-all, be-all in this world). Maybe kids need to play more outside in the dirt with rocks rather than Roblox!
When you have decades of failure, yes, replace the mechanism. If the public school systems were private businesses, they would have been out of business long ago.
You respond that you have no answer. You have no solution. Indiana has one, and they are doing it now. https://www.wsj.com/articles/indiana-budget-school-vouchers-republicans-school-choice-todd-huston-ecac3c5
“I don’t see teachers letting our kids down”
Then you don’t see what the teacher’s unions have done. Take note, of how teachers were pandered to and refused to reopen the schools.
“Competition is the wrong metric for education.”
Competition isn’t a metric of how schools are doing. It is a method of improving what schools provide.
“aim for excellence leads to improvement”
Nice words, but lacks the mechanism for improvement.
My answer is competition
Your answer is more of the same.
You use many words, absent of action. I acted on behalf of my children and pulled them out of non-functioning public schools. They all have advanced degrees and are tops in their fields. My contractor had an answer, home-schooling with other families. I met his child. I could have saved money by putting my kids in that home school environment. Our politicians know better. Look at where most of them send their children.
S. Meyer,
??? No answer? It is a discussion. There isn’t a silver bullet for this.
“If the public school systems were private businesses, they would have been out of business long ago.”
Not all, not even most. That is a distortion. Whose fault is it if public schools are doing badly? The PUBLIC! So, they will need to ask some hard questions about the purpose of education and see how well things are actually going so they can fix it.
But not solely theirs. The dang federal and state governments in cahoots with corporations have worked to bend the American education into a corporate entity. Lots of well-funded propaganda and half-truths went into manipulating people. That and politicians and journalists at the ready to ignore or downplay any protests against the erosion of education.
“I acted on behalf of my children and pulled them out of non-functioning public schools.”
You’re well-educated. Why didn’t you try to improve these schools for those children whose families couldn’t or wouldn’t stand up to fix the problems?
“You’re well-educated. Why didn’t you try to improve these schools for those children whose families couldn’t or wouldn’t stand up to fix the problems?”
One can’t fight city hall, especially when they are solid Democrats. They don’t care about the children, as demonstrated by their wish to reduce the number of students in charter schools where there is success in educating inner-city children. They prefer to cow-tow to the Teachers Union and let the kids leave school without any education so they can die in the streets.
“Whose fault is it if public schools are doing badly? ?”
It is your fault. You know the value of education, yet you close your eyes to what is happening in the inner cities. Many parents in those cities are uneducated and can even be on drugs. The ones that see through the BS want charter school education for their kids, but people like you argue against a way for their children to get out of the ghetto.
“One can’t fight city hall, especially when they are solid Democrats”
But that is the way our system of government was devised, though–so you could fight city hall. There is a public forum, free association, elections and representation to diminish the potential for mob rule, free speech so different perspectives can be heard and considered and debated.
“There is a public forum, free association, elections and representation to diminish the potential for mob rule, free speech so different perspectives can be heard and considered and debated.”
That is how our Constitutional Republic is supposed to work, but our forefathers talked about religion and morality and how without our Republic could not stand.
NY politics is a cesspool, but the nation is supposed to be preserved in part by federalism. Democrats and lefties hate federalism and anything representing people with different ideas. That is why they corrupt elections and fight to create a uni party while trying to tear up the Constitution.
My only answer was to leave the state and go elsewhere. Hopefully common sense will prevail and preserve the Constitution and the Republic.
“Hopefully common sense will prevail and preserve the Constitution and the Republic.”
Common sense can only prevail if people speak with common sense in public forums. Hope is important but needs action for there to be a chance of success.
“Hope is important but needs action for there to be a chance of success.”
Yes. The appropriate action is injecting competition into the education system. Going to school board meetings doesn’t work in NYC and a lot of other places. I am sure in more rural areas such actions become more helpful, but I am specific in my claims.
Your actions are leaving the ghettos of NYC unchanged.
“You’re well-educated. Why didn’t you try to improve these schools for those children whose families couldn’t or wouldn’t stand up to fix the problems?”
I’m sorry, S. Meyer. That was too pointed and rather unfair. Perhaps despite pulling your kids you are working to improve the education in your district. It was an unfair assumption that you were not.
It wasn’t unfair, but I advocate for charter schools continuously. You have noticed that.
The proof is in the pudding. Look at your leaders. Do most of them send their children to public schools? Look at educated people that send their children to public schools. Don’t many move to areas where they feel the public schools are better? Don’t many send their children to private schools?
When one notices the number of educated people seeing a problem and avoiding it, we should all recognize what that problem is.
“Do most of them send their children to public schools?”
I think I have heard they do not, but neither do they send them to charter schools. They send them to private schools.
“Look at educated people that send their children to public schools. Don’t many move to areas where they feel the public schools are better? Don’t many send their children to private schools?”
Yes, so people in districts that are struggling should ask themselves what the good schools are doing that made them so attractive. What are those families doing differently with their kids?
Dr. Ben Carson’s mom asked questions like that and changed what the kids were doing with their free time.
As an educated person, are you working with your local school district to help it become better, even excellent?
