Originally Posted By: Am_Fear_Liath_Mor
Hi BrianTexas,

I'm afraid I don't know to much about the levels of educational achievement within the US schooling system and the issues surrounding some perceived crisis within that system. Is there really a crisis in attainment levels or is this just nonsense put forward by some for nefarious ends.

I came across a term called New Math. Hmm New Math I thought, I was intrigued and delved a little deeper and came across this,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr1qee-bTZI

College students can't multiple 6 times 4 without a calculator!! eek

Is this true or just hype? I'm having a hard time believing this.


Since I'm a private school teacher, I'm not qualified to discuss the public school system in detail. However, what I've found in education is that there is a fascination with being "bleeding edge" as opposed to "leading edge" when it comes to educational teaching methods. Many so called 'new' ideas are just rehashed old ideas that went out of favor.

Their really is a crisis in education. I've seen it with the declining skill sets (with inversely related 'self-esteem')
of people I had to hire.

The business world simply doesn't tolerate too much of this nonsense, especially if a company's existence is in question. The Darwinian process of weeding out weaklings helps keep it in check. However, in education, I've seen more consultants in 7 years than with nearly 20 in the corporate world.

That being said, most teachers and administrators are honorable, decent, hard-working people who can only do so many miracles when absentee parents bring their spoiled and lazy children to the school.
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Also known as BrianEagle. I just remembered my old password!