I heard about this (I wasn't watching) on CBS news yesterday and I thought it was a very interesting and important news story.
Commentary: Let's stop waiting for Superman to fix our schools
By Mike Honda
Posted: 09/23/2010 08:01:03 PM PDT
Updated: 09/23/2010 08:01:04 PM PDT
Recently, I attended the American premiere of Waiting for Superman, the new film by director David Guggenheim that rightly addresses the crisis in our nation's public education system. Guggenheim, who also directed An Inconvenient Truth, hopes that Superman will ***** America to confront another inconvenient truth--that the fundamental right to an equal, quality education is not realized by every ***** in our great nation.
As a former teacher, principal and board member in California's economically and racially diverse neighborhoods, I know all too well how prevalent inequity is in our education system.
Superman illuminates well the dysfunction in our education system. The film asks us to consider how our educational system is preparing our young to excel globally. On reading, math and science, among 15-year-olds we fail even to rank in the world's top dozen. Canada, our neighbor to the north, is doing a bang-up job with their young, ranking third in science, fourth in reading and sixth in math. Or take Finland, consistently the world's top performer, ranking first in math and science and second in reading.
The economic impact of our poor performance is clear: Had we improved achievement, our 2008 GDP would have increased by $1.3 trillion to 2.3 trillion, according to a 2009 study by the McKinsey & Company consulting firm.
cont at the Premium Link Upgrade
I'm not American but I'm very interested to know the opinion of those that have first hand knowledge of America's public education system and I particularly welcome the views of any teachers on the board.
Commentary: Let's stop waiting for Superman to fix our schools
By Mike Honda
Posted: 09/23/2010 08:01:03 PM PDT
Updated: 09/23/2010 08:01:04 PM PDT
Recently, I attended the American premiere of Waiting for Superman, the new film by director David Guggenheim that rightly addresses the crisis in our nation's public education system. Guggenheim, who also directed An Inconvenient Truth, hopes that Superman will ***** America to confront another inconvenient truth--that the fundamental right to an equal, quality education is not realized by every ***** in our great nation.
As a former teacher, principal and board member in California's economically and racially diverse neighborhoods, I know all too well how prevalent inequity is in our education system.
Superman illuminates well the dysfunction in our education system. The film asks us to consider how our educational system is preparing our young to excel globally. On reading, math and science, among 15-year-olds we fail even to rank in the world's top dozen. Canada, our neighbor to the north, is doing a bang-up job with their young, ranking third in science, fourth in reading and sixth in math. Or take Finland, consistently the world's top performer, ranking first in math and science and second in reading.
The economic impact of our poor performance is clear: Had we improved achievement, our 2008 GDP would have increased by $1.3 trillion to 2.3 trillion, according to a 2009 study by the McKinsey & Company consulting firm.
cont at the Premium Link Upgrade
I'm not American but I'm very interested to know the opinion of those that have first hand knowledge of America's public education system and I particularly welcome the views of any teachers on the board.
