Proficiency

Moment of Clarity ^ | 2-24-11 | Dr. Tim Nerenz

[bigbob]

Here is the education story from Wisconsin this week that really matters: only 39% of eighth graders in the public schools are proficient in math, and only 34% in reading, despite a 65% increase in per-pupil spending over the past decade.

While the attention of the nation is focused on what Wisconsin teachers earn, the question of what they do to earn it has been largely ignored. What they do not do is educate our children.

The public education system is operated under the work rules that have been collectively bargained; that is reason enough to end collective bargaining privileges. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called Wisconsin’s proficiency results “unacceptable”. He must not be proficient either, because not only does he accept them, but he and his boss have sent 25,000 shock troops to defend the system of forced unionization and collective bargaining that produced them in the first place.

Proficiency is the only purpose of education – not spending, not teachers’ pay, not union representation, not pensions, not benefits, not political indoctrination, not PC speech, not stickers and stars for trying, not outcome equality, and not coddling delinquent students, delinquent teachers, delinquent administrators, or delinquent parents.

Green Bay Packer cornerback Charles Woodson supported the protesting public union workers in Wisconsin, citing his own players’ union as an example of how collective bargaining secures good wages for workers. We all love him in this state, but Mr. Woodson does not earn millions because he is a 34% proficient cornerback with a strong union behind him.

Mr. Woodson earns millions because he is exceptionally proficient. He got that way by working harder than his peers, by going the extra mile, by developing is distinctly unequal talent, by refusing to conform to the common denominator, by rejecting equality of outcome...

[bigbob]

This commentary by Libertarian writer and speaker Tim Nerenz, Ph.D is too long to share in it's entirety here, but it is well worth your time to read. Trust me on that.

You will probably not find a more brilliantly written summary of the true issues at stake in Wisconsin and everywhere else: Education. And the importance of American Exceptionalism. Take a few minutes and then ponder where our communities, states, and nation are heading if we don't cut the nonsense and get teachers teaching, parents supporting, and students learning how to compete and win in the global economy.

Zoom out a few clicks from Madison Wisconsin and look at what's going on from a world viewpoint. Chinese leaders must be getting a real kick out of watching our teachers accelerate the race to the bottom, with their stupid Democrat enablers cheering them on.

[Thank You Rush]

“”Chinese leaders must be getting a real kick out of watching our teachers accelerate the race to the bottom””

I don’t know about “getting a real kick” but they should be real worried that we won’t have enough educated people to even get work to pay off our debts to them.