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You might have heard the dirge of depressing education statistics: The United States has dropped from first to 18th place in high school graduation rates among developed nations. First to 14th in college graduation rates. First to 35th in math. First to 29th in science. First to 32nd in reading. Oh and 30 percent of our kids -- much higher among poor and minority children -- aren't graduating from high school during a time when a college degree is increasingly required to earn a living above the poverty line. And we spend more per student than any of the countries that are beating us.
Many of our schools are literally and figuratively crumbling. They aren't providing American children with the quality education that is the fundamental right of every citizen.
So what do we do? Give up? Move to Finland (#1 across the board)? Canada (#2 in reading and science)? Shrug our shoulders and blame the kids and their parents? No, we can't afford to do that. Ensuring that ALL American children can access a quality education is the civil rights issue of our time. We cannot stand idly by and allow this institutionalized inequality to continue.
Please read the rest at The Huffington Post.
Those are surprisingly strong words from a man I think of as "wanting the green light," because he's "ready to go right now." But in all seriousness, referring to access to quality education as "the civil rights issue of our time" is truly a universal call to action. Many groups of people and movements have tried to take up the mantle of the black civil rights movement, and rightly so. When African Americans first marched for fair treatment, this was an unheard of act that yielded results. Today, in our culture of apathy and political resignation, groups of people who are not being served by society look to our civil rights history for inspiration about how to politically move forward.
So John -- thank you for your call to action. As a celebrity, you are using your power wisely to draw attention to an important issue. The question remains if and how Americans will take in this messages of required social agitation. The young people being most affected by the horrible state of the education system might take in Legend's message and protest for what they deserve. Perhaps it will be their parents that instigate for what is right.
But one thing is clear. If people do not act on the grass roots level, as the original African American, white, Jewish and other civil rights activists did, nothing will change. Then, not only will children miss out on the education they deserve -- America will also fall prey to the reality that other nations are much better at preparing their kids. Dozens of nations are setting up their future work force well -- not only to work, but also to create and innovate economically and technologically.
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Thus, whether we as Americans take on the civil rights cause of education will have lasting financial effects on our society for decades to come. America used to dominate economically. Now we are seeing a leveling playing field. Soon, we might be asking if we can even keep up with the rest of the world -- unless people take action now to improve America's schools.
Comments: (5)
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By: ARNEADER on 10/11/2010 3:35PM
ABSOLUTE! We got to stop whining and pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps! Come on everybody!
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By: Michael Washington on 10/11/2010 8:03PM
There are many reasons why the American education system is falling apart. One reason is it's not an edducational system that strives for truth. And without truth, there can be no justice and thus, no peace. America has led the world since the end of WW II. More poverty is what the southern world has received from her. The hypocrisy is completely out of control and she is morally bankrupt (MLK-1964). The education system is economically driven by the greed of corporate America who owns the collaeges and universities. They are some of the most corrupt people on the face of the earth and educated in America. The so-called educated fools have put the world on a collision course with nature as well as all mankind. The educated leaders of Washington D.C. are a sad product of the education system of America. They have never gotten over their founding fathers great call for freedom. But America often gets freedom mixed up with money (capitalism/slavery). Are they the same?
In America, yes. Now the spirit of greed has grown from then to the greed we see today. Ask the corporate America's CEOs and the stock market.
Slave labor shall always be with us as long as the educated fools are in charge. God has got to come into the picture somewhere. The schools are a failure because they have forsaken the wisdom of God. They teach facts that do not lead to truth. They only tell one side of the story which becomes one's truth over a period of time. A person must hear both sides of the story to arrive at truth and thus, justice. If not, prejudice and fear is what you get in society. All the schools in America need to teach 12 step AA program as the high school exit exam. All students must pass to graduate. They know X's and O's but they are severelly lacking in common sense and nature. Education is basically for the worker. The worker is now required to pay for his/her training. The owners shall then hire the worker to work for him. The owners are not necessarily those who graduate from college. There are few Dr. Billionnares, few Master Billionnares, fewer millionares who made their money in the field that they studied in college. That's when you know that education has become mis-education. A doctrine that says As above, so below; as below, so above.
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By: JMJ on 10/13/2010 2:18PM
I personally believe the Educational system in the U.S. began to fail with the passing of Brown vs. The Board of Education. With this many whites pulled their children out of the public system. With blacks entering the so called desegrated system, funding shifted to less dollars for education. There is a dreiving force to discontinue public education. What the surprise to see the US falling world wide to levels unspeakable. You have people with backgrounds in everything but education running many systems throughout the US. Example Arnie former Chicago highman, who was replaced by an ex police officer turned transit man in charge. It seems to be that educators are not the ones to turn to to run the educational systems. Think about this.
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By: rasfanta on 10/19/2010 7:35PM
The education system in america went to hell when the elite decided they needed a dumb-down american populace in order to proceed with their agenda. What is happening in america is not an accident. It is deliberate and diabolical and everything we know needs to be turned on its head and re-examined. How the hell can you go from #1 to a far less ranking. Brown vs BOE was not the reason the education system has failed. don't believe that BS for a second.
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By: Jacob AR smith on 12/22/2010 8:06AM
good education system in uk
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