Worship of averages hurts exceptionals

[PrinceofWands]

For years I've commented here about my disgust for the American school system and the idea of working towards the average instead of promoting excellence. Quite often my arguments have been dismissed and even ridiculed. Well;

enjoy your crow

 

[davestar]

Seems pretty obvious to me... and lots of others. I don't really know who would think that some other result would come about.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

I've been saying for years that everyone should worship me, but the average fucker just won't listen.

 

[Kadarin]

Here is the Slashdot story on this.

 

[Jeff7]

Seems like it could be considered a bit ironic.
No Child Left Behind, championed by a Republican president, appears to aim to bring everyone to the average level, apparently even to the extent of bringing down those who are above average.

Sounds like forcing equality, just like those damned Democrats do.

:laugh:

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy
I've been saying for years that everyone should worship me, but the average fucker just won't listen.

They don't feel a need to worship one of their own.

 

[IGBT]

..way too many flunkTard teaches in the education biz.with no way to purge them. US educational system has turned into an entitlement racket for mediocrity.

 

[RightIsWrong]

Link to the studies

 

[GTaudiophile]

Political Correctness dictates that children?s' feeling never get hurt.

Of course children would feel bad and would be teased if they were segregated into a classroom for "underperformers". That wouldn't be fair to have a "smart" kids class and a "challenged" kids class. So, for the time being, we continue to teach towards the lowest common denominator.

Not that I advocate the German system either: After the 4th grade, teachers decide whether kids go to the Gymnasium, Realschule, or Hauptschule. The former is for the smart kids, preparing them for university, and the latter two schools prepare kids for apprenticeships and more blue-collar-type jobs. Switching between the schools can be difficult, so basically your lot in life is determined at a (much too) young age. But it does indeed keep students segregated by academic lines...and incidentally...often by racial/socioeconomic lines as well. And it is for that reason that Germany is looking at more of an American style education system as a possibilty.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: IGBT
..way too many flunkTard teaches in the education biz.with no way to purge them. US educational system has turned into an entitlement racket for mediocrity.

Unfortunately it isn't the teachers that set educational policy: it's the administrators, school boards, and DoE/fed. They're the ones that have forged this policy; all the teachers can do is comply or lose their jobs.

Not saying there aren't bad teachers out there, but like almost all problems the troubles start at the top and filter down.

 

[waggy]

well duh. many schools are cutting advanced type classes.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Political Correctness dictates that children?s' feeling never get hurt.

Of course children would feel bad and would be teased if they were segregated into a classroom for "underperformers". That wouldn't be fair to have a "smart" kids class and a "challenged" kids class. So, for the time being, we continue to teach towards the lowest common denominator.

Not that I advocate the German system either: After the 4th grade, teachers decide whether kids go to the Gymnasium, Realschule, or Hauptschule. The former is for the smart kids, preparing them for university, and the latter two schools prepare kids for apprenticeships and more blue-collar-type jobs. Switching between the schools can be difficult, so basically your lot in life is determined at a (much too) young age. But it does indeed keep students segregated by academic lines...and incidentally...often by racial/socioeconomic lines as well. And it is for that reason that Germany is looking at more of an American style education system as a possibilty.

So, basically what you're saying is that it's ok to be unfair to smart kids and achievers, but it's not ok to be unfair to average or dumb kids or to underachievers? And I know it's not you personally saying it, just the system we have. I'm merely pointing out the elephant.

 

[IGBT]

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands

Originally posted by: IGBT
..way too many flunkTard teaches in the education biz.with no way to purge them. US educational system has turned into an entitlement racket for mediocrity.

Unfortunately it isn't the teachers that set educational policy: it's the administrators, school boards, and DoE/fed. They're the ones that have forged this policy; all the teachers can do is comply or lose their jobs.

Not saying there aren't bad teachers out there, but like almost all problems the troubles start at the top and filter down.

..no doubt mediocrity in any organization is trickle down.

 

[nageov3t]

what the hell kind of school are you guys talking about? certainly not the ones I went to in the 90's and early 00's where anything under a 75 was considered to be flunking.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: loki8481
what the hell kind of school are you guys talking about? certainly not the ones I went to in the 90's and early 00's where anything under a 75 was considered to be flunking.

If you're teaching finger-painting to seniors grades really don't tell you much. The dumbing down is in the curriculum and the workload, not necessarily (or at least not just) the grading.