Surprise - apparently 90% of the supposedly intelligent do not understand that high school encompasses both the north and south slopes of the bell curve.

This is really dumb of them.

Surprise, the American education system is sub-par and neglected, and one of the reasons why we will wake up second in the years to come.

No surprise at all...US High School and most College students already are far behind in understanding math, science, history and even plain ENGLISH; The US is ripe for a fall just as ALL the other powerful empires have in HISTORY.

Who needs Al qeada...we'll just destroy ourselves with stupidity.

The government wants the American people to spend and not save.

How any high schools even teach economics?! Not many. They teach courses that are totally unusable in the real world. I'm a retired high school teacher.

Surpirsed are you? Economics..the trickle down effect..George Bush dumbest president to date trickling down to the dumbest kids to date. Economics to them is defined as how they are to use mom and dads credit cards and the ATM machine. We dont need to make learning more interesting, we need to

There is no countrywide assessment of all high schoolers math skills. Further, grades are faked. So students think their skills are better than they really are.
So, what should you expect?

This is no Surprise---I've been saying this for years. I bring it up at schools, with teachers. The school board doesn't care. Why cause they say that they can not get the students to learn what they are being taught now. Who needs Algebra? Teach these kids how to balance a check book, how credit cards work. Then maybe they might get interested in learning something.

A Teacher is a difficult career. Not many people can really teach a group of people. Personally, I think that all teachers should have a 4 year degree in teaching. Not just a degree in anything. Imagine your doctor having a just a degree in biology. Would that work for you if you were having a heart attack.

Maybe each of the choices should have been worded similarly to choice. i.e
B. Increase to revenues; decrease to expenditures
C. Decrease to revenues; increase in expenditures
D. No change to revenues; decrease in expenditures

When you play with the layout of the answer choices, there is more opportunity to read more into the responses then what is necessary to test the knowledge. Do you want to test the knowledge or play with words to see if they can figure out what is meant in the answers?

Maybe each of the choices should have been worded similarly to choice A. i.e
B. Increase to revenues; decrease to expenditures
C. Decrease to revenues; increase in expenditures
D. No change to revenues; decrease in expenditures
When you play with the layout of the answer choices,
there is more opportunity to read more into the responses then what is necessary to test the knowledge. Do you want to test the knowledge or play with words to see if they can figure out what is
meant in the answers?

It's the decline of the American empire! I also read that over 75% of our high schoolers could not name both countries abutting the USA to our north and south! They know sports and entertainment, but nothing useful and supportive of our future security as a nation.

Scandal, Drama, Lies, and other very interesting information:
http://www.fakebuddy.com/

Throw out the calculators,and teach each kid the basics the old fashion way,pencil & paper; this will liven up their minds.Kids have relied on machines for the answers too long.

Look what we have teaching. Our Schools are hotbeds of liberal activism on the part of the teachers and their unions, who, if they got their way, would implement an economy like the old Soviet Union.

A good education starts at home, and the parents of my generation didn't CARE about education. I was one of those mouthy, nerdy girls who yelled at her fellow students for not shutting up when class started. I was one of those irritating nerdy girls who thought calculus was dead easy, and didn't see why Dickens or Shakespeare were difficult to read. I even told my high school principal that I was going to get a decent education regardless of whatever impediments he put in my way. And I did.

But my blue-collar fellow students didn't care about academics or studying--they just wanted to graduate, get a job and get a car. And that's what they did, passing on their own attitudes about education to the kids now leaving high school and starting college. They spawned an entire generation of illiterate slackers.

I don't have any sympathy for the kids or their parents. They are the only ones to blame for the current failures of our educational system.

