Some discouraging news on the education front today, and I would argue a priori that most of this is due to the ravages of the Covid Regime lockdowns and shutdowns of the government schools. College Admission Test Scores Drop to Lowest Level in 30 Years, Media Rushes to Blame COVID
I’d say the problem with schools started in the 70s and been headed downhill ever since. Just about every liberal program since has contributed. I’d also say we’ve hit bottom and just burrowing deeper like a bunker buster. Who knows where it ends.
Sandy thanks for citing the Hillsdale programs. My nephew, Jason Caros, is Founder & Headmaster, Founders Classical Academy in Lewisville, Texas. They have a terrific program and it is really growing. https://www.founderslewisville.com/ but like yo say not growing fast enough. I have discussed bringing a program like this to my Greek Orthodox parish and the head priest really liked the idea as more parents are looking for alternatives, but may not have the time or confidence to do home schooling.. Since the Catholic Parochial schools are so often highly regarded I thought the Orthodox community should establish an education network of schools of their own.
Such a small world!! My nieces and nephews go to Founders in Lewisville and my sister teaches there. It is an exceptional education. Their waiting list for K-12 has 800 students on it. Your nephew, Mr. Caros is loved by students, staff and parents!
Like the Soviet hierarchy whose leaders seemed to have all the niceties of life (the Dachas) while the proles starved for the lack of bread, these socialist/Marxist teachers unionist are much the same. Do as I say, not as I do.
The problem is that union learders are installed in power by the Luciferian Brotherhood just as much as most public officials. They are fascists, not socialists, but they call themselves socialists because that's what Luciferians do--they deceive.
The end-goal of capitalism is slavery, and always was. It's a feature, not a failure.
Ummm, maybe. There's a lot to like and dislike in capitalism, but as a system it's not Luciferian, but often some capitalists are Luciferian and there are many examples to validate that premise. One must discern the difference.
Public education will never be sorted because the extreme Left control the teacher training colleges. And private schools are not always the answer. Most teachers in private schools - probably not Catholic ones - come from the same teacher training colleges that churn out these leftists. Also, private schools have to be accredited to be able to operate. And guess which political ideology controls the accreditation process?
The only logical conclusion to be drawn is that Catholic schools are racist, hostile to unions and training future insurrectionists and must be investigated by the FBI.
Not a thing anymore. I have good memories of those days--never struck by a nun, and those women were dealing day in day out with 50 kids in a class. And we learned.
In truth, there are almost no nuns working, intelligently, and for free, in Catholic schools anymore -- most nuns are either elderly and "on the bus", or young and contemplative in vocation. However. The goal of orderly classrooms remains for both children and their parents, and so discipline is still quite good, though without the simplicity of corporal punishment.
We can hope the increase in vocations from younger women, now, might translate into more teachers, later!
The number one reason good Catholics I know continue to teach in the public schools, not parochial, is because they can't walk away from the better pay and benefits and especially the PENSION, in taking care of their own children -- the same calculation any parishioner makes. It seems like there's got to be a way to redirect church funds to compete with the public schools on this point as a matter of charity...
The only way I could afford to work at my private school is b/c I retired from public school and I have my pension. If I was younger and had the expense of younger children, I would probably still be in public school. The difference in pay and lack of a pension is substantial.
The nuns were already on the way out in my Archdiocese (New York) by the time I was in grammar school ('74-'83), but there was no discernable drop-off in learning or discipline as they were being replaced by (overwhelmingly female) lay teachers. As you note, I believe it is the parents' support (structure is largely what they're paying for) that keeps the tradition of achievement alive.
Sadly, the funding challenges loom larger than ever. When the ADNY closed 20 grammar and secondary schools in 2019 (right before COVID would have restored demand in a huge way), three of my laid-off teacher friends couldn't even contemplate teaching in a union-driven, public-school classroom and simply retired. A very special environment still, very much worth saving!
LBJ's Great Society: Federalization of Welfare, Medicare and education. How are those 3 socialist programs working out?
