Social Sense
I hope everyone who read Mustang's comments above noted the amount of money spent on athletics vice academics. On Friday nights, across America, the stands are filled with kids and parents (well, lots of kids and more parents than show up for PTO/PTA meetings). Why? How many kids (I am loath to use the word "students" or "learners") are going to earn a living playing professional sports?
Mustang (and I) served in the Marines...for decades (don't ask how many) and we know the value of physical fitness. I am not denigrating sports in high school (sure I am)...what I mean is, how many kids benefit from high priced coaches, high priced stadiums and all the razzle dazzle? How many boys and girls are made to feel not so good about themselves because they are not on any teams, cheer-leading squads, etc?
America needs PT for everyone and academics for everyone. Those who cannot, or will not get with the program ought be censured not hidden and then lied about as they are kinda-sorta sleath
like, slide grade by grade towards the stage and high school graduation...which is less than a dubious achievement for most.
I hope that throws some proverbial gasoline on this issue.
I will now go grade exams and papers from community college "students", who mostly have less knowledge about history than either Mustang or I, when we were in the 6th grade. With few exceptions the knowledge base just doesn't exist, further, most have no real understanding on how to really go after knowledge nor why it is important in their lives.
Don't believe me? Ask the next ten high school seniors how many u.s. senators there are. How may branches there are to our federal government. What is the Industrial Revolution. Where, exactly are: France, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, Japan, Afghanistan, or the Hawaiian Islands. Why was Saratoga important? How about Gettysburg? Midway? Bastogne?
Sigh.
Mustang,
Are we in sync, or something? Just a few minutes ago, before I visited this particular posting of yours, I again posted on the condition of our nation's system of education. Something I saw on 60 Minutes last week prompted my latest posting. What I just posted reflects the disaster of "bubble wrapping" children so that they never experience a blow to their self-esteem.
IMO, education has, for decades, been too much about grooming self-esteem. You probably already know that I am not that kind of teacher. As any of my students! 
students in Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan scored better than America’s highest performing states
Interestingly enough, one of the article I used today mentioned Korean students--first crack out of the barrel.
Having worked with many students from all the above countries, I can testify as how most of them are success-oriented, particularly with regard to academics and particularly if their parents were immigrants. IMO, one reason that admission to universities is becoming ever more competitive is the presence of these Asian-immigrant students. They have drive and, to coin the cliche, are striving "to be all" they can be. They are also not spoiled, as are many American students.
I believe that if local taxpayers knew what a disaster their local school systems are there might well be a revolt. Considering that we live is such a litigious society, I wonder if we'll start seeing law suits for malpractice of education.
AOW,
I am not for cloning...tis' a pity we've not a million teachers just like you.
Respectfully,
Tad,
Thank you.
Guess that I'm a bit of a hardass in the classroom. Oh, well.
AOW,
THOSE are THE Best Kind!
We are in a late in the "fall offensive" in terms of pushing students. Of course I told one student as opposed to Operation Barbarossa, I'm packing winter gear. He looked at me with the usual "he's lost it."
Our system is poltically correct, I interject opposing views and make radical, or polemically honest, statements to keep my students open minded.
But after Thanksgiving break, we start my infamous quizzes of members of the three branches.
In other words, we are trying in the middle school level
I'm not a teacher so I can't really enter into the "teacher" discussion here, except to say we need more "real" teachers and less politically-motivated ones.
Love the cartoon. I snagged it from someone else this morning for this coming week's Fractured Friday. 
obob,
Ask the next 100 people you meet about Operation Barbarossa and they will not know what you're talking about.
I was lecturing on Hitler's march into Russia and what went wrong and a student actually raised his hand and stated: "Didn't the French do the same stupid thing circa 1812?". I was astounded. This, has only happened once in my life and I suspect it will NEVER happen again.
I know they are NOT exactly the same thing, but the fact a student would know and draw some parallels was...shocking.
I also attempt to point our the avenue of approach for the mass of the German Army in 1914 (through Belgium - despite Belgium's neutrality) and how the same damn route was used in 1940, again despite Belgium's neutrality. Will people never learn? Note: All the millions of francs spent on the Maginot Line did not COMPLETELY go to waste....the French now, I've read, grow mushrooms in the dank bunkers.
OK, children, no go back to your "music", OJ, B. Spears, Dancing with the Stars and other really important stuff.
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