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Sowell: Damaging Admissions
Creators Syndicate ^ | February 17, 2015 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 02/16/2015 1:12:51 PM PST by jazusamo

Opponents of charter schools have claimed that these schools are "cherry-picking" the students they admit, and that this explains why many charter schools get better educational results with less money than public schools do.

Many controversies about how students should be admitted to educational institutions, especially those supported by the taxpayers, betray a fundamental confusion about what these institutions are there for. This applies to both schools and colleges.

Admitting students strictly on the basis of their academic qualifications, which might seem to be common sense, is rejected by many college admissions committees.

A dean of admissions at Harvard, years ago, said, "the question we ask is: how well has this person used the opportunities available to him or her?" In other words, the issue is seen as which of the competing applicants are more deserving. Since some people have had far better educational opportunities than others, that is supposed to be taken into account in deciding whom to admit.

This myopic view of admissions decisions, as a question of choosing between applicant A versus applicant B, totally ignores the reason for the existence of educational institutions in the first place. These institutions were not created in order to dispense favors to particular individuals, but to confer benefits on society at large, by supplying graduates with skills valuable to the other members of society.

When Jonas Salk applied to selective Townsend Harris High School in New York, and later to the then-selective City College of New York (CCNY), there might well have been some other student, not quite as academically qualified, who could have been admitted instead, on the basis of having overcome greater handicaps than Jonas Salk had.

(Excerpt) Read more at creators.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: charterschools; collegeadmissions; education; sowell; thomassowell
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To: stephenjohnbanker

“1) many of the “teachers” can’t teach .”

Many were taught in the same dumbed down schools, so you can’t pass on what you don’t know.

When ingot my teaching credential (don’t use it any more, too many liberals in schools), there were coaches taking the math competency test for the 4th or 5th time. band it was at no more than a high school level! Saddest thing is that when they do finally pass it, they will be given math classes to teach. With little understanding of math or how it’s used in the real world. And no passion for it whatsoever. And the kids can tell.


21 posted on 02/16/2015 4:25:09 PM PST by Hardens Hollow (Formerly yorkiemom. I couldn't find Galt's Gulch, so created our own Harden's Hollow. Join us!)
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To: Hardens Hollow

” there were coaches taking the math competency test for the 4th or 5th time.”

Funny......students aren’t allowed to fail a test 4 times, and take it a fifth time. Why should teachers get a free ride here?


22 posted on 02/16/2015 4:43:10 PM PST by stephenjohnbanker (My Batting Average( 1,000) (GOPe is that easy to read))
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To: stephenjohnbanker

Funny......students aren’t allowed to fail a test 4 times, and take it a fifth time. Why should teachers get a free ride here?

__________

One word: union.

Although in some schools children are allowed to take a test until they pass it.


23 posted on 02/16/2015 4:46:05 PM PST by Chickensoup (Leftist totalitarian fascism is on the move.)
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To: Chickensoup

“One word: union.”

Bingo.


24 posted on 02/16/2015 5:24:06 PM PST by stephenjohnbanker (My Batting Average( 1,000) (GOPe is that easy to read))
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