America’s Education Sucks
Oh noes! American education sucks! Kids are dropping out of high school by the millions!
I will give you three reasons why American public education sucks:
Why get a degree when you can live comfortably off someone else’s money? The culture of the kids who are dropping out of school is one in which a high school education is not required. All we need to do is pass legislation to require that a recipient of government welfare at any time in your life for any reason, including welfare, social security, and medicaid will not be paid to anyone over the age of 18 who does not have a high school diploma or a GED (or is actively pursuing a GED and is getting passing marks). Drop out rates drop to 1% across the board. But no. This will never happen, because the chorus of “what about the poor single mother who works 2 jobs and blah blah blah blah blah” Whiny empaths who want to have cake and eat it too will tug on your heartstrings and try to make it seem like these social parasites are instead heroes. Did she spread her legs and pop a baby? Say no more! Here’s money. We won’t let your baby starve, even though you dropped out of high school at age 15 to have your bastard baby. Do you see how this misplaced compassion is counterintentional to keeping kids in school?
Parents have their way. In suburban schools where 99% of the kids already graduate from school because they actually intend on growing up and contributing to society and paying taxes instead of taking as much from other people as they possibly can, this is a major problem. All it took in my high school was a phone call from a parent to put a kid who had no business in an honors class in an honors class. This necessarily lowers the bar for everyone, because teachers will be judged on how many of their students pass. If half the class doesn’t belong in top track math, the teacher is not going to fail half the class because the principal will conclude that the teacher must suck at teaching if he was unable to teach students the material. This trickles down to every level of the school system. Schools are not allowed to be hard on kids because the parents are not hard on their kids, and the parents force their will on the teachers as well under threat of litigation, which of course the school district always loses, because of my next point…
The school system is overrun by totally spineless liberals. This is the biggest problem. The vast majority of educators are women who are predisposed to be liberal anyway, and the few men who in that environment have to wear liberal clothing even if they loathe everything liberalism stands for because the public shool system is a cult and if you don’t fit in with the other pinkos, you are ostercized and forced out. Liberals live in an ideological fantasy world where concepts like “fairness” are more important than results. They refuse to admit that children are smarter than others. They also operate under some ridiculous pretense that if you throw smart kids in with stupid kids, the stupid kids will somehow absorb intelligence from the smart kids and become smarter. After 30 or 40 years of this nonsense you’d think they would have learned after tests that actually realistically measure results like SATs have the same exact bell curves today that they did before they started implementing this fairness horse shit ad nauseum. But no.
During my run in public schools, the school administrators brilliantly concluded that they should no longer track subjects like science, reading, writing, or history (preserving only tracked math, since math is impossible to fake because it’s objective). So I got stuck in a classroom full of retards. In furthering this ridiculous policy, teachers systemically would group a smart kid, like me, with a bunch of not so smart kids. Again, presuming I would teach them.
I’m 10 years old. I’m not interested in teaching anything to anyone. That’s the teacher’s job. I’m interested in getting a decent grade so my parents won’t give me a hard time about it. So invariably, I do all the work, and have to share the credit with a bunch of lazy retards. And of course, it’s easy as hell for me because the teacher is teaching to the middle of the bell curve and I’m way, way to the right of it.
In every group, a smart kid worked with a bunch of dumb kids, and it was the same story with them. Smart kid does work, stupid kid doesn’t do anything, but still gets OK grade. It doesn’t take a genius to realize why this fails on so many levels, and in fact has the exact opposite effect than intended. Here are some of the results that I witnessed first hand:
1. I learned very early on that not only are all men created vastly inequal, but that whenever a smart person gets stuck with stupid people, the smart person invariably carries everyone else. This constant life experience from a very early age solidified my worldview as a conservative. I find that as in public shool, this principal extends to the adult world as well: smart, talented, motivated, hard working people do everything, and everyone else is along for the ride. The liberal indoctrination tried so desperately by teachers at every level had the exact opposite effect.
2. My education was vastly diminished because I had everything so easy, being lumped in with the idiots. I should have been challenged way more than I ever was, but I wasn’t. Because of #1, neglecting your top performers hurts everyone, since they’re the ones who get things done. Both Europe and Asia are keenly aware of this and go so far as to build separate high schools for smart kids. Thus, the students we as Americans interact with, namely those who have creds and desire to get into America, were in top schools populated only with kids at their intellectual level. Their work could be challenging and they’d still pass.