Perhaps Mark can clarify - I've thought the Assassination of President Kennedy (*bit of an aside, perhaps relevant... was he not our nations' first Catholic President?) spawned a huge sympathy vote instilling a strong Democrat congress along with LBJ's (re) election as president. That set the stage for the 2nd leg of the Socialist/Marxist agenda that with "Obamacare" for a 3rd leg, is standing 'successfully' reducing our once-Representative Republic to a 'Democracy'. That Education Federalization thing? Civics and History are of so little importance in our ideological-training institution we still call Public Education that the Biden Nazi-esce "Republicans want to end democracy" junk has millions of anxious, agreeing ears nodding their Ear-Bud/Phone linked heads up and down. Seems too easy to sound, I dunno, cynical and defeatist these days. I guess I'm still struggling with 81 million Biden Votes... Steghorn21, Where is your GREAT sense of humor tonight??? :^)
Best regards to one and all fellow MIH pursuer's! (WrH)
LBJ was a Luciferian, which means he was very much pro-captialist. The end-goal of capitalism has always been slavery--and the Luciferians have no problem sticking to their plan for thousands of years.
I'm not sure whether "sympathy vote" is the exact thing--I think it was something more nefarious. My recollection at the time--still in grade school--was that it was used to demonize the "right". The whole Camelot nonsense and evil Republicans attacking all that was good and pure and hopeful. Evil people. Pure evil. It's a phrase we're hearing a lot lately.
Thanks Mark for your thoughts on this - I remember sitting in my 4th grade classroom and how sad I was at President Kennedy's death. My family were the "unusual Republicans" in my Seattle neighborhood yet we, too, were hurt at his murder. Hence my perception of 'sympathy-vote'. I vaguely recall LBJ and congress easily becoming so 1-sided in the 1964 elections (tho' I believe the Congress was steadily Dem-again just my recollection). My sincerest appreciation for your MIH postings sir. (WrH)
The Texas Special Session dealing with School Choice shows the level of desire for change by a significant segment of the population, but the likely result will leave untold thousands of students in very poor schools.
It is time to take a big picture look at what an ideal public education system should look like. It should not look like the monopolized politicized mess it has become.
Instead of pouring money from a variety of sources into local monopolies and hoping for good results, the ideal system would be funded by a simple Educational Endowment bestowed on each individual student.
Provision of educational services should look like what the demonopolized telecommunications industry has become, large intensively competitive high tech providers. These providers would be competing to offer educational services that worked, and that parents and students wanted
This ideal system would protect its users from poor teaching performance. If a student failed to exhibit minimum educational achievement, payment would not be made. Instead, it would accrue in the student account, providing twice the amount the next year to the provider who could catch the student up.
Seriously underperforming students would accrue several years of catch-up funding, providing extra incentive for the type of personalized attention that would benefit them. Military veteran servicemen and women teaching small groups of students, developing personal relationships, can change lost kids into enthusiastic young adults.
The funds would remain in the student account indefinitely, allowing dropouts to get an education as age and experience created the desire. The endowment would also provide funding for prison schooling, attracting providers who would adapt to the requirements.
Home schoolers whose students exhibited the required achievement would be paid.
The Texas Education Agency has long experience in testing. It would manage the new endowment system, handling achievement testing and payout operations.
Special needs students would still receive extra funding but at an individual level.
Opening educational services to the free market would allow for practical job-related instruction, and college level courses, to be included as providers fought for market share.
Competition among educational providers would make full use of technology, would provide useful training for actual jobs, and would deliver far more education for the same money. Gamification would keep students involved in ways that existing K-12 material can't touch. The use of AI would allow the tracking of each bit of knowledge and understanding to be monitored at the individual student level and presented in various ways until understood.
The late 1970's in the United States was a time of surprising deregulation. It was the beginning of the end for the telephone monopolies. Those inside the regulated industries, and the regulatory agencies, warned of doom and disaster if competition were allowed. The doomsayers were wrong. The free market provided solutions that were impossible to forecast. Competition and the profit motive brought out the best that humans can create.
