[TaxRelief]

It's not hard to understand that a state, with a public school system that ranks near the bottom, would have so many public high school graduates in need of remediation.

[Lunatic Fringe]

It amazes me that people who did so poorly in high school would want to attempt college.

I am going to college 14 years after graduating high school... It's tough, I forgot all that I learned in Algebra, Geometry, and Trig. As a result, I am having to take all the prerequisite math classes, which do not count towards my bachelor's degree. I am finishing up Trig this semester, pre-Calculus over the summer, then three semesters of advanced calculus.

[ladylib]

Maybe that's one of the reasons why there are 50,000 homeschoolers in NC and who knows how many private schools.

If schools would just cut the crap (indoctrination) and teach kids how to read, write, and do math, the technology portion will take care of itself if a student decides he wants a job in a technical field. Not all students do, but this article makes it seem that that is where they're headed whether they like it or not. Sounds a lot like Hillary's School-to-Work program.

Do students who go to private schools receive "training" in technology or are they not expected to turn into worker bees for big corporations?

[neutrino]

So if one goes to school and excels at one's studies, then all will be well, right?

Unless one happens to get a degree in a field being shipped offshore, of course.

Which means....just about everything. Maybe the aspiring burger flippers are wiser than we realize.

[Rebelbase]

Public High Schoolers in NC are not taught. They are programmed to spit out a particular answer to a particular question on the state proficiency exams.

In regular testing, my older son's OS teacher spends the entire day prior to a test going over the questions that will be on the exam.

The same thing for his A+ class. Only there he studied on his own, took the professional exams, got his A+ certification and was exempted from the remainder of the class with a grade of "A".

In "Honors" English, the questions are so simple and predictable that he has quit studying altogether. He simply goes over the chapter review worksheet 10 min. before the exam and scores 100's.

In his own words, "What's the point of taking classes where they give you the answers to the tests"?

[billbears]

Of course one could also ask if the citizens of these rural counties want a Boeing plant in their backyard. Are we allowed to ask that? Or just accept what other states see as 'progress'. The education stinks yes. Blame 16 years of leadership by Jim Hunt with a Jim Martin tossed in the middle. But the sprawl from RTP and from Charlotte is worse. Why would I want that in a rural area brought on by 'progress'?

[Windom Earle]

How can this be? We were blessed with 16 years of the Education Governor, James Hunt.

Highest taxes in the Southeast, and our education system isn't up to snuff? How can this be?