75 Percent of Oklahoma High School Students Can't Name the First President of the U.S.

news9.com ^ | 9/17/09 | staff

[Nachum]

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Only one in four Oklahoma public high school students can name the first President of the United States, according to a survey released today.

The survey was commissioned by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs in observance of Constitution Day on Thursday.

Brandon Dutcher is with the conservative think tank and said the group wanted to find out how much civic knowledge Oklahoma high school students know.

[Bigh4u2]

It’s in the article.

“Who was the first President of the United States?” (percent correct) 23%

[stormer]

That's funny, cause when someone moves from Oklahoma to Texas, the average IQ of both states goes up.

[stormer]

You must be from Texas.

[Alas Babylon!]

It says only one in four could name him, not one in four can't name him.

Direct quote:

Only one in four Oklahoma public high school students can name the first President of the United States, according to a survey released today.

One in four equals 25%. That means 75% cannot.

[nfldgirl]

Okay...I didn’t read the entire article! Flame me!
And NO! I’m not from OK! Okay?!!!!

[TankerKC]

Title: 75 Percent of Oklahoma High School Students Can't Name the First President of the U.S.

First line of the story: OKLAHOMA CITY -- Only one in four Oklahoma public high school students can name the first President of the United States, according to a survey released today.

[nfldgirl]

My bad! Need to change out my contacts! Need to get back to work! Need to stop reading so much on FreeRepublic!!!!

[TankerKC]

The graphs in the report show that only 19% answered correctly.

[allmendream]

Your anti Americanism is sickening to me.

[Nachum]

Yeah...

Remember this one?

Guess who is buried in Washington's tomb?

[normanpubbie]

The question was, "Who was the first President of the United States of America?" If you answered with anyone else than George Washington, you failed the question.

What on earth does the President of the Continental Congress have to do with the President of the United States of America? These are two separate offices at two different times in our nation's history.

The Continental Congress was established even before Independence Day and lasted till after the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1787. A number of individuals served as President of the Continental Congress.

The office of President of the United States of America did not exist until the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1787. George Washington was the first President of the United States of America. He entered office in 1789, after the Continental Congress had been discontinued.

[B-Chan]

Well, no one’s forcing you to read it.

[mo]

Means we really don’t have a “country” in the true sense of the word...

[andy58-in-nh]

That’s because you can’t rap “Washington” with any kind of rhythm.

True. Besides which, he may have been the last white man with that last name.

[Unam Sanctam]

History begins with Obama anyway, according to those running the public school systems.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

You aren’t from Oklahoma by chance, are you?

In the words of Hank Hill, "In fifteen years, no one is going remember the area of a hexagon, but you win the State [football championship], that goes up on the water tower."

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Who's buried in Grant's Tomb?

Answer: Julia and Ulysess Grant.

[luckystarmom]

I was talking about the 2010 elections, and stumped my 15 year old sophomore in high school. He was like what 2010 elections.

Then I proceeded to ask him how often congress is re-elected and then the senate. He knew the president was every 4 years, and he guessed that the senate was every 6 years. He didn’t know that the senators are voted in at different intervals.

He’s been in public and private school throughout the years, and I take the blame for not making sure he doesn’t know simple US government.

[erman]

All of my kids know that John Hanson was the first... My daughter's high school teacher is a libertarian and is making them argue the constitutionality of health care reform and also the "czars" as they relate to the "Federalist Papers". He went over the "Articles of Confederation and the other 6 guys before George Washington.

Not bad for a public school. Of course we are in Texas and your mileage may differ.

[luckystarmom]

I did mean to say the house of representatives is elected every 2 years.