Ignore the political names, Dem or GOP. What we have here is the real smoke, that will burn America down in years to come. And very few, will admit to what the source of the problem really is. And I think we all know and see the elephant in that room.
Exactly, Go. In the Juvenile prison where I currently work. We had a high school. We routinely graduated young men who couldn't read, do multiplication or find where they were on a US map. These young men 16 to 20, we gave diplomas and even sent some to colleges (that failed spectacularly. sorry to their victims). Our Director, even Gov. Pritzker spoke at their graduation, with smiling parents. All while the young men had high school diplomas that weren't worth the paper they were printed on. And worst of all. Everyone knew it. The politicians, activists, educators, union officials, judges, even the parents. But the young men were mostly of a minority group, so no truth could be spoken. And the beat goes on and on.
RE: Beyond Politics
But, everything social is within politics--and nothing beyond it.
Yes, these fake/unjustified/unmerited educations and graduations occur, but among various classes of people--blacks, Hispanics, whites, Asians, prisoners, Native-Americans, women, men, youths, traditional school students, vocational institution students, etc.
And it's not a good thing, as people get awarded degrees/accomplishments that they don't deserve.
It's a general societal thing.
RE: Beyond Politics
My point. Is that while we argue about Left and right, or who will be President. Our future will be trash. What does it matter if the next generation is too stupid to do anything, accomplish anything, build anything, or understand anything? What does it matter if the acceptance of lies is commonplace all around? If all levels from the ground up are complicate in the accepted "abuse" (yes that what this is) of our children and standards, what difference does Trump or Harris make?
RE: Beyond Politics
Do we still have Harvard? Yale? MIT? Stanford? Other Ivy-league colleges/universities? Top research institutions? Private/well-funded/elite high schools and elementary schools? Even high-level kindergartens and preschools?
If so, then our future'll be a'ight. 'Cause these are going to be the ones on top.
Our future Einsteins and poet laureates aren't coming from that prison system you cited, or any other such...'educational institutions'.
Those fake educations and diplomas are just a little something-something to keep the potential juvenile delinquents off the streets give them some form of pride/hope of accomplishment/achievement, and hopefully make them good follower-workers for the ones I mentioned in the opening paragraph.
Someone's gotta work the sanitation, McDonald's, janitor, security guard, theatre usher, factory, and other such non-skill, blue-collar jobs.
Our intellectual 10% elite leaders are secure.
We just need to make sure the other 90% are half decent and dutifully fall in line.
That's what those fake educations/diplomas are for--not really/primarily to educate, but to manage.
RE: Beyond Politics
There is a very good topic for debate here as it appears to be the same old, same old example of the wealthy getting ahead despite many being of average intelligence and ambition.
Apparently grade inflation is a concern across many Ivy League institutions and public and private schools alike. This trend can undermine the perceived rigor and value of the education provided. Isn't that the point? And this is really weird, by 2021, 79% of Harvard students received A-range grades, compared to 60% a decade earlier. Does this percentage rate seem even possible? This trend suggests that grades may not accurately reflect students' academic performance. Who are they comparing themselves to?
So has intelligence been overrated all along or have wealthier nations become complacent and allowed foreign students to overtake domestic students intellectually? Or is something more sinister afoot?
I always found it contrary to Harvard's principles that they invited dropouts, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, to give commencement addresses. But apparently the University took credit for their success by saying their facility allowed them access to cutting-edge technology and resources thus enabling them to innovate and lay the groundwork for future ventures that they otherwise wouldn't have had. Really?
RE: Beyond Politics
Just an anecdotal contribution from my corner of the universe: I own an educational bookstore for homeschoolers, serving about a 5-state area. The next closest store that exclusively sells to homeschoolers is 300 miles away. I've been in the business for 27 years.
My numbers (sales, customers served, new consignors) were fairly steady for the first 23 years, (ie a fairly predictable modest increase yearly as the business grew). Then 4 years ago my numbers tripled and have continued to slowly increase. The initial jump was Covid/lockdown/schools closed directed. I expected it to drop back down as the situation retuned to normal. But it didn't.
I talk to new customers about why they've decided to homeschool, and dissatisfaction with the performance of schools at top of the list is what I hear.
What breaks my heart is that it is almost exclusively a white phenomenon. My store is 20 minutes from our capital city, which is primarily black/hispanic. The schools are atrocious. The high schools stopped making public the SAT results decades ago. Few graduates go on to college. Illiteracy is the norm. Yet the schools get the lion's share of government funding. The school board (100% black) has been implicated in so much fraud it's disgusting. They're screwing their own kids.
I have customers every day who drive 3 or 4 hours to come buy homeschool curriculum. I have zero that come from my nearest inner city. The few black or Hispanic customers I do have don't come from there.
Anyway, just a peek into one corner of American education some people aren't familiar with.
RE: Beyond Politics
The intellectual framework of America was laid many, many years ago, from its inception.
In general, only about 5% of its scholars/students, at any given time, truly live up to/learn the highest levels of knowledge/skills there are (the rest/95% just being info drones).
These 5% become the relatively 'silent' technocratic elite of the nation.
Coupled with these are an additional 5% of innovators, entrepreneurs, visionaries, leaders-of-men, opportunists, schemers, and other such highly resourceful folk who, altogether, make up the socio-economic, political and military elite, who essentially own--yes, own--and run the country.
The rest of us just happen to ride, and have roles, on their ship.
I used to be a traditional classroom teacher, but now run an afterschool /summer program.
This is a little secret (yet not so secret) to how the educational system works:
Out of a total 100% grade/score, students 'earn' 55% for regular attendance and relatively good behavior--not fighting teachers/students and shooting up the school.
For class participation, even if students claim 1 + 1 = 3, and how to spell apple is bcd@#, students 'earn' another 10%.
This is 65% so far and a passing score in most schools--just for attendance and random/whatever-answers participation.
Completing homework, even if every answer is wrong, 'earns' students an additional 10%--a 75% C+ grade so far.
Many of my teacher-colleagues don't really bother to check for the accuracy of homework answers, but simply grade according to who did the work (on or even long after the required time allotted).
Now about one-third of students actually bother to listen, learn, study, and adequately regurgitate such knowledge on tests/quizzes/exams enough to 'earn' an 85-95% total score.
These don't necessarily really understand/internalize knowledge and skills, but are simply very good at 'simulating' the understanding of these knowledge/skills.
The very, very few who maintain a 95-100% average score/grade are the managers, supervisors, foremen, CEOs, CFOs, company vice presidents, and other high-level managerial positions of the future.
Another issue: many students I've dealt with tend to be on the autistic side, of a wide range, and have dyslexia and other learning disabilities.
Some have parents/guardians who don't adequately push/encourage them to do better.
And some are just darnright lazy, undisciplined and/or bad/evil/diabolic.
RE: Beyond Politics
Oh, it's much worse than bad grades and grade inflation. Remember: No Child Left Behind. One of most God-awful program ever to be implemented.
