Another idiot columnist who misses the point

[n2doc]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/opinion/12friedman.html

snip

The second piece, which could have been called “Why We’re No. 11,” was by the Washington Post economics columnist Robert Samuelson. Why, he asked, have we spent so much money on school reform in America and have so little to show for it in terms of scalable solutions that produce better student test scores? Maybe, he answered, it is not just because of bad teachers, weak principals or selfish unions.

“The larger cause of failure is almost unmentionable: shrunken student motivation,” wrote Samuelson. “Students, after all, have to do the work. If they aren’t motivated, even capable teachers may fail. Motivation comes from many sources: curiosity and ambition; parental expectations; the desire to get into a ‘good’ college; inspiring or intimidating teachers; peer pressure. The unstated assumption of much school ‘reform’ is that if students aren’t motivated, it’s mainly the fault of schools and teachers.” Wrong, he said. “Motivation is weak because more students (of all races and economic classes, let it be added) don’t like school, don’t work hard and don’t do well. In a 2008 survey of public high school teachers, 21 percent judged student absenteeism a serious problem; 29 percent cited ‘student apathy.’ ”




So.....the reason we are 'failing' at being one of the 'best' countries is....because we are lazy! Couldn't possibly be because education 'reform' has been an abject failure and is leading us astray. Couldn't possibly be because our Government works actively with Big Biz to punish and control workers so that they live miserable lives. Couldn't possibly be that many of us live in abject fear of losing what minimal health access we presently have. No!!! (said in a John Belushi voice)

Rich Fucking wankers who have no idea of what the 99 percent of us who aren't multi millionaires are going through. I say tax all of Mr 'stache's money and Mr. Samuelson's money away and let's see each of them make it back. Trading places, anyone?

[Peregrine]

1. I agree with him

We have blamed everybody for years except for the kids. I leave school every day feeling like I have had the sh!t kicked out of me. The math teacher came to me today and told me that the 8th grade kids can't get absolute value.

[MichiganVote]

2. I see it every day. But I also see adults enable these kids. Parents, Grandparents...

It's as if our kids have lost both a dream for their future and the backbone to see it through.

[applegrove]

3. Actually look how intellectually lazy the GOP base is. They allow themselves to be spoon fed

'reality'. I agree wholeheartedly with the author that American students are intellectually incurious. At least 50 percent of them have parents who are bozos and helpless when it comes to thinking about their place in the world. How could their children be better informed than the parents?

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. I agree with the writer

There's nothing I can do if a kid doesn't bother to come to school. I continue to be blown away by attendance records. Just unreal.

[Recursion]

5. I kind of think he has a point

If kids don't care about school, there's not much anybody can do to educate them.

Now, maybe they don't care about school because they can see the economy as well as we can and realize working hard probably isn't going to pay off for them; we could possibly do something about that.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. They don't care about school because their parents don't care.

School is just somewhere the kids go every day.

[Hannah Bell]

6. to the extent there's truth in that, the question to ask would be *why*?

and *in what situations*?

i don't see samuelson (who's an economic shill for the establishment) asking that.

[Name removed]

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