Musings Of An Average Joe: Did Carly Fiorina Say Education Is Overrated? If So, She’s Right

Fox Nation ^ | June 7, 2015 | Joe Bilello

[Kaslin]

Speaking to the Iowa-based blog Caffeinated Thoughts earlier this year, former Hewlett-Packard CEO and 2016 GOP presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina expressed her opposition to Common Core, criticizing the Chinese model of education and the idea of using standardized testing to gauge success in education.

"I also think the argument for Common Core is frequently, 'Oh, we have to compete with the Chinese. I have been doing business in China for decades, and I will tell you that yeah, the Chinese can take a test, but what they can't do is innovate. They are not terribly imaginative."

Fiorina’s comments may be more important than anyone, including herself, may realize and must become the predominant theme of her campaign and the rest of the 2016 GOP field as well.

[ClearCase_guy]

"I will tell you that yeah, the Chinese can take a test, but what they can't do is innovate. They are not terribly imaginative."

I agree. I'm an engineer. I have worked with quite a few Chinese engineers. On the whole: really, really bad. They simply can't think out of the box.

[bert]

at this point in time, what is required of them is something in the box to reverse engineer

[Perdogg]

Correct, they usually do not stray from the book.

[Lorianne]

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” ― Albert Einstein

[ronnietherocket3]

I agree. I'm an engineer. I have worked with quite a few Chinese engineers. On the whole: really, really bad. They simply can't think out of the box.

Hmm, when you say that, do you mean that when you get them fresh out of the warehouse, they can't but with time they can?

I don't have much experience with chinese who grew up in China, but my a solid majority of Korean males at my college cheated on every test.

From the article: I'm sure Carly Fiorina does not believe the Chinese to be inherently unimaginative people, but simply the products of a communist or quasi-communist system which simply does not properly incentivize ingenuity and creativity.

I suspect it actually has to do with their language; it encourages rote memorization of lots of letters*. I have a coworker that was likely raised in the USSR (based on his age and accent) who is (by word of mouth) quite brilliant, so I doubt it is a product of communism alone.

*I am uncertain what the figures that Chinese is written are called; I have been told it is not an alphabet, but this seems to be a technical point with little consequence for day-to-day life.

[Din Maker]

Carly is “catching-on” in the early going here. She’s the only Pubbie, so far, who has balls to go after Hillary. If she gave Jeb one of her balls, they’d both have one. Is she Pro-Life? If so, I can live with her being on the Ticket. (I know I can do a Google Search, but, I’m too lazy to do that today.)

[Teacher317]

Did Carly Fiorina Say Education Is Overrated? If So, She’s Right

OverPRICED, certainly, thanks to government intervention.

[NormsRevenge]

Reading. Writing. Arithmetic.

How tough could it be to at least get back to basics?

Too many experts and administrators spoil the stew.

[Paulie]

Common Core is poison to our youngsters and by extension to the future of this country. The fact that the Chinese cannot innovate, as Ms. Fiorina states, is a powerful argument against CC.

Keep on talkin’ Carly - keep on talkin’...

[Paulie]

Thank you for posting that quote from Einstein. All these (seemingly) little things come in handy when discussing public school/common core with neighbors and relatives.

And no surprise to anyone, Albert Einstein carry’s far more credibility than I.

[RedMDer]

We cannot exist
without you.

Let's Git-R-Done!

We cannot exist
without you.

[Teacher317]

Carly is an interesting character. Worth Googling... but not worth voting for.

From Austin TX
Daughter of a federal judge/law school dean and an abstract artist
Undergrad was philosophy and medieval history
Worked as a real estate broker, receptionist, and secretary.
Dropped out of UCLA Law after one semester (despite her dad's credentials)

Married her first hubby, who moved them to Italy for work, so she taught English there for a year.
Up to age 26, never held a job for more than a year.
1980, gets MBA from Maryland.
1980, starts as management trainee at AT&T
1984 divorce.... 1985 marries an AT&T exec... and watch the growth curve go!!!

1989... Gets her MS in Management from MIT Sloan under the Sloan Fellows Program.
1995, led corporate operations for the spinoff from AT&T of Lucent
1996, appointed president of Lucent's consumer products business
1997, appointed chair of Lucent's consumer communications joint venture with Philips consumer communications
1998, named group president for the global service provider business at Lucent....
Named first woman to head a Fortune 20 company, said to have broken the Glass Ceiling for all women...

and then...

1999 HP names her CEO...
2001, she forces a merger woth Compaq, against the wishes of Mr Hewlett, son of the founder of HP... becoming the largest computer company in the world by units shipped... lost that title in 2003 until she resigned.
30,000 laid off during her tenure at HP.
Often named the worst tech CEO of all time.
Forced to resign in 2006.

2006, leaves the tech world and goes into politics, working for McCain.
2008, addresses the Republican National Convention, and defended Sarah Palin's nomination.
2009, diagnosed with breast cancer. (Also apparently cannot have children.)
2010, took on Barbara Boxer in California for the Senate seat. Won the GOP nomination, made a terrible campaign ad (demon sheep), and was revealed to have rarely voted before.
Famously said "I have to say that after chemotherapy, Barbara Boxer just isn't that scary anymore."
Very pro-Life (illegal except in cases of rape, incest, or endangerment of the mother's life)

Great reputation for saying things that polite Republicans should not say about Liberals. She should make a great attack dog during the primaries, and should be left in to make some solid anti-Hillary headlines... but she isn't Presidential material.

[Rodamala]

I would say that 75 to 85 percent of the kids in college, right now, do not belong there.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Well she’s right about innovation. The Chicoms have to reverse engineer our stuff and then rip it off and duplicate.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I have worked with quite a few Chinese engineers. On the whole: really, really bad. They simply can't think out of the box.

Something like that. Also, rarely good team players.

[BwanaNdege]

... but she isn't Presidential material.

In your estimation, who is "Presidential material" and why?

[The_Reader_David]

Most of what passes for education these days is credentialing. If that is what she means, she is right. I think it is impossible to overrate actual eduction.

[AlanGreenSpam]

Unfortunately, while I agree with Carly’s comments like those from her will alienate Chinese-Americans.

She’ll need to be more careful how she says things. I enjoy people who are direct and blunt, but in politics so many quips can be turned against you...

[Din Maker]

Wow. Awesome teach. Thanks.