Posted on 02/27/2015 5:35:37 PM PST by Steelfish
Trigonometry Is Racist! KEVIN D. WILLIAMSON February 27, 2015
An African-American scholar says that emphasis on STEM education is bad for blacks. Earlier today on Sirius XM Urban View, an African-American talk station, the guest was Daryl Scott, president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
The conversation turned to STEM — science, technology, engineering, and math — education, and the origins of the ongoing push to encourage institutions and students to focus on those subjects. Can you guess what happened?
In 1983, the guest explained, a commission empaneled by the secretary of education issued a report titled “A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Education Reform.” In a memorable phrase, it warned of “a rising tide of mediocrity” in the nation’s public schools. That phrase, he said, was a “euphemism.” A euphemism for what? “For us — for African Americans.” There is nothing that happens in these United States that will not be impugned as secret racism. Nothing.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
Oughta be a Seinfeld thread. What would George say in comment on pop culture and current affairs.
It is also sexist.
Then you had better homeschool for not much or any of your list is in the current curicullumn of your local schools.
I homeschooled and all my children are doing well.
Homeschool story.
When my second was 8 years old her uncle and aunt gave her a teddy with clothes. She was showing it to her homeschooled friends and said: I am naming him Scipio Africanus.
To which her homeschool peer replied: You’re naming your teddy after a Roman general?
Thanks.
The racism on this thread was getting a bit think for my tastes.
“The bottom end jobs that used to allow our kids to avoid STEM subjects”
I have to laugh at your words above!
All the professions I described have always required special technical skills and advanced subject knowledge.To advance in those fields, has always meant continuous upgrading of skills and knowledge.
It also requires an ability to apply all that knowledge!
I’m certain you must have experienced faulty GPS guidance, software glitches,or sporadically unreliable sensors.
Did your tech support/engineering staff let the entire company shut down for days, while analyzing the glitch, or did your facility manager just reboot the system and carry on?
The entire world benefits from the research efforts of savants in science, technology, engineering and math.
All the STEM research in the world is wasted, unless it can eventually be applied by generalists, to actual physical functions.
Basic science, technology, engineering and math has always been taught in western societies, who value education for all.
I would no more force my child towards becoming a scientist if she had exhibited no aptitude for the specialty, than I would encourage her to become a dancer, if she had no interest in that direction.
I did make certain she was exposed to every possible field and to understand that everyone is capable of expertise at something, it is merely a matter of finding your own niche, and building upon it.
In 1983, the guest explained, a commission empaneled by the secretary of education issued a report titled "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Education Reform." In a memorable phrase, it warned of "a rising tide of mediocrity" in the nation's public schools. That phrase, he said, was a "euphemism." A euphemism for what? "For us -- for African Americans."
I’m not sure how recently you have seen our public school system but do you really believe that we are teaching those children adequately in math and science?
More often, the class sizes are too large and thanks to lawyers, encumbered with various mental issues, deficiencies and often students incapable of speaking English. I have family who are teachers and I am overwhelmed with stories of the nightmares in our classrooms and being required to teach to the standard tests.
This is not the formula for our children’s and our nation’s success. Our only hope of keeping pace with the rest of the world is to break the logjam created my lawyers, the teacher’s unions, and liberals to get our technologically-inclined youth into schools that can hone and perfect those skills.
There isn’t any room left for just cruising through school and majoring in parties.
bookmark
Thank you.
My experience is very recent, and also ongoing.
Yours?
You OTOH, seem to be relying primarily on the B&Ms/ horror stories of your (teacher)relatives.
In my recorded experience as an active and concerned parent, in four different Counties, involving two States over a 12 year span:
My formal complaints/actions against curriculum is 0, against individual teachers is 3, against administrative, non-instructional related school policies or lack thereof, is well over 20.
Yes, I do believe that most children, in most public K-12 schools are offered adequate instruction in math and science.
I also believe that absent direct and active parental support and involvement in public education at the individual school and individual student level, serious non-instructional related problems will breed and multiply.
The older kids had it better, even though they had to deal with a typical military career's frequent moves and changes of schools. Even though I had very active duty, I was deeply involved in my children's education. They all got adequate education in the sciences and mathematics in the mid-70s at any of their schools but some of the teachers weren't very good in those subjects. (and weirdly, there was a strong emphasis on Greek Mythology at the time at every school they went to - was that the Teacher's Union's contribution to attacking religion?)
Luckily, I am an engineer as well as a Marine, so I made up the difference for my older kids. One is a teacher, one is an engineer, and one is an accountant. The younger ones are doing fine - again, I am quite involved in science and engineering, so they get extra doses when they get home. My wife and sisters tell me stories of classrooms with immigrant kids that can't - and won't - speak English, of young thugs that when they do have parents, come in and threaten the teachers. They tell me of overcrowded classrooms with too few teachers and the occasional disabled child disrupting things for everyone else.
My sisters can't wait to retire and get out of it (they are in Los Angeles County - and they are the last "Anglo" teachers in their respective schools).
I am doing the best I can for my kids in that I have always put them in the best schools I could afford but what about all the rest of this country's kids?
Has anyone watched what's happened to our industries? When's the last time anybody did construction work on your home that didn't do it all in Spanish?
We have all the signs of a sinking economy and descending culture because we aren't pushing for the maximum possible education for all of our capable young ones. They are the keys to our future and they are being short-changed because of a liberal/suicidal push towards the least common denominator.
We had a crisis back on the late '70s with some garbage elements brought in during the war when we let down some standards but once General Wilson gave us the tools to rid ourselves of the incorrigibles, we were back on track.
As a battalion commander, two of my five battery commanders were black and completely solid, they best I had.
The basic material is excellent - it's what we do with it.
Your older kids are a little bit younger than I am, and I also remember an emphasis on ancient Greek mythology in school back then. It was my favorite subject at the time. Studying ancient mythology is considered to be part of a classical education. Think of it as a lesson in world history.
My own children are homeschooled, and I intended to include subjects such as ancient Greek mythology. Ironically, instead, my children ended up with an education (so far) that is more focused on STEM. But, there are many other homeschool families that provide a more classical education, and their children learn more about ancient mythology.
Have a good night.
I would recommend that you read this thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3266211/posts
I think that the problem I had with the Greek Mythology emphasis in the public schools at that time was that it seemed to plant the seeds that all religions were primitive cartoons and obviously there was never any counterbalancing education in Christianity. I was struck that even though my kids had attended no less than three different public schools in three different states, they had extensive work studying Greek "Gods and Goddesses".
It was all too coincidental in my mind, given the communist nature of our teacher's unions.
I read it.
Did you have a point that ties back to this topic, and my comments on it?
I vote in every instance there is a local, state and federal opportunity to do so.
The abysmal numbers in voter turnout for “local” elections, which include district school board members and administrators, is one reason I tied myself to the TEA party.
In my own city of several tens of thousands of voters, mere hundreds turn out to vote on these very basic and important elections regarding the direction of local public schools.
If really you care, vote.
bookmark
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