Communications solutions today are employing far more people than the old phone monopolies, and are delivering services never dreamed of in that era. The forecasts of disastrous unemployment and system collapse if the phone monopolies were opened to competition were totally and completely wrong.
Excellent suggestions. There would be nothing to prevent the Chicago public schools, to choose a random example, from entering that market. Albeit briefly I would have thought.
My son is applying to graduate programs in biology. I was utterly dismayed to find out that almost no one is requiring the GRE (grad school equivalent of the ACT) for admission. I also hear the LSAT is no longer a thing for law school. A friend of mine tells me that courses at his son’s medical school are being taught pass/fail. We are quickly descending from mediocrity to sheer incompetence.
That's very disheartening. From personal experience, and excuse the humble brag, working hard for 30 weeks on a module that is graded pass/fail, when you can see that your final grade would be a distinction on most other modules, is a massive disincentive. If someone is excellent they deserve to be recognised as such. But... prizes for all etc.
The disregard for competence in favor of diversity is frightening because it lends credence to dark rumors that our rulers know that events are underway such that competence in provision of services to the masses will be... unnecessary. I can't give in to those dark rumors... but I'm not looking forward to more planes falling out of the sky, or loss of power and water.
I’d say the problem with schools started in the 70s and been headed downhill ever since. Just about every liberal program since has contributed. I’d also say we’ve hit bottom and just burrowing deeper like a bunker buster. Who knows where it ends.
Chesterton Academies which also provide a challenging classical curriculum are expanding.throughout the country.
Not so ugly, increasing in number, not nearly enough, the Hillsdale Barney Charter School Initiative:
https://k12.hillsdale.edu/About/BCSI/
Sandy thanks for citing the Hillsdale programs. My nephew, Jason Caros, is Founder & Headmaster, Founders Classical Academy in Lewisville, Texas. They have a terrific program and it is really growing. https://www.founderslewisville.com/ but like yo say not growing fast enough. I have discussed bringing a program like this to my Greek Orthodox parish and the head priest really liked the idea as more parents are looking for alternatives, but may not have the time or confidence to do home schooling.. Since the Catholic Parochial schools are so often highly regarded I thought the Orthodox community should establish an education network of schools of their own.
Such a small world!! My nieces and nephews go to Founders in Lewisville and my sister teaches there. It is an exceptional education. Their waiting list for K-12 has 800 students on it. Your nephew, Mr. Caros is loved by students, staff and parents!
The Chicago Teacher's Union has been at the east lead by self avowed Socialists for years, possible THAT could be a factor. In fact one of their heads got caught poolside at a Caribbean enjoying a capitalist escape of lock down, link: https://ifunny.co/picture/socialist-chicago-teachers-union-leader-resists-unsafe-schools-reopening-from-MRjuDKTG8
Like the Soviet hierarchy whose leaders seemed to have all the niceties of life (the Dachas) while the proles starved for the lack of bread, these socialist/Marxist teachers unionist are much the same. Do as I say, not as I do.
The problem is that union learders are installed in power by the Luciferian Brotherhood just as much as most public officials. They are fascists, not socialists, but they call themselves socialists because that's what Luciferians do--they deceive.
The end-goal of capitalism is slavery, and always was. It's a feature, not a failure.
Which system is better than capitalism and why?
Little trollin going on there??😉
Ummm, maybe. There's a lot to like and dislike in capitalism, but as a system it's not Luciferian, but often some capitalists are Luciferian and there are many examples to validate that premise. One must discern the difference.
Was talking about the other comment. Seems to hate capitalism. Agree with you 💯
Public education will never be sorted because the extreme Left control the teacher training colleges. And private schools are not always the answer. Most teachers in private schools - probably not Catholic ones - come from the same teacher training colleges that churn out these leftists. Also, private schools have to be accredited to be able to operate. And guess which political ideology controls the accreditation process?