3. Because my education was so easy during my formative years, I had a very hard time adapting to college because many college level course are appropriately challenging. College is not nearly as forgiving – honors math classes are designed for 130+ IQs, and they have absolutely no second thoughts about failing kids who don’t cut it. They aren’t bullied by parents. I was totally unprepared to take difficult classes that required more than a pulse to pass with flying colors. I had zero study skills because the public school system was so, so, so easy that the mere thought that I would have to actually try in a class blew my mind. Thanks a lot, high school.
4. On the other side of the spectrum, the dumb kids learned early to just suck off a smarter person and let them do everything. Also, because on group projects grades are shared, dumb kids have their grades artificially inflated. They get passed in classes they should otherwise fail on the work of others. This is actually something the liberals seem to want since they seem very big on the idea of taking from the producers and giving to the nonproducers, so in this sense, they’re right on the money. They’re raising a whole generation of very average people who expect the non-average people (who drive the economy) to help them when they become adults – help that typically involves us giving them money veiled in “tax refunds” so they can go on vacations, buy TVs, and enjoy a high standard of living they feel they deserve even though they have done nothing to deserve.
When we fix these problems with the American school system, we’ll be back on top. But unfortunately, these will never get fixed. The liberals have a strangehold on public education and they will never give it up. There is no incentive for smart, conservative people to get into education because there’s no money in it and they’d have to fight with liberals every single day of their lives, and they’re vastly outnumbered, so what’s the point?
The only answer is private school, which I promise is going to become more and more popular every year that goes on. This will inspire a great cry of angst from liberals everywhere as public schools continue to blow hardcore and have larger and larger dropout rates. It will get to the point where top colleges will not accept anyone from public schools. The chorus of “classism” will cover the New York Times (if it still exists), claiming that “rich” parents who put their children in private schools are villains. No, they’re not villains. They’ve just had enough of the failure that is the Department of Education.
Thanks, Jimmy Carter. Malaise forever!
I’m so glad I don’t have to suffer American public education.
Very well-thought out paper.
Mind if I… “borrow” some of your ideas for this school assignment that my STUPID teacher is making us do?
I agree with many of your sentiments and have become the conservative and strict teacher that has to hide among the liberal teachers. I’m a rarity – a male teacher in elementary- the last study I read the number of male teachers was at a historic low last time I read a report, especailly in elementary. I have taught in the urban core from junior college down to kindergarten, so I have seen grade inflation at every level to keep up the self-esteem of individuals. I have flunk half a class and they saw that I didn’t get run out by the administration (because of my friend the attorney gave them a call)- so they bucked up and met the standards of the real world – to produce results, not excuses.
The best teachers I ever had in school were unilaterally the hardest.
Craig- you’re a hero, keep it up. We need more people like you. The only way we’ll get back to where we need to be on education is when teachers take control back from the parents and start teaching to standards, not self-esteem.
absolutely love you work, i wish to see more if you have other papers.
We recently experienced the group grade taking advantage of our daughter’s aptitude. One of the students in her group told her that she refused to do any work since she knew our daughter would do all the heavy lifting regardless of the others. So our daughter got the worst grade of the year due to the behavior of the group.
We also encountered school administrators who cared far more about career advancement than our daughter.
So we pulled her out of public school and sent her to private Catholic school. Now instead of homework-free evenings and straight As she is earning Bs and a few Cs and has to study all the time. She’s learning so much more now. We’re hoping she’ll catch up to the Catholics and eventually start earning straight As again.
Amen… my wife and I have already talked about sending our children to private school if we can afford it.
It’s amazing how private schools can achieve much better results while spending considerably less per studant than a public school can. It proves that the more you spend per student will not make them achieve more. So for everyone that says we need to increase spending in public schools, look at the results of private schools vs. public schools. The problem is lack of parental involvement, the PC culture, and the dumbing down of instruction in public schools because we want to maintain the attention of the student.
Fuck you for using “liberal” as an insult word, what’s next? “democratic”, “communism”, “conservatives”, what else are you going to use to make yourself sound smart?
reply to awejifjaoejfoajodfijaois:
Obviously you are a product of public education.
Brutally honest… I love it.
It’s so sad, but true . That’s why I graduated at semester.
The 3 problems I have with US public schools is that: 1) Many so-called teachers are to the left of the curve themselves. The major factor is the lack of respect and pay. Which person with a 120+ IQ would want to teach primary/secondary education for barely-middle-classed salary? This results in a country where teachers are unqualified to teach Honors and AP classes – they themselves were only regular or low level students.
