[roccman]

....of idiots in U.S. history

No mention of PC games so it could be worse...


American kids, dumber than dirt

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')e are, as far as urban public education is concerned, essentially at rock bottom. We are now at a point where we are essentially churning out ignorant teens who are becoming ignorant adults and society as a whole will pay dearly, very soon, and if you think the hordes of easily terrified, mindless fundamentalist evangelical Christian lemmings have been bad for the soul of this country, just wait.

[Specop_007]

Wow, nothing like broad generalizations to make a solid point.....

[jasonraymondson]

Damn, even specop got expert status, talking about dragging the bottom of the barrel

[auscanman]

Now, Now, Jasonraymondson that's no way to respond to the post of an 'expert'. You should realize what a genius Specop is, and how much he adds to the conversations here with his typical suburban middle class American values and views. He has so many insights to offer

[mgibbons19]

Yeah, I can't believe specop is picking on him. After all, complaining about the next generation is so...

unique? no
insightful? no
prescient? no
thoughtful? no

[SchroedingersCat]

Science courses nearly extinct in elementary grades, study finds

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')bout 80 percent of those teachers said they spent less than an hour each week teaching science, according to researchers from the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley and from WestEd, an education think tank based in San Francisco.

In contrast, a national study seven years ago found elementary school science instruction averaged more than two hours per week, said Rena Dorph, the lead researcher on the new study.

[BlisteredWhippet]

I happen to totally agree with the poster.

Its a just-add-water phenomenon. What the fuck did people expect: the worst schools, the worst food, the worst parents, the worst society and culture... we were going to create a generation of platonic rationalists, carrying the torch of wisdom into the future? No.

Chickens come home to roost.

[BlisteredWhippet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mgibbons19', 'Y')eah, I can't believe specop is picking on him. After all, complaining about the next generation is so...

unique? no
insightful? no
prescient? no
thoughtful? no

[Baldwin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')hat the fuck did people expect: the worst schools, the worst food, the worst parents, the worst society and culture... we were going to create a generation of platonic rationalists, carrying the torch of wisdom into the future?

[PenultimateManStanding]

My daughter seeks purity and she won't eat meat. The horrible fact is though is that she has to sit on the toilet too. We all do. Compassion is the only answer.

[Ferretlover]

I have posted elsewhere how I feel about the American school system.
It is nearly worthless. For instance, neither of my sons had any homework in middle school. The rational was: "This is a transition time. They will learn how to write reports, etc in high school. Middle school should be a time of socialization."

Unbelievable! I swear, I came to believe that there was a plan to reduce all schoolchildren to mental zombies so that they would be more pliable as adults.

[Andrew_S]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SchroedingersCat', '
')
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')bout 80 percent of those teachers said they spent less than an hour each week teaching science, according to researchers from the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley and from WestEd, an education think tank based in San Francisco.

In contrast, a national study seven years ago found elementary school science instruction averaged more than two hours per week, said Rena Dorph, the lead researcher on the new study.

[Cloud9]

A significant portion of the under class does not value education. They see the system as a free day care center. They use it to feed, house and medicate their children. Intelligent underclass kids grow up in a world of low expectations and are encouraged by their peers to embrace a culture of failure. Many are deemed emotionally handicapped. Under such a classification poor behavior is labeled as a manifestation of their disability and they are spared the consequences of their bad conduct.

You want to improve public education; you can start by removing the convicted felons from the class room. After you do that, expel those who are truant. Then, focus on the chronic classroom disrupters. Give them a chance to shape up or ship out. Stop testing them every five minutes and start teaching them. Finally get rid of the notion that 98 % of them are going to Yale. Reinstate the vocational classes. And, end social promotion.

[strider3700]

Baldwin that was a great post. Even though I busted my ass working all day You've managed to make me feel guilty for wasting time on here instead of reading a useful book. On that note I'm off to learn something new

[lotrfan55345]

I think that article is very very overgeneralized. The American HS system can be made very challenging and rewarding (in most districts) if the student chooses to. Obviously it's not going to be challenging if a student chooses basket-weaving over AP US History or Calculus.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ferretlover', 'I') have posted elsewhere how I feel about the American school system.
It is nearly worthless. For instance, neither of my sons had any homework in middle school. The rational was: "This is a transition time. They will learn how to write reports, etc in high school. Middle school should be a time of socialization."

Unbelievable! I swear, I came to believe that there was a plan to reduce all schoolchildren to mental zombies so that they would be more pliable as adults.

[Plantagenet]

The teachers are unionized and can't be fired.

The students can't be expelled.

Most parents don't give a damn.

[sittinguy]

I 100% agree, I am 35 and I have a younger step brother and sister, they and thier friends are idiots. They all have such a sense of entitlement. None of them have jobs but every damb one of them has a fancy cell phone. All the kids now today are hand held and pampered. I am sickened by the lack of skills they have. NONE of them know what hard work is. They have no problem asking mommy and daddy for money, and never having the intentions of paying back any. zero pride. My 22 year old brother is an unemployed pot head, that ids about to have child support slapped on him, he won't have his drivers license very long,, he doesn't give a crap. and My sister is a stripper. Great

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('sittinguy', ' ')My sister is a stripper. Great

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('auscanman', 'N')ow, Now, Jasonraymondson that's no way to respond to the post of an 'expert'. You should realize what a genius Specop is, and how much he adds to the conversations here with his typical suburban middle class American values and views. He has so many insights to offer

[emailking]

From the article:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')I've argued generational relativity in this space before, suggesting maybe kids are no scarier or dumber or more dangerous than they've ever been, and that maybe some of the problem is merely the same old awkward generation gap, with every current generation absolutely convinced the subsequent one is terrifically stupid and malicious and will be the end of society as a whole. Just the way it always seems.