The education mafia's Waterloo

tea party tribune ^ | 2/19/2011 | jim funkhouser

[HMS Surprise]

I know what you must be thinking as you watch Wisconsin Teachers crusade in Madison for the children: ‘Those teachers must be turning out a world-class product to have the hutzpah to do that!’

No professional organization would just walk away from its duties if it were failing to perform a credible job. Right? That’s probably why they brought the kids to the capitol on the first day, to show off their handiwork.

Hmmm, it must have just been dumb luck that the students showing up on Youtube appeared to be a walking cliche’ of teenaged vapidity. (Maybe that’s why they weren’t invited back for an encore?)

[HMS Surprise]

Wisconsin teachers have a Milwaukee problem.

[Calusa]

Here are science and math rankings
Science literacy scale 2009 by country

Shanghai 575
Finland 554
Hong Kong 549
Singapore 542
Japan 539
Korea 538
New Zealand 532
Canada 529
Estonia 528
Australia 527
Netherlands 522
Chinese Taipei 520
Liechtenstein 520
Germany 520
Switzerland 517
UK 514
Slovenia 512
Macao-China 511
United States 502
Mexico 416
Peru 369
Krygyz Republic 330

Math scores ranked
Shanghai-China 600 1
Singapore 562 2
Hong Kong-China 555 3
Korea, Republic 546 4
Chinese Taipei 543 5
Finland 541 6
Liechtenstein 536 7
Switzerland 534 8
Japan 529 9
Canada 527 10
Netherlands 526 11
Macao-China 525 12
New Zealand 519 13
Belgium 515 14
Australia 514 15
Germany 513 16
Estonia 512 17
Iceland 507 18
Denmark 503 19
Slovenia 501 20
Norway 498 21
France 497 22
Slovak Republic 497 23
Austria 496 24
Poland 495 25
Sweden 494 26
Czech Republic 493 27
United Kingdom 492 28
Hungary 490 29
Luxembourg 489 30
United States 487 31
Ireland 487 32
Portugal 487 33
Spain 483 34
Italy 483 35
Latvia 482 36
Lithuania 477 37
Russian Fed 468 38
Greece 466 39
Croatia 460 40
Dubai-UAE 453 41
Israel 447 42
Turkey 445 43
Serbia, 442 44
Azerbaijan 431 45
Bulgaria 428 46
Romania 427 47
Uruguay 427 48
Chile 421 49
Mexico 419 50
Thailand 419 51
Trinidad Tobago 414 52
Kazakhstan 405 53
Montenegto 403 54
Argentina 388 55
Jordan 387 56
Brazil 386 57
Colombia 381 58
Albania 377 59
Tunisia 371 60
Indonesia 371 61
Qatar 368 62
Peru 365 63
Panama 360 64
Kyrgyz Republic 331 65

[Calusa]

Shanghai Owns the International PISA Science Math Test

http://www.asianweek.com/2010/12/10/shanghai-owns-the-international-pisa-science-math-test/

[HMS Surprise]

In Belgium they allow the money to follow the kid, which is basically a voucher program. So, for instance, it doesn’t matter what school you choose in Belgium, the money will flow directly to parochial, private, and public school in the same amount. Needless to say, the Belgians are kicking our butt like most of the rest.

[Calusa]

It so happens I have two second cousins going to high school in Belgium. They speak four languages including Flemish. At some point I would hope they take some Math and Science. But, then, their Mom is a lawyer.

[seowulf]

Flemish will certainly take them far in this world.

At least as far as the borders of Flanders.

[kearnyirish2]

I can’t stand the argument that vouchers would put public money into private schools. So what? If that is the school of the parents’ choice, then so be it. Parents are the “public”, too.

[HMS Surprise]

All public money comes from the private sector, so in essence it is always private.

[HMS Surprise]

All public money comes from the private sector, so in essence it is always private.

[Verginius Rufus]

Flemish is basically the same language as Dutch (there may be a few differences in spelling, like between American English and Canadian English). A Flemish speaker would have no trouble in the Netherlands, Suriname, or Aruba...and could probably get by around Afrikaans-speakers in South Africa and Namibia.

[!1776!]

Wait for the "Spiralling Cirrculum" approach. Doesn't matter if your ids can't do math - they will pick it up next time - don't judge my teaching now - judge the "system" later.

Asked the teacher if this program was training them to say "Do you want fries with that?"

One more way to avoid accountability...

[4Liberty]

[RipSawyer]

Obama wants to know if they speak Belgian.

[kearnyirish2]

That’s exactly right, so where those private “contributors” choose to send their money is up to them.

Opposition to vouchers is very thinly-veiled opposition to competition; school choice is denied by those who proudly support “choice” when it comes to murdering those it would teach.