2) Many American parents take no responsibility in the education of their children. They believe that B’s are acceptable grades. This is just a hoax to make kids feel “special” when they’re below-average compared to other nations’ students.
3) American teachers are irresponsible because of the lack of incentives for them to do better. In many schools, kids can study for hours, but the teachers will put something he/she never taught on the board. This goes into another point: TEACHERS SUCK AT TEACHING! In my school, the math teacher literally told us to go home and read the math textbook since there was nothing he could teach us. The ironic part is that he originally went to community college after doing horribly in high school…I wonder why? Even if we fail standardized tests (SAT,ACT,HSPA,Regents,etc.), the teachers don’t get fired or even reprimanded. MOST TEACHERS DON’T deserved tenure.
1) It is illogical to generalize all teachers as money hungry people who only care about pay as opposed to their students and teaching. They are people and not all people fit in the same stereotypical definition of a teacher. They don’ all have to be geniuses to teach people and they don’t have to fit the standard to be considered ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
2) While it is true that many parents take no responsibility in the education of their children, it is possible that some children are, indeed, different and need different ways of learning. Popping out good grades does not necessarily mean a kid is above average like you are saying. In turn, a kid being ‘below average’ is narrow minded because they may learn in a different way and need different stimulation to concentrate rather r than just labeling them stupid and moving on. Parents should find the time to teach children themselves or find a way to promote a healthier education system where children aren’t cookie cutter cut outs.
3) It is incorrect to generalize all American teachers as irresponsible. Not every teacher is lazy and does nothing, especially considering the long hours it takes just to do the bare minimum when it comes to teaching. Creating a lesson plan that follow the curriculum, creating a prober environment for the students, creating tests, grading those tests, and on top of all that, making it fun and interesting under the requirements of standardized testing makes teaching one of the hardest jobs there is. It’s intense and typically not fulfilling through salary, but through their own desire to teach. So you can’t lump all teachers together as having no incentives for students to do better. As you previously said, some kids are ‘below average’, which I call ‘different’, so how will they all learn at the same pace? And of course the teacher will put something on the board they don’t know. How are they supposed to learn with old material on the board? Also, a few teachers that you’ve had that are not so great do not prove that teachers suck at teaching. Many do their back-breaking jobs very well even under the pressure of standardized testing that treats every student exactly the same. Standardized test are a horrible way to decide if children are smart or not. Maybe your math teacher already knew that all the school cared about was standardized tests, and since those tests usually come straight from the test book, why teach? This shows standardized testing is nothing but a rubbish way to judge students. Furthermore, teachers getting tenure takes so long that it’s not worth half-assing a job for that long.
While your points are not in support of public schools, you have false logic when it comes to the expectations of public schools, teachers, and students in general.
Although I do AGREE with your article and find most of the points to be true (I am currently in high school), I find your use of the word retard offensive. Just because someone is not as bright as another person does not make them retarded. I personally know people who ARE retarded and I do not like the way with in which you used the word. Other than that, great article!!!!!!! Couldn’t agree more!
Go read up about Singapore’s education system, maybe it will make you want to immigrate there. BECAUSE WE PWN AMERICA AT EVERY SUBJECT IN SOME TEST.
Thank you so much. Right now I’m in eleventh grade, and I feel the same way as you do. I’ve always had to help out the kids who are under my level, and it hurts me because I can just take a test with my eyes closed, and get at least a 95. That’s how challenging this education system is.
My school did not give me any science course in ninth grade, so I had to suffer with the fact that I’ve been robbed of my education, and vastly under-prepared for college. The valedictorian of my school scored a 720 out of 2400 in SATs. That’s too horrific to laugh at.
My family is worried too, because even though they came from a tiny poor island from the Caribbean, they are well accomplished people. So, the stress of doing well is on me, which is a good thing.
This is ironic because as I read the school description, they depicted themselves as a “college-prep school”, which is absolute hogwash. It’s even more painful to know that they received a grade A for their education. So this school that I attend, that robbed me of so many opportunities is considered a great school?
As a sixteen year old, I know that something is terribly wrong with our education system. I need to go live in Asia, because the so-called “land of opportunity” is the “land of broken dreams”.
Disagree
I consider America Education System a good one.
Sucks, that is American education (exactly at school!). Children can’t read and write and speak ….. What kind of education is that? If these children studied in Europe- many of them have to do ( due they will not have any kind of job -neither in McDobnalds! to clean floor…..) , the will not satisfied costumers in Europe! Discusting! I am very dispaoointed here.
