QOD

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1. nemski says:

   August 6, 2008 at 7:28 am

   edcashion not impotent

2. nemski says:

   August 6, 2008 at 7:41 am

   On a more serious note, education is the most important thing our government does: more important than building a wall around the US, more important that hunting Osama, more important than drilling off-shore, etc.

   If we have an educated and informed populace, we can then have debates regarding policy and the direction of the country. But until the people of the United States are educated, Republicans wandering around flashing tire-pressure gauges will win the day. (For you right-wingers, insert something stupid that liberals do).

   It is quite a sad day when my boy (9 at the time) could not understand why I, who works for a bank, makes a lot more money than my wife and his mother who is a pre-school teacher. As he said, “Daddy, but teachers are more important than banks.”

   And to go on, I have a theory why education is not as good as it should be and it is quite simple. If we had an educated populace, the powers-that-be (both Democratic and Republican) would be voted out of office. It is not in the establishments best interest to have a great educational system.

3. delawaredem says:

   August 6, 2008 at 8:03 am

   It’s the silver bullet. It is the one thing that can cure or at least allievate a whole host of problems.

   Racism
   Bigotry
   Poverty
   Disease
   Violence
   Crime

4. Delaware's Brilliantest Blogger says:

   August 6, 2008 at 8:19 am

   your wife makes money on the side nemski she just doesn’t tell you about it

5. Mike R. says:

   August 6, 2008 at 10:07 am

   I would wholeheartedly agree that education is the most important thing we as a state and a nation can invest in if we seek to promote equality and the continued success of this country.

   We have done a pretty good job of this throughout our history. Yes we have been slower then others at times to provide equal access to all races, and yes we have made mistakes about what and how to teach, but we were also one of the first to embrace the idea that all citizens needed to be educated and that it was something that could benefit all parts of society.

   But for the last 20 years, the time that I went thorough the public k-12 and college systems, we have lost our edge over many other nations for the quality and rigor of the education we provide for students. We have become too caught up in political correctness and pandering to special interest groups to really push for what we need in schools to help all kids be successful.

   In one hand we are holding the future of our nation while the other had crosses its fingers and promises everything to everyone, blindly hoping that things will be ok, the go along to get along attitude of teachers unions, entrenched politicians, archaic economic and social conceptions, and the belief that if we could just do things like they were done fifty years ago, we would be ok.

   As a state and nation we need bold leadership in many places, but I see none so important for the long term health of this state/nation then in advancing the American education system. We see some of these leaders, sticking their necks out in places like New Orleans, Boston, Washington DC and a few others. They are laying some of the groundwork, but we need true leadership from our governors and president to get this done for all students.

6. meatball says:

   August 6, 2008 at 10:19 am

   Clearly who you know is much more important than education.

7. Dana says:

   August 6, 2008 at 8:47 pm

   The problem isn’t the schools at all; the problem is the material they get. I don’t care how good a teacher is, when he has to spend his time managing a class rather than teaching a class, it’s too late, he can’t be expected to be a good teacher because he’s not being a teacher.

   When I went to school, if you did something to get disciplined in school, you prayed that your parents didn’t find out about it, because if they did, you’d get it far worse when you got home. Today, if a kid is disciplined in school, his single mother and her unemployed live-in boyfriend wind up rubbing their hands with glee at all the money they’ll get out of it.

8. mike w. says:

   August 6, 2008 at 9:03 pm

   Dana – You’re dead on! You can have the greatest teachers in the world ( I had some excellent teachers in public school) but in the end the responsibility lies with the student and the parents.

   The best teacher in the world can’t help a student who doesn’t want to learn, doesn’t care, and who’s parents don’t give two shits about what their kid does at school.

   If decency and some basic values (including importance of education) isn’t instilled in the kid at home it’s unlikely a teacher can instill such values at school. That’s particularly true once kids get a bit older.

9. Delaware's Brilliantest Blogger says:

   August 6, 2008 at 9:09 pm

   If decency and some basic values (including importance of education) isn’t instilled in the kid at home it’s unlikely a teacher can instill such values at school.

   which is why the state or federal government may need to step in to prevent that child from becoming another inmate

10. mike w. says:

    August 6, 2008 at 9:18 pm

    How? I don’t want the .Gov taking kids away from families because they teach their kids values that the State doesnt’ agree with.