APNewsBreak: Nearly 1 in 4 fails military exam

[JenT]

Hmm most/many schools accross the nation use textbooks from Texas...

<perk> but wait, what textbook comes from Texas?

 

[uscitizen]

Hmm most/many schools accross the nation use textbooks from Texas...

<perk> but wait, what textbook comes from Texas?

By some estimates, all but a handful of American states rely on text books written to meet the Texas curriculum. The California legislature is considering a bill that would bar them from being used in the state's schools.

Texas schools board rewrites US history with lessons promoting God and guns | World news | The Guardian

 

[uscitizen]

If you don't have children in the Texas public school system, you may think you don't need to be concerned. However, what Texas wants in its textbooks can have subtle and not-so-subtle influence in what is written in everyone else's textbooks.

First, a little background -- for several years I worked in the textbook publishing industry as a production manager. My "thing" was managing production of the teachers' editions of elementary and middle school textbook series, although I helped put together student textbooks as well. So I have seen up close the issues textbook publishers struggle with when producing new textbook series, and how they handle these issues.

A number of states are "adoption" states, meaning that any textbooks used in the public schools of those states must be "adopted" or approved for use by state textbook committee members, usually appointed by the governor. If a series fails to be adopted in one of the large states, such as Texas or California, it's a considerable financial blow to the publisher. So, textbook publishers take great care to please textbook adoption committees, especially in the big states.

The Texas textbook committees have been particularly demanding for many years. When I first began to produce textbooks in the mid-1980s it already was common practice to put out two editions of every textbook series -- Texas and National. Over the years more special state editions have been added, as the adoption committees of several states realized they could dictate to publishers what would be in the textbooks. But Texas generally is the most demanding state, which has given rise to an industry of Texas textbook consultants who steer publishers through the complex maze of Texas textbook requirements..

However, to keep production costs down, publishers like to keep all of the editions as uniform as possible. Uniformity requires a minimum number of writers, editors, and typesetters. It's also a goal to print all of the editions, one after another, with a minimal plate changes. So, except where a state demands content that would make the textbook unsalable in the other states, content is crafted to be acceptable to all states as much as possible.

Texas and Textbooks

 

[Toome]

The story is inaccurate: it's NOT that 1 in 4 fail the military entrance exam. It's 1 in 4 qualify for the infantry.


HOOAH!

 

[Granny]

And then there's this:

No teachers, no homework: Students set own agenda at private school in Davie - Sun Sentinel

There was a film clip of this school on the news last night.

 

[MarcATL]

End social promotion and no more diplomas for kids who can't do basic math. Some states now issue "certificates of attendance". They are pieces of paper that say that a kid showed up occasionally, but learned nothing. Too many schools issue diplomas just so their numbers look good. It's a travesty.

NJ has outlawed expulsion under the umbrella "a right to an education". Too many educators honestly believe that means the "right to a diploma".

We also waive the state test and many of the standard requirements for handicapped kids, but give them the same diploma. It's unfair to say the least and very, very misleading to the public.

Why are Americans so allergic to the truth?

Then some wonder why people like Bill Maher says they are dumb as doornails.

If a people are not even mature enough to deal with the hard facts such as their education system is failing and their institutions feel the need to prop up the numbers with false results and everyone basically bats an eye to feel good...what else can the people be but dumb?

 

[chanel]

There's big money in special education. And if anyone dared to ask for a cost/benefit analysis of some of these expenditures, they would be crucified. How could anyone be opposed to programs for "handicapped kids"? That would be the end of a politician's career. No doubt about it.

So they label kids who can't sit still and pass them through with little or no academic expectations. Then they pat themselves on the back when they graduate. See? Money well spent.

 

[editec]

American families are in trouble.

Ergo American schools are in trouble.

This really isn't so hard to grasp, is it?

1 in 8 kids now has a full time parent at home.

When I was a kid it was 7 out of 8.

 

[Bullfighter]

APNewsBreak: Nearly 1 in 4 fails military exam - Yahoo! News

MIAMI – Nearly one-fourth of the students who try to join the U.S. Army fail its entrance exam, painting a grim picture of an education system that produces graduates who can't answer basic math, science and reading questions, according to a new study released Tuesday.

The report by The Education Trust bolsters a growing worry among military and education leaders that the pool of young people qualified for military service will grow too small.

"Too many of our high school students are not graduating ready to begin college or a career — and many are not eligible to serve in our armed forces," U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan told the AP. "I am deeply troubled by the national security burden created by America's underperforming education system."

The report by The Education Trust found that 23 percent of recent high school graduates don't get the minimum score needed on the enlistment test to join any branch of the military. Questions are often basic, such as: "If 2 plus x equals 4, what is the value of x?"

The military exam results are also worrisome because the test is given to a limited pool of people: Pentagon data shows that 75 percent of those aged 17 to 24 don't even qualify to take the test because they are physically unfit, have a criminal record or didn't graduate high school.

Well, that's not good to say the least.

Remove Mexicans from the gene pool of America.

 

[Montrovant]

Bullfighter, have you ever made a post that wasn't about Mexico or Mexicans?

 

[Bullfighter]

Bullfighter, have you ever made a post that wasn't about Mexico or Mexicans?

During WW2, was there any life to speak of that didn't involve the war?

