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by BJBBB
1762 days ago
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I oft wonder about my unique high school education of the early 1970s - a South Texas public school with a mix of working and professional class families. High percentage of hispanic and black, very few asians. History teachers that did not just teach dates and places but discussed causes and effects. Math teachers that did teach sterile rote methods. Science teachers that taught the future (both my chemistry and physics teachers emphasized the coming wave of computational power). Shop and automotive teachers that taught critical thinking and creative problem solving. Over 20% of my senior class took calculus. English teachers that taught us to read for meaning and to analyze literature and discussed stuff such as Stranger in a Strange Land. Almost half went to college and about 40% received scholarships. The 21st century of public education does not seem capable of providing this experience. What the heck happened? Or was this a unique, one-time period? |
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Yes! The post WWII generation is what built the USA into the powerhouse it is today. There were two critical factors; 1) WWII left all of the competition in ruins 2) The "Cold War" forced the policymakers to focus on STEM education.
With success came hubris; the US has forgotten the factors which made it great and has lost itself in a miasma of Entertainment/Corruption/Finance/Management. It seems the "immigrants" are who are keeping the US flag flying high. I sincerely hope the US education system reforms itself and rediscovers its "lost" glory.