The implication of the article is that we need to generate more highly educated people, especially in scientific fields. The poor science and math prep leading to low wage "McJobs" seems dubious to me, though... Miles
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Of course it is dubious. I was appalled at the stupidity and ignorance of the report, which is why I posted it. These guys have not been paying attention or they willfully put sacks over their heads. A science committee who can't connect the dots...
Anyway, in a political climate in which public education has been on the chopping block for decades it's not all that difficult to figure out the problem.
Check out the NY Teachers thread:
``Much of the time that students already spend in school is not used for instruction, but for "advisory" periods, "electives," and "study halls" which in many schools amount to little more than the warehousing of kids; these periods are often taken up with video watching and game playing, to the excruciating boredom of students. Demanding additional time in exchange for raises is simply another way of bludgeoning the union...''
School districts everywhere are under the same kinds of budget pressure tactics. My 8th grade math teacher buddy was a union rep for his school. Two years ago they went through lay offs and cut backs, time increases, etc. He got the district budget and went over it and did the math. The administration was giving itself raises! So he did a couple of school charts showing the short falls could be eliminated by cutting raises and newly added administrative positions. He won in an endless series of night meetings. After that he quit the union rep job since it was too much work just to keep even.
I've got another buddy who teaches chemistry and intro science classes at a state college on year to year contracts. He is so in debit he'll never get out and the school has no intention of hiring him on full time basis.
Never mind.
CG