What An Eighth Grader Was Expected To Know In 1910

[bitterlyclingin]

If you conclude that we're a nation of ignoramuses today, that's the same conclusion I drew.
Compared to what those kids had to know, we've certainly succeeded at only dumbing down the system over time. Do you really think 4,000,000 more teachers, or however many Obama deems fit to hire, will fix this? 300,000 of the new hires destined for rubber rooms?
My, what the teachers unions hath wrought.


What 8th-Graders Were Expected to Know in 1910 -- July 2004 Education Reporter

 

[konradv]

If you conclude that we're a nation of ignoramuses today, that's the same conclusion I drew.
Compared to what those kids had to know, we've certainly succeeded at only dumbing down the system over time. Do you really think 4,000,000 more teachers, or however many Obama deems fit to hire, will fix this? 300,000 of the new hires destined for rubber rooms?
My, what the teachers unions hath wrought.

What 8th-Graders Were Expected to Know in 1910 -- July 2004 Education Reporter

Looks suspiciously close to this.

snopes.com: 1895 Exam

 

[Big Black Dog]

No mention of extra credit for playing basketball, football or track and field...

 

[bodecea]

If you conclude that we're a nation of ignoramuses today, that's the same conclusion I drew.
Compared to what those kids had to know, we've certainly succeeded at only dumbing down the system over time. Do you really think 4,000,000 more teachers, or however many Obama deems fit to hire, will fix this? 300,000 of the new hires destined for rubber rooms?
My, what the teachers unions hath wrought.


What 8th-Graders Were Expected to Know in 1910 -- July 2004 Education Reporter

What % of Americans were required to get to 8th grade in 1910?

 

[Staidhup]

When one reviews the aforementioned requirements for graduation it becomes rather apparent the concern of educators in 1910 was education. What should be of interest is that the national educational system was controlled by the local communities, states, and not politicians and bureaucrats in Washington DC.

 

[Provocateur]

If you conclude that we're a nation of ignoramuses today, that's the same conclusion I drew.
Compared to what those kids had to know, we've certainly succeeded at only dumbing down the system over time. Do you really think 4,000,000 more teachers, or however many Obama deems fit to hire, will fix this? 300,000 of the new hires destined for rubber rooms?
My, what the teachers unions hath wrought.


What 8th-Graders Were Expected to Know in 1910 -- July 2004 Education Reporter

How are you going to account for an increase in population? Are we supposed to pretend that the same number of those people you have mentioned could take care of the greater number of people somehow?



A vast majority of teachers don't belong to any teachers union, btw.

 

[Greenbeard]

If you conclude that we're a nation of ignoramuses today, that's the same conclusion I drew.

I'm not really sure why you conclude that based only on the content of the questions themselves (assuming your link is close to what it purports to be and not snopes fodder).

You've inspired me to look up the questions on the 8th grade proficiency tests used in recent years in my home state and I don't think they suffer in comparison to your link.

 

[Polk]

No mention of extra credit for playing basketball, football or track and field...

Which I have no idea taxpayer dollars fund in the first place.

 

[francoHFW]

Sounds great, but just for a few kids...read "The Good Old Days, They Were Terrible"...don't believe that bullshytte...

 

[FA_Q2]

TBH, that is not even in the same ballpark with what 8th graders are supposed to know today. Comparing the education of children over a 100 years ago to children today is completely asinine and speaks more about current education then your link.

 

[g5000]

If you conclude that we're a nation of ignoramuses today, that's the same conclusion I drew.
Compared to what those kids had to know, we've certainly succeeded at only dumbing down the system over time. Do you really think 4,000,000 more teachers, or however many Obama deems fit to hire, will fix this? 300,000 of the new hires destined for rubber rooms?
My, what the teachers unions hath wrought.

What 8th-Graders Were Expected to Know in 1910 -- July 2004 Education Reporter

Looks suspiciously close to this.

snopes.com: 1895 Exam

Indeed it does.

So this topic is just another parroting of a debunked, outdated, meme.

 

[whitehall]

Granted not everyone even went to school in the American 19th century but those who were fortunate enough to be educated for eight or twelve years were better informed than the dunces that come out of college today.

 

[occupied]

In this part of the world in those days 8th graders were expected to quit school and get to work on the farm if they hadn't already. When I was growing up it was still not uncommon to encounter illiterate people who had left school around 13 and seemingly forgot what education they had.

 

[Jackson]

This says a lot when most of our eighth graders are not reading on a fourth grade level. I wonder if they can even define "geography."

 

[Peach]

If you conclude that we're a nation of ignoramuses today, that's the same conclusion I drew.
Compared to what those kids had to know, we've certainly succeeded at only dumbing down the system over time. Do you really think 4,000,000 more teachers, or however many Obama deems fit to hire, will fix this? 300,000 of the new hires destined for rubber rooms?
My, what the teachers unions hath wrought.

What 8th-Graders Were Expected to Know in 1910 -- July 2004 Education Reporter

Looks suspiciously close to this.

snopes.com: 1895 Exam

I too have seen variations of this "test" from 100+ years ago. Never a mention of the much smaller percentage of children in the US that, in reality, actually had the PRIVILEGE of formal education.

 

[konradv]

If you conclude that we're a nation of ignoramuses today, that's the same conclusion I drew.
Compared to what those kids had to know, we've certainly succeeded at only dumbing down the system over time. Do you really think 4,000,000 more teachers, or however many Obama deems fit to hire, will fix this? 300,000 of the new hires destined for rubber rooms?
My, what the teachers unions hath wrought.

What 8th-Graders Were Expected to Know in 1910 -- July 2004 Education Reporter

Looks suspiciously close to this.

snopes.com: 1895 Exam

Indeed it does.

So this topic is just another parroting of a debunked, outdated, meme.

Not to mention that there's no way of verifying that the the info used in the article is accurate or just another permutation of an Urban Legend.

 

[konradv]

Granted not everyone even went to school in the American 19th century but those who were fortunate enough to be educated for eight or twelve years were better informed than the dunces that come out of college today.

Just because you don't know the answers to the questions, don't assume the rest of us don't.

 

[Mac1958]

.

Hey, who cares. As long as they "feel good about themselves".

.

 

[Political Junky]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww]Miss Teen USA 2007 - South Carolina answers a question - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Provocateur]

This says a lot when most of our eighth graders are not reading on a fourth grade level. I wonder if they can even define "geography."

Maybe in Nashville.