>>”“Do most of them send their children to public schools?”
>I think I have heard they do not, but neither do they send them to charter schools. They send them to private schools.”
Take a look at where the most prominent Democrats send their children. Private schools. Take a look at where teachers send their children. Private schools or charter schools. It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that in many parts of the country sending one’s child to a public school is a disadvantage.
I am working to promote competition in public schools.
Though my children are grown, I sometimes attend some school board meetings to promote important interests. There are other things more effective than attending.
“I am working to promote competition in public schools.”
But it isn’t fair competition at all. Public schools have all sorts of regulations and mandates that charter schools are not bound by. But, they are still compared as though they have commensurate rules, regulations, and requirements. Then, to top it all off, charter schools get taxpayer money but taxpayers do not get any say over how their money gets used, nor do they have any representation.
“Though my children are grown, I sometimes attend some school board meetings to promote important interests. There are other things more effective than attending.”
Such as? Talking to board members personally?
“But it isn’t fair competition at all. Public schools have all sorts of regulations and mandates that charter schools are not bound by.”
In the best scientific study, the charter schools left the public schools at the starting gate. Maybe public schools should copy what charter schools in NYC are doing.
Those schools must accept a random selection of students with a payment of 70% of the calculated cost per student. Is that an advantage? Charter students take the same state exams, yet the students mostly pass while public school students mostly fail.
Why don’t you tell us what is unfair instead of repeating that complaint endlessly?
“but taxpayers do not get any say over how their money gets used, nor do they have any representation.”
You are completely wrong. The taxpayer decided that the education of the young was needed. They agreed to tax themselves to achieve that goal. In NYC, those desires are not met by the public school system, but the charter schools are doing what the taxpayer wanted.
Do you think not doing what the taxpayer is paying for is representation?
Mu wife teaches these kids every day. Add in a lack if basic motor and speech skills, please. Her 14 year-olds cannot talk, use a stapler, a paper clip, or open a bag of chips. The stats quoted here really could be less than 5% in a few years, and indeed, it goes back at least to the No Child Left Behind years. The pandemic just compounded an already growing problem. Weingarten should self-immolate out of shame.
We probably literally cannot hand these kids the country or world. Those of us over 40 do not get to retire for our own sake. Gen Z is tired of old foges running things? Being the adult children they are, they’d better get used to it, as it will continue for the foreseeable future. They can temper tantrum all they want.
Given what my wife and I see everyday, none of this shocks me and hasn’t for years. The nonchalance on the part of much of the voting public sure does, though.
Sorry for typos. At work.
James,
I have a good friend who is a teacher.
She says they also lack social skills, critical thinking, over privileged, entitled, and are just plain mean.
How will the function in the real world is a interesting question.
I can only hope the current surge of parents getting involved in their children’s education, school choice, homeschooling will lead to a segment of society that can not only know how things work in the real world, but lead it too.
Thinking on it, in just a few years, these kids will be adults.
Uneducated, indoctrinated, and with the emotional maturity of 6 year olds.
The are the perfect New Red Guard.
And they would be ready and willing to commit a Mao’s Culture Revolution 2.0 here in the US.
All those who were educated outside of the public education system would be their targets.
As would be their parents.
It is a leftist dream come true.
James – the problem is that the “voting public” cannot focus on an issue unless some part of the MSM raises an issue. In a mass democracy, the media narrative serves as the maypole around which an otherwise fragmented public begins to circle. For example, no one would have become concerned with “man made global warming” unless someone in media had not started talking about it as a problem.
“In a mass democracy, the media narrative serves as the maypole around which an otherwise fragmented public begins to circle.”
This is a terrible problem. The public should be looking to introduced legislation, reading it, perhaps arguing about it in a forum before communicating their positions with their elected representative.
There is too much. It is in lawyer-speak with crazy subsections, etc. The bills are 500 pages plus amendments. The bills get a bait and switch name change sometimes or are called by a nickname by the press without the accompanying official name to try to read about it.
Some of the fragmentation is a lack of vocabulary and knowledge. Some of it is a lack of understanding about our responsibilities as citizens. Some of it is information fatigue–there’s SO much to read it seems, there’s a firehose at all levels, and there are bills to pay, school events to attend, books to read to kids, and the newspaper Cliff’s Notes just seems easier and more convenient. Again, our republic is being sacrificed on the altar of convenience. I’m criticizing myself on this, too, not have done my due diligence or having properly shouldered all my responsibilities.
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ~Gandalf
One of the scarier notations is the rewriting of history. The focus has flipped almost 180 degrees on what students are learning. They’re learning inconsequential information as it pertains to dogma. My bet is my son is the only kid in his class who even knows who James Madison was, and that’s only because of me. I might have less of a problem with what they are teaching him if it was being taught in conjunction with the basic, core tenants of everything he needs to learn.
This is a national catastrophe. It is not on the radar screen of the unit party, nor even of parents. This is due in large part to the frog in the boiling water analogy. Just as the temperature rises slowly in the pot of water with the frog, so has the decline been slow and is unrecognized.
Difficult to comprehend history and civics if you can’t read. That’s a national disgrace.
Yes, reading is primary.