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No excuses: Part II*** The education establishment also has opposed teacher certification tests and often labeled them as racially discriminatory. Perhaps it's because of the large failure rate among prospective teachers, particularly minority teachers. In 1998, of 1,800 Massachusetts teachers taking the test, 60 percent failed.

According to Education World, "Seven states use the National Evaluation System's tests, 27 use the National Teachers Exam, 43 ask new teachers to pass basic skills tests, and 32 require teachers to demonstrate proficiency in the subjects they teach. Teachers have not done well on those tests. Failure rates are between 20 and 30 percent on the basic skills and proficiency tests and 50 to 55 percent on the National Teachers Exam." Keep in mind that to pass the teacher certification test you need only eighth-, ninth- and, at best, 10th-grade skills. For example, a multiple choice math question asks: "Amy drinks one-and-a-half cups of milk three times a day. At this rate, how many cups will she drink in one week?"

America's public education rot goes beyond incompetent teachers. According to the Sept. 2 New York Post, in the school year 2002-03, "1,495 Department of Education employees and other school workers were arrested - 228 more than the previous year - an 18 percent increase." Those arrested included teachers (371), custodians (243), paraprofessionals (181) and school aides (106). Among the charges were assault (313), drugs (435), robbery (180), weapons (88), sex abuse (36) and falsifying documents (74). How representative New York's school system is of other big city school systems is hard to say.

Where is educational rot the worst? If you said at predominantly black inner-city schools, go to the head of the class. Inner-city schools are home to the least-qualified teachers. For example, in a dozen Chicago schools, 40 percent of the teaching staff flunked one or more tests. One teacher flunked 24 out of 25 tries, including all 12 of the tests in the subject she taught. Nevertheless, she is still teaching. None of this is to say there aren't a few competent and dedicated inner-city teachers battling tremendous odds.

Here's my question: Do parents, particularly black parents, know or even care about what's being done to their children in the name of education? Do they know that the A or B on their children's report card is worthless?

Don't say the solution lies in more money unless you're prepared to show me great results with expenditures of $15,000 per student in Massachusetts and $13,000 in Washington, D.C., and skyrocketing education budgets elsewhere. ***

Where is our love of learning? "we must destroy all of our self-imposed barriers"*** Each time I had a black student, I spoke with her or him about my concern. A handful understood and began to read and show interest in other intellectual matters, such as watching television news each night and hanging out at museums and exhibits. Most, though, dismissed me either as an Uncle Tom or a strange old man with nothing better to do than to "f-- around with books and white-people s--," as a student told me when I taught at the University of Illinois-Chicago Circle. When I inquired as why he was at U of I, he said, "To get my degree and get out." His vehemence persuaded me to drop the whole thing then and there.***

Hi Cincinatus' Wife

First off, thanks for the post.

RE: Your post #52. In 1997 I was between jobs and decided to take the "CBEST" test. This is a test in California that opens the door to being a substitute teacher. It provides those who pass the test an emergency teaching credential and allows them to substitute teach for up to one year. You are supposed to take and pass the required education courses during the year you substitute teach. Upon successful completion of said courses, your emergency credential becomes a permanent one.

I took the test with about four hours of procreation, basically going over the example questions at the back of the test application booklet. I overheard some folks who were about to take the test the same morning I was. They were worried about passing the test. Some where on their third or fourth try. This of course made me quite nervous, as I thought they I had not prepared enough.

You get four hours to complete the test, I was done in about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

My test results indicated that had more than double the points I needed to pass the test. Now mind you, I'm not the smartest guy around, just ask my wife, ;-), but here you have people fresh out of college, who want to be teachers full time and have failed this test multiple times. I had been out of school for 13 years and passed.

It's no wonder that the NEA opposes teacher certification tests. Funny how liberals will always use the rally cry of, "it's for the children", except for when it really is for the children.

Best Regards and God Bless.

Sergio