Thursday, September 14, 2006
An Unjustified Excuse
In responding to criticism of the public education system, the mindset of the Pennsylvania’s education establishment has been revealed. When posed with the fact that students in private schools often out perform those in public schools, the response is that public schools must teach all students, “not just the cream of the crop”.
This defense is an insult to those in the public school system, especially to those parents and students who do take an active interest in their education and strive for success. The implication is that those attending the public school system are not as bright as those in private schools and teachers are doing the best they can despite inferior students. This attitude is very condescending, but also indicative of the mind set of public school apologists.
The same attitude is revealed when confronted with SAT scores. When Pennsylvania’s scores fail to measure up to another state, the excuse is that a higher percentage of Pennsylvania students take the exam, thus resulting in lower scores. Again this is insulting to those who take the exam. The SAT exam is for those wanting to enter college and it’s a good thing that so many of Pennsylvania’s students aspire to higher education. But the low scores indicate that they have not been well prepared by the current system.
Other states with high percentages of students taking the test score higher than Pennsylvania’s students, so that excuse doesn’t wash. Nearly all Northeastern states have higher percentage participation rates than does Pennsylvania. The state with the highest percentage of students taking the test is Connecticut (1028), followed by New Jersey (1007), Massachusetts (1034), and then New York (1003)—each with more than 80 percent participation rate. All have scored higher than Pennsylvania (993) with a slightly more than 70 percent participation rate. What new excuses will the apologists come up with next?
This defense is an insult to those in the public school system, especially to those parents and students who do take an active interest in their education and strive for success. The implication is that those attending the public school system are not as bright as those in private schools and teachers are doing the best they can despite inferior students. This attitude is very condescending, but also indicative of the mind set of public school apologists.
The same attitude is revealed when confronted with SAT scores. When Pennsylvania’s scores fail to measure up to another state, the excuse is that a higher percentage of Pennsylvania students take the exam, thus resulting in lower scores. Again this is insulting to those who take the exam. The SAT exam is for those wanting to enter college and it’s a good thing that so many of Pennsylvania’s students aspire to higher education. But the low scores indicate that they have not been well prepared by the current system.
Other states with high percentages of students taking the test score higher than Pennsylvania’s students, so that excuse doesn’t wash. Nearly all Northeastern states have higher percentage participation rates than does Pennsylvania. The state with the highest percentage of students taking the test is Connecticut (1028), followed by New Jersey (1007), Massachusetts (1034), and then New York (1003)—each with more than 80 percent participation rate. All have scored higher than Pennsylvania (993) with a slightly more than 70 percent participation rate. What new excuses will the apologists come up with next?