 

[Greenbeard]

Sure, the involved parents help with the five hours of homework while the public school criteria consists of social reconditioning and behavior modification. Their priorities are all about blaming humans for global warming, attacks on faith by telling them to practice worship to different gods, purposely giving children the impression that no god is any better than any other god, to role them all up and throw them all away…it is the wolf in "critical thinking." Oh they've been busy, trying to convince them that socialism is better than a free market. Somehow the academic elite decided to empower children to reject their parent's discernment, give them trash as information and tell them to think for themselves based on what these credentialed atheists believe, to act like harlots born of apes in a world without morals, just decide your own individual "values," oh and here's a condom..

Then they wonder why they have problems.

If you're that concerned about incorporating your preferred religious doctrine into your child's education, have you considered a parochial school?

 

[uscitizen]

Sure, the involved parents help with the five hours of homework while the public school criteria consists of social reconditioning and behavior modification. Their priorities are all about blaming humans for global warming, attacks on faith by telling them to practice worship to different gods, purposely giving children the impression that no god is any better than any other god, to role them all up and throw them all away…it is the wolf in "critical thinking." Oh they've been busy, trying to convince them that socialism is better than a free market. Somehow the academic elite decided to empower children to reject their parent's discernment, give them trash as information and tell them to think for themselves based on what these credentialed atheists believe, to act like harlots born of apes in a world without morals, just decide your own individual "values," oh and here's a condom..

Then they wonder why they have problems.

If you're that concerned about incorporating your preferred religious doctrine into your child's education, have you considered a parochial school?

But she whould have to pay for that?

 

[Bullfighter]

Sure, the involved parents help with the five hours of homework while the public school criteria consists of social reconditioning and behavior modification. Their priorities are all about blaming humans for global warming, attacks on faith by telling them to practice worship to different gods, purposely giving children the impression that no god is any better than any other god, to role them all up and throw them all away…it is the wolf in "critical thinking." Oh they've been busy, trying to convince them that socialism is better than a free market. Somehow the academic elite decided to empower children to reject their parent's discernment, give them trash as information and tell them to think for themselves based on what these credentialed atheists believe, to act like harlots born of apes in a world without morals, just decide your own individual "values," oh and here's a condom..

Then they wonder why they have problems.

If you're that concerned about incorporating your preferred religious doctrine into your child's education, have you considered a parochial school?

Why is it that the public schools of Chicago are considered some of the worst performing in the nation yet the Catholic schools in Chicago are considered the best performers in the same area?

NUNS! The secret weapon!

 

[Greenbeard]

But she whould have to pay for that?

Well, I guess it's not that important then...

 

[uscitizen]

Sure, the involved parents help with the five hours of homework while the public school criteria consists of social reconditioning and behavior modification. Their priorities are all about blaming humans for global warming, attacks on faith by telling them to practice worship to different gods, purposely giving children the impression that no god is any better than any other god, to role them all up and throw them all away…it is the wolf in "critical thinking." Oh they've been busy, trying to convince them that socialism is better than a free market. Somehow the academic elite decided to empower children to reject their parent's discernment, give them trash as information and tell them to think for themselves based on what these credentialed atheists believe, to act like harlots born of apes in a world without morals, just decide your own individual "values," oh and here's a condom..

Then they wonder why they have problems.

If you're that concerned about incorporating your preferred religious doctrine into your child's education, have you considered a parochial school?

Why is it that the public schools of Chicago are considered some of the worst performing in the nation yet the Catholic schools in Chicago are considered the best performers in the same area?

NUNS! The secret weapon!

dicipline is the main key I think.
And more focus on education and less on sports and basket weaving and such.

 

[Bullfighter]

[dicipline is the main key I think.
And more focus on education and less on sports and basket weaving and such.

I saw something on the news a few days ago about a town that will be getting a lot of exchange student from China and the students are terrified that they will look stupid when compared to the Chinese.

 

[JenT]

If you don't have children in the Texas public school system, you may think you don't need to be concerned. However, what Texas wants in its textbooks can have subtle and not-so-subtle influence in what is written in everyone else's textbooks.

First, a little background -- for several years I worked in the textbook publishing industry as a production manager. My "thing" was managing production of the teachers' editions of elementary and middle school textbook series, although I helped put together student textbooks as well. So I have seen up close the issues textbook publishers struggle with when producing new textbook series, and how they handle these issues.

A number of states are "adoption" states, meaning that any textbooks used in the public schools of those states must be "adopted" or approved for use by state textbook committee members, usually appointed by the governor. If a series fails to be adopted in one of the large states, such as Texas or California, it's a considerable financial blow to the publisher. So, textbook publishers take great care to please textbook adoption committees, especially in the big states.

The Texas textbook committees have been particularly demanding for many years. When I first began to produce textbooks in the mid-1980s it already was common practice to put out two editions of every textbook series -- Texas and National. Over the years more special state editions have been added, as the adoption committees of several states realized they could dictate to publishers what would be in the textbooks. But Texas generally is the most demanding state, which has given rise to an industry of Texas textbook consultants who steer publishers through the complex maze of Texas textbook requirements..

However, to keep production costs down, publishers like to keep all of the editions as uniform as possible. Uniformity requires a minimum number of writers, editors, and typesetters. It's also a goal to print all of the editions, one after another, with a minimal plate changes. So, except where a state demands content that would make the textbook unsalable in the other states, content is crafted to be acceptable to all states as much as possible.

Texas and Textbooks

mmmmmm did you have anything to do with advancing Houghton Mifflin's "Across the Centuries" complete with all it's pro-Islam anti-Christian bias?

Or Houghton Mifflin's "A Message of Ancient Days" with all it's blame of the fall of the Roman Empire on those blankety blank Christians along with other hateful points of view?

Just non-chalantly wondering...