What Our High School Students Know About America...All By Design....

[Tyler Durden]

back in 1895, I guess this was an "exit exam" or graduation exam of sorts:

http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/saline/society/exam.html

[santahog]

Your elected officials don't do any better.

What do you say to this.. Kinda leaves me speechless...

[tombogan03884]

back in 1895, I guess this was an "exit exam" or graduation exam of sorts:

http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/saline/society/exam.html

Darn, I don't think I could pass that one !   

[Timothy]

Darn, I don't think I could pass that one !   

Nor could I at the moment and that was for the eight grade!  Quite interesting!

[Frosty]

  This just shows how incompetent teachers along with our incompetent gov. run educational system has become. Parents are at fault for not seeing that the educational system is teaching these things. There was a teacher in the midwest who lost his job because he was teaching his class the U.S. Constitution and having them say the pledge of allegiance.  WE have allowed our schools to be infiltrated by the left wing socialist liberal progressive teachers.
My daughter was a music major at the Univ. of Northen Colorado when the Iraq war broke out, she walked out of her class when the Prof. began to give his political views of the war along with his dislikes for Pres. Bush.  She told the over paid Prof. she has two cousins fighting over there and didn't return to his class for weeks.  I was very proud of what she did & said to the Prof. that is suppose to be teaching his class music and not pushing his political views. She left UNC shortly after.

[Sponsor]

[Hazcat]

Blaming the " Govt. schools" is a cowardly cop out.
Even the Soviet Union turned out world class scientists and engineers.
The problem is with lazy students with no curiosity.

Lazy parents as well.  My son can tell ya quite a bit about the US thanks to me and the History and military channels.

[mkm]

It's a combination of things with no one single entity to blame.

Lazy parents....
Lazy students......
Lazy teachers.........
Gov't standards (on all levels) continuing to drop curriculum requirements..........


If a child is naturally gifted with an equal combination of intelligence, curiosity, and drive, they will excel in spite of odds....I've seen it.


Yep.

I have to generally agree with PegLeg here.  There are just too many factors to blame just one.  I'm in my late 20's; so, I'm going to go our on  a very short limb and say that I'm the most recent product of a public school currently in the discussion.  I'm also the son of a retired teacher.

I think a quality education is very important; I'm currently finishing my MS.  I, however, realize that one type of school/education does not fit all types of people.  It used to be (and please correct me if I'm wrong) school attendance was a priviledge.  If you got to go to school, you did your best to do well there, and your parents "encouraged" you one way or another to make sure you did.  The school system had high standards with teachers that were allowed to teach.  However, if "normal" schooling wasn't something that fit you, you still had a chance to learn other things such as a skill and be successful anyway.

Today, education is seen as mandatory.  Not having a high school degree or equivalent is an automatic setback to finding employment, especially quality employment.  It's even almost to the point where you have to have a college degree.  A college degreee definitely is not for everyone but that's a different discussion.  Today, students with varying types of intellegence, interests, and motivation are typically forced to share the same classroom with maybe some advanced classes for kids who are capable.  To many students school is seen not as a priviledge, but as a job, an annoyance, or a time to hang out with friends.  Often, their parents see it as a babysitter and don't care what their chldren are doing there.  Teachers come in a variety of types.  There are teachers who only want to make it through the day; teachers who do the "best they can" given their students, funding, and school system as well as government regualations; and teachers who find a way to advance beyond the system.  Far too often, teachers who actually give a crap are held up by a curriculum that forces them to teach for a test. 

There must be a balance between knowledge for knowledge's sake and practical knowledge.  Take the test given earlier for example.  There's some general knowledge questions like countries and capitols in Europe, but there's also practical questions about bushells of wheat.  Teacher's weren't being forced to teach for a standardized test.

With all that said, a motivated student will find a way to learn, especially with today's resources.  Give that student an equally motivated parent/teacher or both and he can rise above the system.

[tombogan03884]

I have to generally agree with PegLeg here.  There are just too many factors to blame just one.  I'm in my late 20's; so, I'm going to go our on  a very short limb and say that I'm the most recent product of a public school currently in the discussion.  I'm also the son of a retired teacher.

I think a quality education is very important; I'm currently finishing my MS.  I, however, realize that one type of school/education does not fit all types of people.  It used to be (and please correct me if I'm wrong) school attendance was a priviledge.  If you got to go to school, you did your best to do well there, and your parents "encouraged" you one way or another to make sure you did.  The school system had high standards with teachers that were allowed to teach.  However, if "normal" schooling wasn't something that fit you, you still had a chance to learn other things such as a skill and be successful anyway.

Today, education is seen as mandatory.  Not having a high school degree or equivalent is an automatic setback to finding employment, especially quality employment.  It's even almost to the point where you have to have a college degree.  A college degreee definitely is not for everyone but that's a different discussion.  Today, students with varying types of intellegence, interests, and motivation are typically forced to share the same classroom with maybe some advanced classes for kids who are capable.  To many students school is seen not as a priviledge, but as a job, an annoyance, or a time to hang out with friends.  Often, their parents see it as a babysitter and don't care what their chldren are doing there.  Teachers come in a variety of types.  There are teachers who only want to make it through the day; teachers who do the "best they can" given their students, funding, and school system as well as government regualations; and teachers who find a way to advance beyond the system.  Far too often, teachers who actually give a crap are held up by a curriculum that forces them to teach for a test. 

There must be a balance between knowledge for knowledge's sake and practical knowledge.  Take the test given earlier for example.  There's some general knowledge questions like countries and capitols in Europe, but there's also practical questions about bushells of wheat.  Teacher's weren't being forced to teach for a standardized test.

With all that said, a motivated student will find a way to learn, especially with today's resources.  Give that student an equally motivated parent/teacher or both and he can rise above the system.

+10

[Magoo541]

To digress back to our stupid and ignorant congressional Leaders, Sheila Jackson Lee represents Houston-home to the Space program and is a member of the House Science Committee.  She asked if the Mars rover could go see the flag that Neil Armstrong planted...

[Timothy]

To digress back to our stupid and ignorant congressional Leaders, Sheila Jackson Lee represents Houston-home to the Space program and is a member of the House Science Committee.  She asked if the Mars rover could go see the flag that Neil Armstrong planted...

Yes but only when the wind blows!