| American education has to become more competitive | | | | that." "If the (Education and Human Resources) EHR |
| yesterday.As published in Discover Magazine, January | | | | budget stays flat, there's no hope of accomplishing |
| 2006: | | | | what corporate America says is needed to improve |
| The performance of U.S. students in middle and high | | | | the U.S. workforce," |
| schools on international math and science exams is | | | | In his Sate of the union Address on January 31, 2006 |
| below the average of 38 other countries. Even | | | | President Bush Stated: |
| advanced American math and physics students score | | | | "And to keep America competitive, one commitment |
| near dead last among students in 20 tested | | | | is necessary above all: We must continue to lead the |
| countries, the panel reported. Since 1990 the number | | | | world in human talent and creativity. Our greatest |
| of bachelor's degrees in engineering has declined 8 | | | | advantage in the world has always been our |
| percent; in mathematics, 20 percent. While 32 | | | | educated, hardworking, ambitious people -- and we're |
| percent of U.S. students graduate with degrees in | | | | going to keep that edge. Tonight I announce an |
| science and engineering, the figure in China is 59 | | | | American Competitiveness Initiative, to encourage |
| percent. | | | | innovation throughout our economy, and to give our |
| With the American economy so dependent on oil and | | | | nation's children a firm grounding in math and science." |
| oil related products it is absolutely imperative that | | | | However, on February 27, 2006 President Bush |
| America stop lagging behind in education and take the | | | | comes out and announces his plans for the budget: |
| lead once again. | | | | (Washington Post By Mike Allen and Peter Baker 02 |
| With countries in the Middle East like Qatar having | | | | 07/06) |
| vast oil and natural gas deposits making a huge | | | | "President Bush plans to unveil a $2.5 trillion budget |
| effort today to start the transition of their economy | | | | today eliminating dozens of politically sensitive |
| from an oil based one to a knowledge based | | | | domestic programs, including funding for education, |
| economy should be a significant warning sign to the | | | | environmental protection and business development, |
| United States. These people have some of the | | | | while proposing significant increases for the military |
| largest oil reserves in the world and they are | | | | and international spending, according to White House |
| aggressively planning for an economy not based on | | | | documents." |
| oil. | | | | These problems that are highlighted above are at the |
| As was stated in April 7, 2006 issue of the journal | | | | heart of the problem. |
| Science "This small Persian Gulf emirate is preparing | | | | Now get into the "No child Left Behind" program |
| for life after oil and gas by pouring wealth into | | | | which has altered public education and forced it into a |
| education and research" | | | | rote learning model by demanding testing |
| For example: | | | | performance at the sacrifice of building critical thinking |
| In Education City in Qatar the RAND-Qatar Policy | | | | skills. |
| Institute has helped Qatar to make tremendous | | | | According to Wikipedia Rote Learning is defined as: a |
| changes in the country's educational institutions. And | | | | learning technique which avoids grasping the inner |
| Qatar Science and Technology Park will be an | | | | complexities and inferences of the subject that is |
| incubator where private companies can partner with | | | | being learned and instead focuses on memorizing the |
| government agencies and academic institutions, | | | | material so that it can be recalled by the learner |
| developing research into commercial applications and | | | | exactly the way it was read or heard. In other |
| driving Qatar and the region toward a diversified, | | | | words, it also means learning just for the test. |
| knowledge-based economy. | | | | For a Texas school to achieve the academic |
| What American Institutions are participating? | | | | acceptable rating (the lowest passing standard) |
| Prominent signs indicate the presence of educational | | | | According to the TEA's own 2005 Accountability |
| heavyweights, including Weill Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, | | | | Manual: |
| Georgetown, and Texas A&M. | | | | Schools must have passing rates of: |
| It is also noted in the journal Science that "Qatar's | | | | 50% percent in Reading Tests |
| primary and secondary schools, which have begun to | | | | 50% in Writing Tests |
| dispense with traditional rote learning, Al-Hajari | | | | 50% in Social Studies |
| reports, replacing it with curricula designed to | | | | 35% percent in Math tests |
| stimulate creative and independent thinking. And it | | | | 25% percent in Science tests |
| extends to Qatar University, which was founded in | | | | The aspects of learning that involved critical thinking |
| 1977 and is independent of Education City." | | | | and questioning what is being taught are dieing on the |
| Why should we as Americans worry about Qatar? | | | | vine so that we reflect an acceptable passing rating |
| The fact is that America is ranked 39th world wide in | | | | as defined by the TAKS test standards for Texas. |
| math and science education. Consider that Texas | | | | I find it horrifying that such low standards are |
| was just ranked, as a state, 24th in a country that | | | | required of students to pass the TAKS test in order |
| was just placed as 39th. | | | | to get an academically acceptable rating for the |
| Countries like Qatar, Singapore, China & India are | | | | entire school. |
