[rb22982]

Now, I'm the first to admit that there are problems in public education. That's part of the reason I joined the profession. But things aren't helped... on either side of the debate... by spouting empty rhetoric. It simply makes this writer look like a fool.

You think what he says is an exaggeration? Not by much. I graduated high school in 2000 in the best public school in the area by far. In my 8th Grade HONORS ELPSA class in 1995 (which is basically civics), our teacher use to ask for extra credit who is (your congressman, senator, president, vice president)? We had 3 out of 30 miss the president question. Only 4 people (counting me) knew who 1 of our 2 senators and only 1 other person besides me knew both our senators. Half the class did not get the Vice President (which was Al Gore at the time). I deal with a lot of younger folks and my age group(16-30) with my job now in middle retail corporate management and let me tell you--most of them know absolutely nothing about government and US history and very, very few of them can do any math without a calculator and even then, they really, really struggle.

[an amused spectator]

I believe one of the reasons for this state of affairs is that it's easier to tax people who don't understand the system.

When the know-nothings get upset about the outrageous taxation, The Man flicks his thumb over his shoulder at the guys with guns paid for with your tax dollars: "Shut up and pay, peasant!"

[Trystine]

That is too bad! Yikes. My 3rd graders last year knew the president, vice president, Speaker of the House, Kansas Governor, Senators, when the US won their independence and from who, the three branches of government and the basics of what each did, and we went through the voting process in class. That was just some of the facts they learned during our Social Studies lessons. Now just hope they remember it!

[darkangel82]

We must be about the same age, although I was not in public school in 8th grade.