Once we had an Education Bubble.

[ThomWV]

Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles everywhere.

High Tech stocks grew and grew in value and then the prices collapses. Another bubble burst.

Housing prices skyrocketed, hit the top, and plunged. Another bubble burst.

After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik (October 1957) the United States launched a drive to improve math and science education. Four years later we led the world. Those days are long gone now, another bubble popped.

Every time I see a bumper sticker noting that someone's child had done well at their school (you know the ones. "My Child Is An Honor Student at Ben Franklin Elementary) it flashes in my mind that back in 1960 the kid would have been average at best and probably considered a slow learner.

Yesterday on National Public Radio Dana Perino the current White House Press Secretary (born May 1972) said she knew nothing about the Cuban Missle Crisis (September 1960) and could not give a coherent answer to a question about it at a White House Press Conference.

[raccoon]

1. So, you're saying school has been made too easy? nt

[ThomWV]

2. Easy is not the right word, learning is not hard. What it has become is "lacking"

Its not that it is hard or easy, learning isn't like digging a ditch where if its in sand its easy and if its in rock its hard. The education our children receive today isn't at all difficult, that's plain to see. However if you survey kids today you you find is that they are lacking in fundamental reasoning skills and lacking basic facts as well.

So no, I don't think its been made to easy, I think its been made to lack substance. Jesus, we have high school graduates who can not find the state they live in on a map. They aren't tasked to read, they can not write, in conversation they can not express an idea or convey a point. You think they are working to hard?

[raccoon]

7. I haven't had any real interaction with the public school system in years.

I don't have kids and it's been decades since I went.

But I've heard it both ways. I've heard it that very little is expected of students today, grade inflation, etc. And I've also heard it that in early grades students are asked to do tasks that years ago weren't assigned until several grades later.

And so much depends on the individual school and the school district. I went to school in the late 50's and '60's in a very poor rural school district. Basically, the schools sucked.

I'm sure there are some very poor schools today. But poor schools are nothing new. There were some of them decades ago, only then you didn't hear about the schools and how bad they were 24/7.

[flordehinojos]

3. imagine and she has the dare to put helen thomas down whenever thomas asks a question.

WHERE WAS HELEN THOMAS WHEN THE CUBAN MISILE CRISIS WAS HAPPENING? PERRINO SHOULD BE ASKING THOMAS FOR HELP IN GETTING SOME OF HER FACTS STRAIGHT!

[CrispyQ]

4. I attended a small high school with excellent teachers.

I'd put my secondary education up against a college education today. Of course, our school was also properly funded. We had less than 20 students per class, current text books & we spent time learning through reading, writing & discussion, not preparing to take tests all the time. We also did not have the behavioral issues that many of today's teachers face.

Uneducated masses are easier to control & manipulate.

[ThomWV]

5. You won't believe this but the best publically educated adult I ever met

The best educated person I have ever known (just a public elementry and high school education) went to school in Boone county, West Virginia sometime back in the 50's and 60's. Boone county is in the southern coal fields and is one of the state's poorest. Interestingly enough the best read person I have known was a fellow who was a high school drop out from Dade county (south Miami), Florida who was educated about the same time.

[CrispyQ]

6. ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2438559

[Zynx]

8. Cuban Missile Crisis was in 1962, but I agree with your point.