VANITY - Am I the only employer experiencing this idiocy?

[hardworking]

This is unashamedly a VANITY post but it is intended to be a SERIOUS one. I have finally reached the point of complete bafflement in wondering what , if anything, is being taught to our young people in school! Here are some of my RECENT experiences as an employer. Am I the only one experiencing this level of idiocy in our country? 1. Two days ago I said the word 'penicillon' in a conversation. A young employee interrupted me and asked, "What is that?" I didnt' know what she was asking until she repeated, "What is that peni...you just said". 2. I recently told an employee that we needed to 'dilute' a substance before using it. They didn't know what 'dilute' meant. 3. I recently said that a substance would go into 'suspension' and the employee looked at me with a blank stare. 4. None of our young staff can calculate a percentage WITH A CALCULATOR, let alone without one!

Can someone please tell me WHAT these kids are doing during the hours they are in school? It appears that they are not learning even the most basic skills.

[republican4ever]

"...the cashiers could count back change to you!..."
Where I grew up, a third-world country, where many people can't read or write...Guatemala. But try giving these same people less money for the pound of tomatoes than the price they gave you and you well get an earfull! And they give you the exact change without any need for calculators. And some of them are (unfortunatelly) just little children.

[metmom]

Don’t forget being able to text message, listen to an iPod, talk on a cell phone, walk down the street, and chew gum at the same time. They’re so talented and equipped with real life skills, dontcha know?

[metmom]

ANOTHER REASON TO HOMESCHOOL

This ping list is for the “other” articles of interest to homeschoolers about education and public school. If you want on/off this list, please freepmail me. The main Homeschool Ping List by DaveLoneRanger handles the homeschool-specific articles.

Another reason to homeschool is for a literate workforce.

[Tainan]

Welcome to my former world. I lived in a city with a couple of major colleges including one with the initials OSU. Every year I sat would interview new "graduates" and go over their resumes with them as they applied for positions.
Each year I would shake my head in wonderment at how they got their diplomas. It never ceased to amaze me.

[VxH]

Does India have any spare teachers?

[CarrotAndStick]

No it doesn’t. But the US is not the only one with the problem. It’s most likely worse in India.

[Clintonfatigued]

Actually, the word that was in doubt is spelled “penicillin.” Proof that public schools have never all that good, although they have clearly gotten worse.

[kalee]

Just like this is TOO easy. ;)

[DCPatriot]

“WELCOME TO THE PARTY, PAL!!!”

[VxH]

[She has no idea about any accomplishments or deeds of Thomas Jefferson or Paul Revere.]

Probably the only thing she has been taught about the Declaration of Independence is that “it was written by a bunch of white slave owning capitalists who didn’t want to pay their taxes”. That seems to be the standard line.

They are being prepared  to be obedient consumer citizens of the MonOligarchy.

Does she know her burkha size yet?

[FortWorthPatriot]

This reminds of an officer I used to work for while on active duty in the Marines.

I was a Sergeant stationed at a Marine Corps Recruiting Station as an Operations Clerk/MEPS Liaison. The Operations Officer was a young First Lieutenant, about 6 years my junior (I was 30 at that time). Part of his job was to interview prospective recruits who required waivers to enter the military. There were different levels of waivers - RS CO, BUMED, District, Regional, CMC - for many different reasons. It was the OpsO's job to talk to the young man or woman and then write an appeal to the appropriate command to secure the waiver for enlistment.

My job, among many other things, was to transcribe his written notes into the official waiver package that would be forwarded up the chain of command for approval. What I received from him was the most horrendous example of grammatical and spelling errors I have ever seen to this day. Practically everything you can think of as far as misspelled words are concerned, he had done. The old "to, too, two" problem was a big one. I swear if you had to read his notes you would honestly think a first grader had written it and not a college-educated Marine Corps officer (no offense to first graders).

It was hard for me to do my job sometimes. Either I'd be laughing my a$$ off at his writing, or I'd be crying my eyes out wondering how in the hell did this guy ever get to become an officer in the Marine Corps. Of course, I would not type his work word for word. Heaven forbid I'd send that guy's original work up the chain of command. I could just imagine the Colonel's look on his face if I did. So I would correct every single misspelling, every grammar error, and in some cases, rewrite the entire waiver. I couldn't hang the guy out to dry.

Anyway, I left the Corps that next year when my enlistment expired. About two years later, I happened to be in town and dropped by to visit my relief and some old friends. I found out that the 1stLt had been promoted to Captain after my departure, and then soon after that he left the Corps himself to accept an appointment to the FBI Academy.

I kid you not. That guy is now an FBI agent.

I often wonder if he has an underling now that types up his reports.

[llevrok]

What’s not to love about Larry, huh?

Larry is a stud muffin. Let's face it! (my spousal unit thinks he has "sweet" eyes". I don't care where you're from. That's funny!)

[VxH]

>>It’s most likely worse in India.

How so?

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

One of my favorite comments he ever made was when someone asked if he got drunk last night and he said, “Why? Do I have a fat girl in my backseat?”

[llevrok]

I love how he talks about his sister, mother, cousin....

The image of the Cable Guy Family makes me laugh just think about it!

[CarrotAndStick]

Man, there are “schools” in India’s rural areas that just have four walls and a blackboard.

But ironically, some of India’s top academics often come from such schools. The present prime minister of India did. Maybe community libraries and good parenting had a lot to do with it, but the schools are definitely in-name-only.

[Clintonfatigued]

How many years ago was that?

[CarrotAndStick]

Very interesting!

[VxH]

[Maybe community libraries and good parenting had a lot to do with it, but the schools are definitely in-name-only.]

 

I would think that exposure to extreme poverty would be a powerful motivator.  The cost of failure would be directly observable.  If you're walking over an alligator pit, you're likely to be highly motivated to utilize every resource at your disposal to keep from falling into it.

 

Part of good parenting is to point out such dangers and teach children to avoid them.
Unfortunately, most American children have no exposure to poverty.  Fewer have good parents. 

 

More and more, they are fat, ignorant, lazy, and taught to seek nothing more than pleasure.   Thus, heroin abuse is at an all time high in American suburbs.   Pornography, Narcotics, Homosexuality.  Pleasure Pleasure Pleasure.

 

It's just human nature.   Human nature is predictable.   Being predictable makes it exploitable - and profitable.  

 

The tyranny of the appetite always feeds the appetite of tyranny.

 

Anyone up for a Tea Party?

[CarrotAndStick]

Agree completely. You’re right about the circumstances causing eyes to open. Some of these rags-to-riches stories are products of parental abuse as well.