Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/06/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]This all starts in elementary school. We promote students who can't read or write into middle school for a variety of reasons, none of which truly serve the students or society. Some may recall the flap in NYC about not promoting third graders who did not display sufficient ability. No one wanted to take responsibility for the one thing that matters, third graders ability to read and write at some agreed upon level. Statements such as "The test isn't accurate" or "What about all the English is the second language children" or "The poor students are living on the street and not going on with their friends will damage their self esteem" were made. Only the mayor and chancellor were making the correct point that at some point the children needed some proficiency in language skills and if not third grade then where? So now the U.S. society is at a point where we are funding the education of eighteen year old illiterates. This is probably good for society as literacy is in the public interest, but all that is happening is repairing the damage of a failed elementary school education and calling it advanced learning. You can not blame any single part of society. Three years ago, in Kansas City, Kansas a school board changed the grades of a class who had been failed for blatant plaigerism because it might harm the student's chances for college. My normally staid brother (AP history teacher) is in a panic over the new graduation standards as he is at the end of a long chain of low standards but will be the fall guy when Johnny and Sally don't graduate. Yes, the rich are getting richer, they can frequently read so when they go to college their children are learning Greek philosophy, string theory, advanced organic synthesis, political theory, and non English languages as opposed to the poor who are still learning see spot, see spot run. To come back to the Ayn Rand topic, all of this is because we all can not agree that A=A Another 0.02 Don dorysrus@mindspring.com Don dorysrus@mindspring.com -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+dorysrus=mindspring.com@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+dorysrus=mindspring.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Leonard J Kapner Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2004 12:09 AM To: 'Leica Users Group' Subject: RE: [Leica] declining quality of writing I know. I've tasted the wrath of small minds many times. But tell me, if there's no catalytic impetus to change that which is clearly wrong, how do we as an industry deliver on the academic excellence that we tout to the na?ve students we teach and the belabored parents who sacrifice to finance their children's ascent into adult society? Len -- -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+ljkapner=cox.net@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+ljkapner=cox.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Jeffery Smith Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2004 7:56 PM To: 'Leica Users Group' Subject: RE: [Leica] declining quality of writing Get someone angry at you in academia, and they will hate you for a lifetime. Kissinger said that politics in academia are vicious because the stakes are so small. He's right. Jeffery Smith New Orleans, LA -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Karen Nakamura Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2004 8:11 PM To: Leica Users Group Subject: RE: [Leica] declining quality of writing >If I were teaching in such an environment, you better bet I'd be making all >kinds of noise at faculty colloquies about such a wrong-headed strategy. One would, if one had tenure. Until one does, one does not make waves in a place where a slight that took place in the faculty dining room on March 17, 1953 is still remembered and talked about. Such is life at a small college. Karen -- Karen Nakamura http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/ _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information