The question is, is a dumbed-down diploma the right solution to the dropout problem? Again, I’m not against a vo-tech track. But I’m strongly against lowering standards for math and english. That’s an outrage. Not every graduate goes through a college prep curriculum now. It’s not a requirement. We’re talking about reducing basic skills stuff, not just eliminating calculus and trig which are already not required.

I didn’t graduate from college myself. In fact, I got my first formal computer training via the welfare system. But dumbed-down diploma cheats the kids who “earn” it, and it also devalues the diplomas of the kids who worked harder to get the real thing.

This is a flippant treatment of a difficult, important issue, and it’s an insulting treatment of one of the American conservatives’ more worthy leaders.

Kralizec on July 4, 2009 at 12:18 PM

Kralizec, Jindal has had my support since he was my Congressman, but he has gone seriously off the rails as governor on a number of important issues, particularly ethics, healthcare and education – all things he continues to brag about. If you still think he’s a worthy leader for conservatives, you haven’t been paying close attention. He can still pull it together, and I hope he does, but uncritical adoration from the right will do him no favors.

RhymesWithRight on July 4, 2009 at 3:31 PM

I agree with you. Nonetheless, if you read the article quoted by Laura, the current standards are “basic” in either reading or math and “approaching basic” in the other. To put it plainly, the Founders felt illiteracy, especially on a massive scale, to be inimical to democracy, and innumeracy is inimical to function in the modern economy. To advance children to high school that don’t even approach basic competency in reading or math is to give up, not only on our children, but on our nation.

As i noted on my website today, 80% of the jobs here in Texas do not require a 4-year degree — including 44% that pay more than the average salary in the state.

As a teacher, I’ve been a part of too many conversations that revolve around how we miseducate too many of our kids by pretending that they need to go to college rather than learning a trade by which they will make a living. And in the process, we’ve not only devalued the high school diploma, we’ve also devalued the college degree.

Should we give every kid who wants one a college prep education? Yes, we should — but we need to recognize that this isn’t what all of them want or need and educate them accordingly.

This is a flippant treatment of a difficult, important issue, and it’s an insulting treatment of one of the American conservatives’ more worthy leaders.

Kralizec on July 4, 2009 at 12:18 PM

This is not only a “difficult, important issue” — this is probably the most critical problem that faces the United States. That being the case, trying to use bureaucratic sleight-of-hand to sweep it under the rug is worthy only of scorn, no matter who proposes it. Approbation or condemnation of an idea based on the political status and alignment of the author as opposed to its merits is a technique that we deplore on the other side; we should deplore it even more on our side since we should know better.

Laura on July 3, 2009 at 4:44 PM

Laura,

I’d say by your post you live in a metro area like BR or NO or maybe even Shreveport/BC. I grew up in rural Union/Ouachita Parish and then moved to Jackson before going to college at LaTech. I grew up in those little rural schools: 22 in my class K-8 and 55 in my graduating class after my folks moved in my 9th grade year. The rural schools ARE completely different than the big 4A and 5A urban schools. The magnet schools I talk about take money because you have to move to live close to one. If you live in the sticks, these schools are not available to you. Kids growing up in places like Holly Ridge, Tallulah, Downsville, Bunkie, Eros, Hog Hair, Bernice, Wisner, Gilbert, Mangham, etc.,… do not get the same education as those that grow up in Monroe, Bossier, Shreveport, Ruston, Alex, BR, Lafayette, etc.,…. I see nothing wrong with a multi-level diploma system. That works very well in Europe. I escaped LA via the military and I would never raise my kids there because of the disparity in the school systems. My Dad was a school teacher in Ouachita Parish for 25 yrs and my Mom was a teacher’s aide. I have 2 cousins that taught in Ouachita and Richland Parishes for 30 years. Due to the way LA funds it’s schools, there are huge differences between the tax rich Parishes and the tax poor Parishes which leads to big differences in education levels. What Jindal proposes is not that far from what many of those kids get in the cotton, soy bean, and rice farming Parishes throughout Northern LA. The quality of education in those areas is VERY poor but not to the complete fault of the teachers, it has more to due with proper funding and proper expectations. Many of those kid’s parents do not give a crap about education. There is no motivation at home for the kids to do better than the parent(s). Many of the teachers are just biding their time until they get their student loans paid off buy the State–yep, commit to 4 years of teaching and the State will pay those off for you. Once those loans are paid, many teachers bolt for higher wages in Texas. In the end, I’d rather see Jindal trying different solutions to the problem than the FED (NObama) step in and start telling States how to educate. Education is a State responsibility and the people of the State should decide. The last thing we need is some Ivy League prick coming in from the Fed and tell us how to run our State….that is why this country is so F-d up to begin with.

I’m actually way okay with the concept that not every student should go to college. But we’re talking about lowering basic standards that, as I sarcastically tried to point out, you do need even for blue collar jobs. Nor should we be assessing 8th graders and shunting them into a track that’s going to be very hard for them to get out of later. Nor should we be lowering the standards for english and math. The students are no more or less stupid than previous generations. The problem is with the schools, not with the students.

Laura on July 2, 2009 at 6:50 PM

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Add a *snort* or something next time at least okay. You had me wondering there.

I thought my sarcasm was way, way, over the top and obvious, but evidently I need to brush up on my writing skills.

As TOTUS might say: Let me be clear. I think this law that Jindal just signed – and which made it past the GOP in our state legislature – is an absolute abomination. I’m mad as hell about it. It’s the kind of “feel good” crap I expect from Democrats – let’s pass these kids through school whether or not they’ve earned it, diplomas for everybody! until diplomas are meaningless. It will create even more of an uneducated underclass which will necessarily rely on the government dole and continued wealth transfers from the 40% of society which are net taxpayers. It’s a terrible idea, and I’m heartily disappointed in Jindal for signing it.

erp on July 2, 2009 at 6:21 PM

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erp you are so right. What the he!!?
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Laura, something is wrong with your logic.
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So let us lower the bar so more dummies think their smart?
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Oh yes, this is on par with football stars get the free pass in the short run but end up suffering in the long run.
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If this can be called an ecom 101 course. It would be Keynesianism. Think about that.

Are you kidding? I guess you don’t realize how much these guys need to know to do their jobs correctly. Our carpenter can do complicated measurements in his head.

Talk about over educated hubris.