Economics is taught at most schools one semester. Not enough. It should be taught in two semesters

i just finished high school and i could not understand algbra or (spell it) it wasent till i got into spechell Ed. that I learnd math i can use like balanceing a check book.

why can't the kids with out the disabilties learn this stuff to? it might help them a lot

In reply to Comment #14 by Lisa - I totally disagree -- You have unwittingly labeled "blue collar" parents/their ilk, as people who did not care nor want neither a good education nor the want of learning! How old are you? I'm 44, and I can positively assure you that MY Blue Collar Father and HS Grad Mother taught all of their children the VALUE of a good education - of course, during my tenure attending school (68' - 80'), I received a much more quality and high expectation education than my own children barely receive in today's world. And regarding the "Parents" -- My father came from the south, growing up w/10 siblings in a small shack, picking 'bowls of cotton', and left school after the 6th grade -- but he was smarter than most college grads of his time and those that followed, simply by his diligence in learning all, reading everything (newspapers, non-fiction, bio's, history, etc., he would watch Jeopardy when he was lay-off (he was a Cement Mason/Foreman)and could answer approx. 89% of the question/answer material - no matter the subject! My Mother was brought up by my grandmother, who was an Elementary School Teacher, and my Other Mom (do not believe in "steps or half relatives), and her parents both graduated from Wheaton College, and I learned how to speak properly, appropriately and how to learn and utilize "big words" (though over 100 yrs ago - they were common tongue), as well as the benefits of learning more when picking up a dictionary, encyclopedia, or any other study material needed for whatever assignment by reading more than what I needed to look up! Shame On You! Today's society are so quick and find it easy to blame the "parents" for the youth of today's fundamental, academic, character building abilities, failing to realize that, despite how much a parent try's (daily for me) to instill all the valuable fundamentals I learned from both my parents and my teachers, the "Follow-Through" now-a-days in the school system is simply not there anymore -- Our Children spend three quarters of each year (grades K-12) AT SCHOOL! If anything, what the schools have done to the last couple of generations is a great disservice to both student and parent alike. There was NO DISRESPECT, POOR GRAMMAR, OUTWARD (in front of adults) BULLYING, FOUL THREATS to TEACHERS, etc., back in the day. It simply was not tolerated, and consequence's were feared, and not trifled with. "Going/Being sent to the Principle's Office was a dreaded thing, because the parent's WERE ALWAYS MADE IMMEDIATELY AWARE AND INVOLVED! (I will not say that back then there were not the 'ignorant parents' that seem to run rampant today - the "My Little Johnny/Jane" could never, did not do that, I will Sue, etc.) -- But WHY oh WHY has the school system catered too those "few", and blew it all away. My children picked up more bad habit's, insensitivity, disrespect, immorality since they started their 'public' education, that even though I'm thought to be a "droning nag', continually doing my utmost to teach them right from wrong, virtue, morals, proper speech/vocabulary, RESPECT not only for their Elders, but EVERYONE, I receive NO BACK-UP/FOLLOW-THROUGH at the school level. (this has been a continuing thing - I have four kids, (21, 17, 16 & 14), and ALL those things - basic's in vocabulary, reading, writing, speech, morality, virtue, honesty, always do your best - even if it's the most hated thing they would ever have to do - ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST, Admit to Mistakes, and Fix Them, Respect etc., I could go on and on -- BUT NONE but maybe three to five teachers out all of they're schooling years actually had the gonads to do/be like the teachers of lore - actually CARE about each and every student, tracking their progress, working hard for they're success (the student's), and even bucking heads w/their administrations for what is best for those kids.
So how old are you Lisa, what is your background? I am just a HS grad; with Military experience/training in both the administrative/supply fields as well as the most important training/lessons learned growing up - FROM MY PARENTS! This to the point that when my Learning Disabled Daughter (eldest) was so mistreated by the Public School System, which failed to tell me of her struggles (though I repeatedly spoke, wrote notes, regarding my concerns w/some of my daughter's academic struggles - I was always put off - UNTIL I Made My Request for a Full Comprehensive Evaluation - which the Teacher said 'she did not think it necessary-that my kid had 'behavior' issues-then finally having the nerve to tell me a year and half later all the abuse (from classmates) nor did she think it necessary to tell me of the constant abuse and struggles my daughter was going through, (when I inquired their lack of being forthcoming at w/each occurrence) - she stated "Our Policy both here at the school and the District- is to take care of it in-house", when I inquired regarding consequences