The only logical conclusion to be drawn is that Catholic schools are racist, hostile to unions and training future insurrectionists and must be investigated by the FBI.
Yep. And I'm sure I saw some very thuggish Catholic nuns inside the Capitol on J6 stealing Nancy's rosary collection! :)
They weren't stealing them - just returning them to the rightful owner. LOL
Homeschool.
One factor not mentioned in the superior results from parochial schools is nuns with rulers.
Not a thing anymore. I have good memories of those days--never struck by a nun, and those women were dealing day in day out with 50 kids in a class. And we learned.
Actually, I was joking. I apologize for my poor attempt at humor.
I understood that, but was clarifying for any who didn't get it. No offense taken at all.
In truth, there are almost no nuns working, intelligently, and for free, in Catholic schools anymore -- most nuns are either elderly and "on the bus", or young and contemplative in vocation. However. The goal of orderly classrooms remains for both children and their parents, and so discipline is still quite good, though without the simplicity of corporal punishment.
I am blessed to work with three nuns at my Catholic school. We are the one of the only schools in the diocese with nuns.
We can hope the increase in vocations from younger women, now, might translate into more teachers, later!
The number one reason good Catholics I know continue to teach in the public schools, not parochial, is because they can't walk away from the better pay and benefits and especially the PENSION, in taking care of their own children -- the same calculation any parishioner makes. It seems like there's got to be a way to redirect church funds to compete with the public schools on this point as a matter of charity...
The only way I could afford to work at my private school is b/c I retired from public school and I have my pension. If I was younger and had the expense of younger children, I would probably still be in public school. The difference in pay and lack of a pension is substantial.
The nuns were already on the way out in my Archdiocese (New York) by the time I was in grammar school ('74-'83), but there was no discernable drop-off in learning or discipline as they were being replaced by (overwhelmingly female) lay teachers. As you note, I believe it is the parents' support (structure is largely what they're paying for) that keeps the tradition of achievement alive.
Sadly, the funding challenges loom larger than ever. When the ADNY closed 20 grammar and secondary schools in 2019 (right before COVID would have restored demand in a huge way), three of my laid-off teacher friends couldn't even contemplate teaching in a union-driven, public-school classroom and simply retired. A very special environment still, very much worth saving!
They have the measure of their students. Sorry!
Oh you funny boy, you!
I have hundreds of jokes of this calibre that I'd be happy to share, Kat, but I think Mr W might banish me to the Gaza Strip.
LOL!
LBJ's Great Society: Federalization of Welfare, Medicare and education. How are those 3 socialist programs working out?
Perhaps Mark can clarify - I've thought the Assassination of President Kennedy (*bit of an aside, perhaps relevant... was he not our nations' first Catholic President?) spawned a huge sympathy vote instilling a strong Democrat congress along with LBJ's (re) election as president. That set the stage for the 2nd leg of the Socialist/Marxist agenda that with "Obamacare" for a 3rd leg, is standing 'successfully' reducing our once-Representative Republic to a 'Democracy'. That Education Federalization thing? Civics and History are of so little importance in our ideological-training institution we still call Public Education that the Biden Nazi-esce "Republicans want to end democracy" junk has millions of anxious, agreeing ears nodding their Ear-Bud/Phone linked heads up and down. Seems too easy to sound, I dunno, cynical and defeatist these days. I guess I'm still struggling with 81 million Biden Votes... Steghorn21, Where is your GREAT sense of humor tonight??? :^)
Best regards to one and all fellow MIH pursuer's! (WrH)
LBJ was a Luciferian, which means he was very much pro-captialist. The end-goal of capitalism has always been slavery--and the Luciferians have no problem sticking to their plan for thousands of years.
I'm not sure whether "sympathy vote" is the exact thing--I think it was something more nefarious. My recollection at the time--still in grade school--was that it was used to demonize the "right". The whole Camelot nonsense and evil Republicans attacking all that was good and pure and hopeful. Evil people. Pure evil. It's a phrase we're hearing a lot lately.