I am a teacher of 6-8 grade math. I agree with much of what you have said. I am currently failing 80% of my students. I will adjust all of those F’s to D’s at the semester’s end. Why? Well, as a tax payer, if you think I’m going to pay for an extra year of schooling for a lazy-assed stupid juvenile delinquent, think again. I have spent hours calling parents to try to get them to insist that their child actually do homework or at least work in class. Why doesn’t this help you ask? Because the parents are stupid lazy-assed people too! Go figure! You can’t fix stupid! I do wish that we could sterilize people though. The problem is that lazy stupid people are too stupid and lazy to use birth control. On the plus side, I try to keep the rigor in my class so that I am actually providing a good education to those capable and willing to learn. The others don’t matter-I’ll have to fake their grades anyway.
You can fix stupid. It just involves a switch which teachers really should be allowed to employ.
FYI I’m a student. I hate the dumb shits in my classes.
There was recently a situation between a teacher and his class, and it went like this:
“Did anyone read the book?”
“No.”
“Is anyone going to read the book?”
“No.”
“Alright, we’ll watch the movie tomorrow.”
True story.
swedens education system is alot better but still shit
1.) you couldn’t be more misinformed about the drop out culture though I agree to a certain extent. You don’t cite anything to proove you’re point on the culture which makes me just want to ignore as a right wing moron. Though those teenage girls are morons for getting knocked up and shouldn’t be idolized my point still stands.
2.) GOD YES the system is over run with liberals but for every liberal gumming up the system there’s a conservative keeping money out of the schools. There simply isn’t enough money in the schools. There’s no arguing against this point. I had to use a twenty year old text book in a 44 person class. There weren’t enough chairs for people to sit down and we couldn’t afford new ones. Students started bring chairs from home.
3.) yes public education sucks but you’re just placing the blame on liberals. Ofcorse they should be faulted but so should conservatives, democrats, republicans and everyone in between.
Quick your bitching.
This has to be one of the most agreeable thing I have ever read. As a talented student in school, this is exactly what happens. I literally took ALL of the work on a 3-week project while everybody else did nothing. Even during the presentation, I did all the talking. However, everybody got A’s. What type of grading is that!? Furthermore, I am glad that my Dad never threw away his textbooks. I literally read those texts books from way back in the 1900s and understood more math and science knowledge then I ever did in school. But that even wasn’t the worst! Teachers, because they assume that students don’t need to know something at a given level state obviously false information (stating: Only Matter has gravity, subsequent equations of one line is NOT relative to other subsequent equations{Logarithms provide this relativity}, you can cite your source by simply copying and pasting URLS [no APA or MLA formats]…) There are only three ways to fix this problem in America’s public school system.
1) Start with a new pedagogy, a new doctrine. A way to introduce might be to have teachers accept academic and intellectual inequality. Next, would be to have students paired with people of the same level. The unintelligible should stay with the unintelligible.
2) Get rid of the unintelligible. Those who are not prepared to learn, should not learn. Force is not needed. However, this could end up with serious consequences depending on the actual number of the unintelligible. This could be achieved through standardized tests, motivational tests, and other psychological factors. However, this is unadvised.
3) Get rid of the system. This can be easily accomplished by having the government including education benefits and having students move into private schools. Later on, this technique will remove public schools and then allow for an agreement between private schools and the department of education financially and academically with private schools having total control of the how, the what is set by the department of education, however the content is derived from the efforts of the private school. However, this is the hard way. The department of education could have these same rules and “buy” a co-dominant ownership of private schools and slowly remove public schools.
What are your thoughts on this failing system?
The only thing I find is the use of the words liberals and retarded as offensive language. Associations shouldn’t be made professionally, this lack might be the roots of the failure. The failure of constituting the idea of “I am a 10 year old, I don’t have to be professional, just smile and bubble random answers”
This is a a very lucid article which accurately assess our current dire state of public education in America. The decline of American education began in the 1960′s. The decline perpetuated during the 70′s nd since the 90′s it has been on a downward spiral. I attribute any of our aches and pains to liberal lawmaking, the modern welfare system, multiculturalism and bad parenting. This article does a great job in citing all the malfeasance, corruption and woes in modern education. However, the writer makes one cardinal error; never put the entire blame on the teacher. Teachers have a rough job as it is and they are merely pawns who are stripped of any authority.