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Posted on 11/13/2004 4:37:44 AM PST by Republicanprofessor
The subtle racism of low expectations.
Call me a cynic, but nobody does anything for nothing. "Follow the money."
Talk about getting a "BS" degree.
Well, I guess this explains why South Carolina remains on the bottom of the academic heap.
"speaking as somebody who lives in the Columbia area,"
How dare you spoil everybody's fun by injecting some actual information into the thread!
Too bad this guy Swinton is a sociopath. His idea is worth a try, with suitable evaluation after a period of time- say after ten years-- and with the support of faculty. It's worth finding out if it does motivate marginal students to "try harder."
When I went to college, the burden of learning was understood to lie with the student--not the teacher--but then that was when dinosaurs walked. Old assumptions have long since broken down, and we may as well face it.
By switching to full-performance grading in the latter two years, they make sure they flunk out the complete losers before they degrade any value of the college's diploma
Hey those mail sorters make more money than I do with my Bachelor's degree and Master's degree!!! Not everyone needs to go to college. The world will always need skilled trades, garbage collectors etc....
Actually, there is something wrong with that sentence. "That" would refer to the high school. "Who" would refer to the students. That is why one might infer that he is saying that the high school cannot read or write. The structure of the sentence also makes it unclear and makes it possible for one to infer that he is saying that the high school cannot read or write.
Double-barrelled Mega-PING! to both lists! If you want on, FReepmail me!
President Bush has often used a similar phrase in pushing for education reforms: "the soft bigotry of low expectations." Either phrase is right on the mark in this case.
The "success equals effort" mindset didn't start at Benedict College, of course (although this is among the most outrageous and overt manifestations of it). In North Carolina, and elsewhere, I'm sure, when high school test scores are published, the emphasis is on "meeting or exceeding expectations" rather than on the raw scores at a given school. Therefore, a school which has seen its pass rate rise from 30% to 40% will receive an award or special recognition of some kind, whereas a school where the pass rate holds steady at 95% has the accomplishments of its students all but ignored.
The primary focus, repeated time and again, is to "close the gap" between white and black, between rich and poor, etc. One sometimes gets the impression that the education establishment would be happy if scores in high-achieving schools declined, so as to assist in narrowing the gap.
A Rush Limbaugh truism: Liberals insist they not be judged by results but by their intentions.
Gee thanks President Swinton. You and your allies have ruined the reputation of what was once a fine old college. Don't be shocked if Bennedict grads start having a tough time finding jobs in Carolina.
"they'll never make it in today's world with a so-called education like this."
Sure they will. They'll work for the government and they'll fit right in.
A 40% is evidence of no effort.
It's not possible to be burning up the effort track and do so poorly on performance.
"The students 'have to get an A in effort to guarantee that if they fail the subject matter, they can get the minimum passing grade,' Swinton said. 'I don’t think that’s a bad thing.' "
Is this like "Fake but accurate"?
"Incompetent but passing"?
I look forward to the day when employers make extensive use of entrance exams to ensure that students possess the knowledge that their degree says that they should.
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