Thanks Mark for your thoughts on this - I remember sitting in my 4th grade classroom and how sad I was at President Kennedy's death. My family were the "unusual Republicans" in my Seattle neighborhood yet we, too, were hurt at his murder. Hence my perception of 'sympathy-vote'. I vaguely recall LBJ and congress easily becoming so 1-sided in the 1964 elections (tho' I believe the Congress was steadily Dem-again just my recollection). My sincerest appreciation for your MIH postings sir. (WrH)
The Texas Special Session dealing with School Choice shows the level of desire for change by a significant segment of the population, but the likely result will leave untold thousands of students in very poor schools.
It is time to take a big picture look at what an ideal public education system should look like. It should not look like the monopolized politicized mess it has become.
Instead of pouring money from a variety of sources into local monopolies and hoping for good results, the ideal system would be funded by a simple Educational Endowment bestowed on each individual student.
Provision of educational services should look like what the demonopolized telecommunications industry has become, large intensively competitive high tech providers. These providers would be competing to offer educational services that worked, and that parents and students wanted
This ideal system would protect its users from poor teaching performance. If a student failed to exhibit minimum educational achievement, payment would not be made. Instead, it would accrue in the student account, providing twice the amount the next year to the provider who could catch the student up.
Seriously underperforming students would accrue several years of catch-up funding, providing extra incentive for the type of personalized attention that would benefit them. Military veteran servicemen and women teaching small groups of students, developing personal relationships, can change lost kids into enthusiastic young adults.
The funds would remain in the student account indefinitely, allowing dropouts to get an education as age and experience created the desire. The endowment would also provide funding for prison schooling, attracting providers who would adapt to the requirements.
Home schoolers whose students exhibited the required achievement would be paid.
The Texas Education Agency has long experience in testing. It would manage the new endowment system, handling achievement testing and payout operations.
Special needs students would still receive extra funding but at an individual level.
Opening educational services to the free market would allow for practical job-related instruction, and college level courses, to be included as providers fought for market share.
Competition among educational providers would make full use of technology, would provide useful training for actual jobs, and would deliver far more education for the same money. Gamification would keep students involved in ways that existing K-12 material can't touch. The use of AI would allow the tracking of each bit of knowledge and understanding to be monitored at the individual student level and presented in various ways until understood.
The late 1970's in the United States was a time of surprising deregulation. It was the beginning of the end for the telephone monopolies. Those inside the regulated industries, and the regulatory agencies, warned of doom and disaster if competition were allowed. The doomsayers were wrong. The free market provided solutions that were impossible to forecast. Competition and the profit motive brought out the best that humans can create.
Communications solutions today are employing far more people than the old phone monopolies, and are delivering services never dreamed of in that era. The forecasts of disastrous unemployment and system collapse if the phone monopolies were opened to competition were totally and completely wrong.
K-12 is the phone monopoly of our time.
Excellent suggestions. There would be nothing to prevent the Chicago public schools, to choose a random example, from entering that market. Albeit briefly I would have thought.
1st you have to destroy the teachers unions.
My son is applying to graduate programs in biology. I was utterly dismayed to find out that almost no one is requiring the GRE (grad school equivalent of the ACT) for admission. I also hear the LSAT is no longer a thing for law school. A friend of mine tells me that courses at his son’s medical school are being taught pass/fail. We are quickly descending from mediocrity to sheer incompetence.
That's very disheartening. From personal experience, and excuse the humble brag, working hard for 30 weeks on a module that is graded pass/fail, when you can see that your final grade would be a distinction on most other modules, is a massive disincentive. If someone is excellent they deserve to be recognised as such. But... prizes for all etc.
The disregard for competence in favor of diversity is frightening because it lends credence to dark rumors that our rulers know that events are underway such that competence in provision of services to the masses will be... unnecessary. I can't give in to those dark rumors... but I'm not looking forward to more planes falling out of the sky, or loss of power and water.
True dat. Across the board.
Common Core was the educational platform advocated by "Low Energy/Please Clap" Jeb! Another bullet dodged.