for the offenders of heinous acts - she stated "that it was none of my concern, that I would not be privy to names, parent names nor the consequence". So This HS Grad, w/military bkgrnd, proper upbringing, etc., did (and still do) what I best -- I self-educated myself (another very much appreciated item I was taught and learned from my Jr. High Drop-out, Korean Vet, Hard-Working 'Blue Collar' Dad) -- esp., after the school did illegal ADD/ADHD/Behavioral/Sociological Testing (w/out my permission or participation/knowledge) then doing their all to "Force Feed me that my daughter was a ADHD, Behavior Disorder kid". After two months of research, as well as obtaining a copy of both State and Federal Regulation's regarding LD's, IEP's, 504 Plans etc., I ticked them off the 1st time by stating/quoting MY RIGHT, and Their Lack of right to refuse, my Request for a Full Comp Eval, then after receiving the 'stellar' results (they included raw subtest scores - as required by law - but it was their downfall), Though my daughter "tested" in the High Average/Near Superior IQ range, which they though would make me drop it - NOPE! I wrote them a 28 page dissertation tearing apart their testing (I did pay a outside psychologist to go over and explain the results), that "though try as they might to try to convince me that any child with that level of IQ "NEVER" has LD's", they realized that this non college educated individual (me), knew more about all that than them, as well as the laws -- I have Never seen so many ticked-off "professional's" in my life, despite the fact that they were doing their best to intimidate, malign and divert, so that they would not have to do their jobs. So far in as much that after my dissertation, I made my official request for another FULL EVAL w/outside tester - and to prove the ignorance of both the school/district @ that time, they thought that "they would be re-doing" it - NOPE - that's a no-no according to State& Fed Regs., and that a Highly Professional (to which I could hand pick myself, by right) Get's the honors. I even had brought a copy of those Regulations with to that meeting, and offered them to view, as well as quoting from those regs. - that "I" would pick the evaluator, THEY HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL & THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH HIS RECCOMENDATIONS! And I was right, my near genius/high IQ daughter has (to this day) severe LD's that affect both her ability to learn, maintain, perceive as well as the lack of ability to be able to "apply" all that High IQ (mean - Verbal/Performance scores combined = IQ) she has in her brain, nor do they realize, that despite my telling them, that "dumbing down" her studies, WAS NOT what she needed - that she would take further than a mile - due to her LD's - and that it would be detrimental to her overall education and well-being - to which they stated ""They" knew better than I, what my daughter needed, how she would deal, be capable of etc." Well, in the end, it is very sad to say, that I was right, they ruined what started out to be a smart eager to learn (though having difficulties in many areas of comprehension Young girl, and turned her into a bitter, unwilling participant. In fact, the first teacher (after my "real & proper" Case Study was complete/and recommendations set forth (which the school/district decided not to follow) This Teacher, who "had" tenure, wanted to all she could to learn more and assist my child so that she could succeed, (she saw the effect(s) of the 'district's/plan/strategies' were doing to my child -- and then two month later - then School Principle/School District Administrator's saw fit to give this Wonderful Teacher an ultimatum "resign or your fired". I hope my letter of Recognition/Appreciation of her talent's as both a Caring Teacher Always Concerned for Her Student's Best Interest's, as Well as Her Willingness to LEARN MORE to Aide those Student's in need -- helped her find another position whereby those that she would teach would/will flourish.

Yes, I agree, there are many parent's (though I DO NOT the Majority) out there today (years ago, and years to come), that really do not give a damn. Nevertheless, to label it to "Blue Collar" (lower/middle class income families) is an OUTRIGHT INJUSTICE! Get your Fact's straight!

Off my Soap-Box now, my 'dissertation' is complete . . . I apologize for the "rambling effect" . . . though I myself suffer from ADD (not hyper - brain goes faster/many thoughts going at once), as well as FMS, Thyroid problems have been fogging my once very retentive brain cells, and my ability to write an excellent letter (like this - but not 'all over the place-rambling - lol). But I am a survivor, and I'm happy to say, that ALL that my parents have taught/handed down to me, are gratefully branded in my brain, and to my children's (to what they may think) misfortune, I will continue, to the best of my ability to instill in them all those ideals of Respect, Honesty, Valor, Virtue, Hard-Working, Always Do Your Best, Be Willing to Admit to Mistakes, and Willing to Fix Them, to take pride (not vanity) in KNOWING that THEY DID DO THEIR BEST!

Feel free to contact me (anyone) regarding this - though it may be a while before I get back to you, due to health. Sincerely, Mary :) John 14:1-7