From: justin@nx30.mik.uky.edu (justin sullivan)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,soc.culture.asian.america,alt.sex,soc.culture.usa,soc.culture.african.american,sci.electronics,misc.consumers,misc.education,misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Re: D O E S A M E R I C A S A Y Y E S T O J A P A N ?
Date: 13 Dec 92 04:39:32 GMT
    <1992Dec11.161723.12072@unocal.com> <Bz3ywK.I7@news.cso.uiuc.edu> 
    <1992Dec13.003642.11111@news.Hawaii.Edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: University Of Kentucky, Dept. of Math Sciences
X-Path: nx30.mik.uky.edu!justin

In <1992Dec13.003642.11111@news.Hawaii.Edu> gerard@caliban.soest.hawaii.edu (Gerard Fryer) writes:

>I think the answer to all three is a clear "No."  My daughter goes to
>one of the better (private) schools in the country (Punahou) and even
>there I would only very grudgingly accept that she is getting an
>adequate education (among other failings science could be much better
>taught and, of course, they stick to the idiotic layer-cake scheme for
>teaching science, just like everybody else). It is unnecessary to
>compare American schools to Japanese or to schools anywhere; the
>product of the public school system is quite simply of inadequate
>quality, as any employer can verify.

I'm not sure if my city (Lexington, KY) is any different from other places,
BUT.. The school tax here was raised to something like 4.5% (and sales tax
was raised to 6%). There's supposedly this big thing about 'education
reform,' which is important here because most of Kentucky is (as you have
probably heard) full of stupid hillbillies. They're nice people, but
not very bright..

Anyway, about two years ago, Dunbar High was finished. It was built at a cost
of about $25 million.. Quite a bit of money for a high school in a city with
only about 250,000 people. It is (needless to say), nothing short of a palace.
It was supposed to be a 'magnet' school to attract students with high
aptitudes in science and technology. What it attracts is most of the 
wealthier districts in the county. 

I spent a year at Henry Clay, which is also in a wealthy area, but since
redistricting, it has become a battleground.. I hear now (and there was
a bit on it in the newspaper once upon a time) that the blacks rule half
of the school, and the wealthy white kids have the other half, and no one
will dare to cross the 'lines.' That certainly doesn't help 'education
reform.'

"Education reform' in Kentucky has come to mean that in Elementary (that's
all I've heard much about.. I know that no one WANTED to give *ME* an
education in grades one through six, and I probably wouldn't be able to
count my toes if I didn't switch to Community Montessori from grades four
through six).. Oops. :) Anyway, I hear that a teacher can only give three
grades: Excellent, Very Satisfactory and Satisfactory (or something like
that). They cannot reprimand a student or correct them in front of the 
class. Sounds kind of strange, doesn't it? If anything though, I think it
will produce better students. Not smarter kids, but better students with higher
self-esteem. It's a lot more important then most people seem to think..

Lexington is very elitist town.. You have your privileged class (of course)
who get everything, and you have the rest of the people who can't expect
a stop sign at an intersection where a dozen near-fatal accidents occur 
every year. Us privileged people get to go to the 'better' public schools,
which aren't so bad (to be honest), we get our streets swept, our garbage
picked up more often, much better police protection, etc. To hell with
everyone else, I suppose..

Money only seems to go to schools in wealthy districts, and the better
teachers only teach at these schools. The only worthwhile education you
can get is at a private school.. I spent two years at Culver Academy in
Indiana <ick>. This is probably the finest prep school in the United States,
and small wonder.. The tuition is higher then most private colleges and on
par with what your average Ivy League school charges: About $24,000 a year.
900 students and something on the order of $100 million to spend on them.
Only for America's upper-class, and only for people they like. There are
a few important criteria for being accepted: You must have money and
you must behave like it. Grades are not important.. The very fact that you
went there assures you a place at an ivy league school.

The cycle gets very tiring very quickly. I go away to school only to find
that it's worse in other places. The education was far superior to anything
I could have expected here. It was VERY difficult. No boring old rigamoral
at Culver.. NO SIR! But is it a matter of (as someone mentioned) lazy
students or flawed management and/or thinking? Culver has plenty of money,
and with it, they provide a very find atmosphere that is more then conducive
to your studies. Fayette County schools also have lots of money (they never
seem to be able to get enough), but it's caught between prodiving for the 
upper class and providing for the other 'lazy bums who just don't care 
about their future,' (according to one administrator) I wonder why..
Could it just be that rich people have it made? Is it just that the system
is ready to collapse upon itself? Is it because they put more emphasis on
doing what you're told? Is it because of prejudice? 

Who can say? It's a very intriguing topic, especially since I've found
college to be worse. Now I have to teach MYSELF everything.. <sigh>
Blacks in one hall, whites in the other? Or: "Well-behaved kid = smart"
and "Ill-mannered punk = stupid waste of time" The system does not favor
kids who do not come from 'good' environments. You don't want to learn?
Good.. They weren't about to try anyway.
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