Who shot Dan Quayle?

lewleadbeater.com

notes from the edge

Home

Email Me

				THE
Column Archive				VIRGINIA GAZETTE
				WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA
Who shot Dan Quayle?				October 24, 2007

If I were the parent of a child in a public high school, I would be seriously concerned about the degree of dysfunction that is gnawing away at what should be productive academic institutions.

Muting the alarm bells are rosy renditions of impressive test scores that are far from the educational aphrodisiacs they presume to be.

In a recent essay on the state of education in this country, New York Times columnist Bob Herbert noted correctly that “It is time to rein in the test zealots who have gotten a stranglehold on the public schools in the U.S.”

Herbert cites Daniel Koretz, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, who maintains that it is hard to trust test scores when you are holding people accountable for the tests. “There are,” says Koretz, “all kinds of incentives to raise test scores by any means necessary. We’re creating an illusion of success that is really nice for everyone in the system except the kids.”

New York University professor of education Diane Ravitch agrees. “We have, “ she says,” an unhealthy obsession with testing that has reduced the time available for teaching other courses.”

SOL tests in Virginia in all subjects have undergone radical, dumbed-down revisions as a result of too many failing grades. Passing scores now hover around a ridiculous 50% in some subjects, and accredibility assessment is dubious at best. One day James Blair Middle School comes up short of accreditation, and the next, after a “revision” of the scores, it’s suddenly blooming with scholars and festering with accreditation.

Well, not so fast.

What set Herbert off on his educational rant was the fact that a high school student he met couldn’t tell him who the vice president of the United States was.

Following Herbert’s example, I asked over 50 Peninsula area high school students, equally distributed between lower and upperclassmen, the following questions. Obviously these questions are not on the SOLs.

Who said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall”? Only two students could identify President Reagan and the Berlin wall.

Give an example of the passive voice in English. Not one student could do this. English grammar is obviously a very lost art.

Who would run the country if the president and vice president were killed? Four students knew it was the speaker of the House of Representatives. Others guessed “the black lady” or “the lady with the black hair” in an apparent reference to Condoleezza Rice. No one could name Nancy Pelosi.

Can you name Virginia’s two senators? Only one student could. “Who Cares?” was the most popular answer.

Who is the father of geometry? Some guessed Pythagoras. No one knew Euclid.

How many miles would you have driven if you traveled two kilometers? One student came close with “less than two miles.” The rest had no idea. Several thought that a mile was 1,000 feet.

What government agency determines the interest rates for money lent to banks? Two students knew about the Federal Reserve. Others guessed the FBI, CIA and IRS.

Do you read a newspaper every day? Four students admitted to that. Fifteen read only the sports section and comics once a week.

Who was Luciano Pavarotti? Two knew he was “an opera singer.”

Who was the country’s last attorney general? One student knew Alberto Gonzales. Another guessed “that immigrant guy.” Incidentally, fewer than half could name the vice president. One student identified him as “the guy who shot Dan Quayle.”

It is apparent that Ravitch is right. As a result of our intense preoccupation with questions that might be asked on SOLs, other subjects, like civics, foreign languages, English grammar, music, art and even a smattering of how this democracy of ours works are getting short shrift.

In addition, we are, as many teachers have found, dealing with an egocentric generation of kids who simply have opted out of academics. School for them is an exploitation of their time, which is much better spent playing video games or text messaging. Their primary interests in school include cheerleading, football, basketball and getting out of class.

These are some of the same students who, when asked on forms to give their parents’ names, write “Mommy and Daddy.” Or who don’t know their father’s first name or where he is employed.

As for teachers, they are worn down and worn out. Not only do they have to slog through tiresome block scheduling classes, but they are responsible for after-school tutoring, sponsoring clubs, attending endless conferences and constructing meaningless lesson plans.

They’re expected to deal with the psychological problems of students with autism or learning disabilities and maintain discipline among surly students whose two most frequently asked questions are: “Who cares?” and “Why do we have to know that?”
In addition, they have to deal with parents who blame them when Johnny comes home with a less than jovial grade report or throws a tantrum in class. For this teachers haul in embarrassingly slavish salaries that begin at $35,000 - $40,000.

All that, coupled with the recent news that Virginia’s high school dropout rate is now cruising around an astounding 30%, makes one wonder if our educational system isn’t some macabre joke.

More of this, with some suggestions for changing course, in my next column.