Mission: PreK

Accuracy in Academia ^ | December 14, 2009 | Bethany Stotts

[bs9021]

Mission: PreK

Bethany Stotts, December 14, 2009

Last month a prestigious line-up of retired admirals and generals emphasized the importance of early childhood education to the America’s continued national security. “We know that early learning is a proven way to save scarce taxpayer dollars while laying the foundation for success of the next generation of Americans,” said Retired Major General James W. Comstock at the conference, which was opened by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

“That is why the Early Learning Challenge Fund is so important,” continued the former. As part of the student loan bill, the Fund would provide $8 billion over eight years in state grants for early childhood education.

In its November report, “Ready, Willing and Unable to Serve,” Mission: Readiness (MR) concludes that 75% of the nation’s youth are unfit to serve in the military because of a crime record, inadequate education, unhealthy weight and other health problems. According to the report, which was the conference focus,

* “Approximately one out of four young Americans lacks a high school diploma,” * “Even with a high school degree, many potential [military] recruits still fail the Armed Forces Qualification Test (the AFQT) and cannot join. About 30 percent of potential recruits with a high school degree take the test and fail it,” * “One in 10 young adults cannot join because they have at least one prior conviction for a felony or serious misdemeanor (and for five percent of young adults, trouble with the law is the only thing keeping them out),” and
* “27 percent of young Americans are too overweight to join the military,” and
* “When weight problems are added in with the other health problems, over half of young adults cannot join because of health issues."...

[subterfuge]

Yes. What good is anyone if they cannot serve The State?

But I find it odd that John Kerry thinks it is the uneducated that go into the services. And isn’t a “prestigious line-up of retired admirals and generals” kind of a problem in itself? “Prestigious?”

[Thunder90]

We are screwed if we need to go back to the draft. Over 3/4ths of the potential draft pool would be unusable because of these reasons, and a further 1/4th of those remaining would become “Conscincence objectors”.

[ElayneJ]

What? The military is saying early childhood education is an issue of national security? So - what are we going to be funding now - obama youth corps?

[goodnesswins]

So...the solution to the failure of educating those who wish NOT to be educated is to start them earlier on the indoctrination!!!

[Comparative Advantage]

Ohio’s governor is trying to making all day kindergarten mandatory. Pre-K is just around the corner...

[US Navy Vet]

SO who exactly are these “prestigious line-up of retired admirals and generals”? I want the list!

[bs9021]

The list is linked through the original article.

http://www.academia.org/mission-prek/

[US Navy Vet]

My work software blocked it. Could you FreeP Mail it to me?

[the long march]

The problem is that teachers unions have dumbed down the class room and filled it with left wing propaganda. Having children go to ‘pre school’ does nothing in terms of improving performance in later years. All it does is take them away from their family and indoctrinate them into the way of the ‘public good’. We need LESS of that crapola and more of a trend toward fundamentals.

The average high school grad today knows less than a sixth grader did forty years