| readily getting some of the best researchers that | | | | No single student would be allowed to pass a single |
| have been educated and trained in America to | | | | test with a 60%, 40% or 35% grade. The |
| relocate to their countries. | | | | Government is telling us Schools are getting better |
| For example the Journal Science Reports that: | | | | and more schools are meeting the acceptable rating |
| Texas A&M is setting up joint research with the | | | | than they were two years ago. The only reason that |
| oil industry and studies related to clean air, while Weill | | | | is true is because they have lowered the standard |
| Cornell will concentrate on biomedical projects | | | | and created loop holes that specifically allow for test |
| relevant to local health problems. (Diabetes Research) | | | | scores of minorities to be excluded in the reporting. |
| To accelerate the process, (Qatar) plans to bring | | | | Our schools are being forced onto a path of |
| interested scientists from Weill Cornell's New York | | | | intentional failure by placing the appearance of |
| base and recruit postdocs. For his part, (Qatar) hopes | | | | demands and accountability without funding. The |
| to lure back expatriate Arab scientists currently | | | | current administration in Washington and our |
| flourishing in the West. "Many diaspora researchers | | | | representatives across the United States all talk |
| are interested in going back if the infrastructure is | | | | about how important education is but their actions of |
| there," says Hassan. To capitalize on the research, | | | | undermining those initiatives by cutting the money |
| the Qatar Foundation is building the Qatar Science | | | | out of education only speak to their real agenda of |
| and Technology Park right next door to Education | | | | forcing public education to fail so that they can |
| City. | | | | privatize education. |
| Already, big players in industrial R&D, including | | | | This agenda is being achieved at the sacrifice of this |
| GE, Microsoft, and ExxonMobil, have signed up and | | | | generation of children that are in school today. The |
| are waiting to move in. | | | | damage that is being done will take decades to repair. |
| What is happening? Foreigners are coming to America | | | | Our economy will suffer and the quality of life for |
| and getting education and training and then exporting | | | | your children might actually be less than yours for the |
| that knowledge and experience out of the country. | | | | first time in American history. |
| American researchers and educators are leaving | | | | As a nation we need to stop wasting time with |
| America to be able to do the research that they are | | | | foolish projects like School Vouchers and we need to |
| either denied or do not have funding for in the United | | | | stop spending money and resources on trying to get |
| States. | | | | intelligent design into science classes. These |
| The drain is affecting the quality of education and | | | | distractions only drain valuable resources and time |
| research in America. | | | | from the educational system while exasperating the |
| America is loosing it's competitive edge in a global | | | | problems at the expense of the education of our |
| economy in the area of research to product | | | | children. We need to fix the problems - not create |
| development. | | | | new ones. |
| The quality of educational facilities in the United | | | | We need: |
| States is falling below that of the competitive | | | | To hold elected officials accountable for sacrificing |
| countries, as are the salaries and benefits which lure | | | | education. |
| our leading researchers away. | | | | Better pay for teachers. |
| These well funded research facilities are in countries | | | | More Teachers. |
| that do not hold back development and research in | | | | Better resources for education. |
| controversial areas like Stem Cell Research. In fact | | | | Properly fund "No child Left behind" |
| they encourage it and fund it. These countries are | | | | Modify "No Child Left Behind" to promote critical |
| leaving the United States behind and will reap the | | | | thinking. |
| financial rewards and the health benefits of such | | | | Abandon the method of Rote Learning. |
| research before the United States. They will | | | | Increase funding for "Head Start". |
| generate jobs and wealth. The Unite States will just | | | | More involvement of higher learning institutions |
| lose. | | | | through the entire educational life of a child. |
| In an article from February 24, 2006 in the Journal | | | | To spend more money on students per year than |
| Science: | | | | we do on prison inmates. ($13,000 per prisoner vs. |
| "At an elite science high school in Dallas, Texas, | | | | $6,000 per student) |
| President George W. Bush told the assembled | | | | Stimulate more research in higher education. |
| students that the United States "needs a workforce | | | | Open up Stem Cell research and other programs to |
| strong in engineering and science and physics" to | | | | lure the leading minds. |
| remain the world's top economic power. His words | | | | Restore incentives to bring the brightest and most |
| would seem to bode well for precollege activities | | | | talented researchers to America. |
| funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the | | | | To be number 1 in education world wide. |
| only federal agency with an explicit mission to | | | | For Texas to lead the United States in education as |
| improve science and math education. But 3 days | | | | well. |
| later, the president unveiled a 2007 budget request | | | | I can think of no greater investment for our future |
| that would cut--for the third straight year--a | | | | than our children and their education. |
| 4-year-old program at NSF aimed at doing exactly | | | | |