Florida gets low marks in smartness

Herald Tribune ^ | Nov 24, 2002 | David Grimes

[PLK]

Criteria included such things as per-pupil expenditures, public high school graduation rates, average class size, teacher salaries and reading and math proficiency

There has NEVER been any evidence linking money spent, smaller class size, or teacher salaries to improved test scores; in fact, Washington, D.C., which spends enormous sums of tax dollars on education, has one of the lowest ranks of student performance. North Dakota, which spends the least per student, has one of the highest.

The powerful teacher unions scream for more money and smaller classes, but they absolutely CANNOT back it up with scientific proof in the form of statistical evidence that it is warranted. Why these "criteria" would indicate that a state is "smart" is totally beyond any logic or reasoning. How is it "smart" to throw money at a disease when it does nothing to cure it? This whole piece if liberal claptrap.

[wimpycat]

From middle-of-the-pack (solid 'C' rating) North Carolina:

Neener, neener, neener!

[gcruse]

 
Morgan Quitno Press, a Lawrence, Kan.,-based research and publishing company...

    Bwahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!  Kansas, where creationism is
    considered Big Science?   And this company thinks Floridians
    are dumb?  Oh, man.  It doesn't get any better than this.

[CougarGA7]

Wait a minute. Maybe New Mexico dogs just cant read English.

I'm sure Richardson will address this when he takes over the governors office.

He will raise our taxes so he can start an English Immersion Program for disadvantaged Chihuahuas.

[MotleyGirl70]

I had it wrong, you must have signs like this!

[CindyDawg]

And in all liklihood, Bush in the WH.

. He couldn't have made it without you guys. This person is just ticked off. You can skew numbers to come up with what you want. What is impressive is how the media and politicans "underestimated yall" They just knew your governor was going to lose. To let someone think you are dumb takes smarts. Our President is a great example of this. LOL CD

[CougarGA7]

Ya gotta watch for those falling cows.

[TankerKC]

Criteria included such things as per-pupil expenditures, public high school graduation rates, average class size, teacher salaries and reading and math proficiency.

What do you want to bet that more weight was given to per-pupil expenditures, average class size, and teacher salaries than public high school graduation rates, and reading and math proficiency? And, why only look at public school graduation rates? Looks like someone has an agenda. ;)

[shortstop]

Sarasota Herald Tribune-If I remember correctly, these morons endorsed McBride for governor. They have spent quite a bit of time in the past bad-mouthing Katherine Harris, too. I'l bet their day-after-election issue was a bitter pill.

[TankerKC]

My daughter took advanced biology in a school where the lab/classroom had only one sink. Ever kid in the class got a 4 or 5 on the AP test.

Great example! So much for BS statistics like teacher salaries and class size.

[crystalk]

No, this only measures the amount of money the States in question spent upon illiteracy factories--the dumbed down US public schools. Florida was smart enough to spend less than all but 3 States.

This leaves more funds left for the people themselves, or the private schools they themselves set up to assist them, to get a really good education.

I wish we could cut what we DO spend in Fla in half, and be the first State in the country to have FEWER than 50% of our school-age population enrolled in the half-wit public school system.

[crystalk]

Those five states are all white, mostly Scandinavian, German, and Bohemian, and are so cold that kids have nothing to do but sit inside and study.

[dljordan]

Where's Santa and his sleigh?

[VRWCmember]

Criteria included such things as per-pupil expenditures, public high school graduation rates, average class size, teacher salaries and reading and math proficiency.

Interesting that this "study" admittedly uses expenditures per pupil, average class size, and teacher salaries in its criteria -- factors that have been repeatedly and emphatically shown to have NO CORRELATION with learning or academic performance. A better study would have focused only on reading and math proficiency, and possibly graduation rates and college performance of high school graduates from the state.

[Jonathon Spectre]

Northwest Florida is plenty smart. My county (Okaloosa) went for Bush something like 3 or 4 to 1. Then again, we're mostly all natives here. Very few transplanted NY blue-hairs too ignorant to vote.

[sarasmom]

I am seriously considering moving to Washington County.Pasco is slowing becoming Pinellas lite.