Is This Our 4th of July Heritage???

[Richard]

4th of July questions...and the answers?

Jay Leno - Jaywalking segment

http://entertainmentunderground.com/...g-4th-of-july/

Updated link thanks to Milon.

And so it goes...

Richard

[JJ_BPK]

Sickening...

[dr. mabuse]

Perhaps these folks gradiated from one of those vaunted "recognized campus" schools we're hearing so much about these days.

Perhaps they should be quizzed on a topic they know well like the details of Lindsay Lohan's fate at this moment.

[Razor]

I really, really, really hope they cherry pick the "cream of the crop" for those segments.

[akv]

Wow, simply wow.

[The Reaper]

And they vote.

TR

[Surf n Turf]

The NEA & AFT must be so proud
SnT


An enlightened citizenry is indispensable for the proper functioning of a republic. Self-government is not possible unless the citizens are educated sufficiently to enable them to exercise oversight. It is therefore imperative that the nation see to it that a suitable education be provided for all its citizens. - Thomas Jefferson

"If the children are untaught, their ignorance and vices will in future life cost us much dearer in their consequences than it would have done in their correction by a good education." --Thomas Jefferson

[ZonieDiver]

Grandpa knew! Grandpas always (well, almost always) know.

[nmap]

Originally Posted by ZonieDiver

Grandpa knew! Grandpas always (well, almost always) know.

Grandpa came from a period when academic rigor was the norm, rather than the exception.

[MILON]

I tried to view the video through Richards link, but found they had removed it for copyright reasons. It can be found at the link below.

http://entertainmentunderground.com/...g-4th-of-july/

Thanks!

Richard

[Green Light]

Originally Posted by Surf n Turf

The NEA & AFT must be so proud
SnT


An enlightened citizenry is indispensable for the proper functioning of a republic. Self-government is not possible unless the citizens are educated sufficiently to enable them to exercise oversight. It is therefore imperative that the nation see to it that a suitable education be provided for all its citizens. - Thomas Jefferson

"If the children are untaught, their ignorance and vices will in future life cost us much dearer in their consequences than it would have done in their correction by a good education." --Thomas Jefferson

Public school graduates?

[nmap]

Originally Posted by Brush Okie

That is very true. If I were a tin hat guy I would think the govt is dumbing down the schools so they can control the population easier. The problem with that as well as other tin hat theories is that IMHO the govt i to inept to think that far ahead.

Not exactly dumbing down - but public education policy has goals. Those goals shift over decades, but they can (and do) lend themselves to inculcation of specific values.

From PBS, we see some past purposes LINK:

To prepare children for citizenship
To cultivate a skilled workforce
To teach cultural literacy
To prepare students for college
To help students become critical thinkers
To help students compete in a global marketplace

Notice that each of these items involves training in facts, behavior, and attitudes. For example, if we want a skilled workforce during an era of large factories, we want to train students to obey a schedule and to comply with instructions. If we want cultural literacy, we choose what elements of culture will receive emphasis - and which elements will quietly disappear.

Rhetorical question: Do we really want to develop lots of critical thinkers? Or do we want some who are content to follow the rules, flip the burgers, and pick up the garbage?

There is no tin hat needed to discern governmental involvement in the schools. It's known as educational policy. And you can be 100% sure it exists.

[Richard]

Grandpa came from a period when academic rigor was the norm, rather than the exception.

And just when was that?

While it used to be true that a student who didn't care much about learning could slide through high school in low-level classes and earn a diploma without learning much, changes in accountability and exit-testing over the last couple of decades have largely eliminated this option, and public schools now face the predictable problem of large numbers of low-achieving students not graduating (nearly 1/3 of eligible students here in Texas fail to graduate high school).

On the other end of the grading scale, however, more public school students than ever are now taking advantage of high caliber learning opportunities (AP and Honors courses, IB programs, dual-credit options with local colleges while still attending high school, etc) which rival what was formerly available only in the most exclusive private schools.

There are multiple realities in a typical public school today, and students who are motivated to challenge themselves with the highest level of classes are apt to find that intellectual challenges are both varied and plentiful.

Consider this fact as well - published admissions statistics for Harvard's class of 2007 show an overall admission rate of 9% (2,056 of 20,918 applications) - of which 65% of the entering class attended public high schools and 35% attended private schools. The geographical breakdown for the entering students was New England 17%; Middle Atlantic 24%; South 16%; Midwest 11%; Pacific 20%; and International 12%.

From this, I would infer that - contrary to the myths - there were obviously plenty enough challenges in the public schools for the public high school graduates who were admitted to Harvard.

I would also infer that none of these students were among those interviewed by Jay Leno in the linked video.

People can freeze (struggle to remember or speak coherently) when confronted with a celebrity or an on-camera interview, but it would be interesting to know how many people Leno interviewed and just how much editing had to be done to make this amusing video.

Richard's $.02

[nmap]

Originally Posted by Richard

And just when was that?

While it used to be true that a student who didn't care much about learning could slide through high school in low-level classes and earn a diploma without learning much, changes in accountability and exit-testing over the last couple of decades have largely eliminated this option, and public schools now face the predictable problem of large numbers of low-achieving students not graduating (nearly 1/3 of eligible students here in Texas fail to graduate high school).

Yes, there is exit testing now. There is also teaching to the test.

But you bring up a good point - and I'm not sure there is a good (or even valid) metric for addressing the issue. The SAT goes back awhile, but it has been changed and renormed, making comparisons more problematic. Other standardized tests don't go back as far.

The other interesting point you make is the bimodal distribution of student achievement. Some are very, very good. And some...well... You point out that almost 1/3 of our Texas students don't graduate from high school, and that says something about the achievement characteristics of that cohort of the population. Perhaps the average has declined - or, maybe it hasn't changed much , but the variance has gone up - the prepared students are better, while the weaker students have even less capability. It would be interesting to see some comparisons that went back a century or so...

Originally Posted by Richard

There are multiple realities in a typical public school today, and students who are motivated to challenge themselves with the highest level of classes are apt to find that intellectual challenges are both varied and plentiful.

Agreed. However, as you say, this applies to the motivated student. There are some of the other kind.

Perhaps this is a case where some see the glass half full, and others see it half empty. I imagine most will know which perspective I will choose.

[Richard]

Perhaps this is a case where some see the glass half full, and others see it half empty.

I'll drink to that - zum voll!

And remember:

Reading made Don Quixote a gentleman. Believing what he read made him mad.
- George Bernard Shaw

Richard