why education is no longer the great equalizer

[xchrom]

http://www.nationofchange.org/why-education-no-longer-great-equalizer-1356367712

In 1848, Horace Mann, the godfather of the modern public school system, wrote that education is "the great equalizer of the conditions of men—the balance wheel of the social machinery." But is that still true today? Reuters followed two high school students in Massasschusetts, home to the nation's top public school system, and found evidence that our schools are becoming the opposite of what Mann envisioned: another source of division between the wealthy and everyone else.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Oh I agree

I was teaching at a private school for rich kids. Junior English. Assignment: put vocabulary words into sentences. The results were deplorable to the point where I felt compelled to advise the Headmaster.

Instead of being concerned, he advised me not to worry. My male charges were slated to be tapped as Junior Vice Presidents in their father's corporations upon graduation, fully assured. I asked how they would be able to write a cogent business letter, memo, or statement to the shareholders. He smiled at me and said the corporation would have secretaries with masters degrees to rewrite and edit such documents.

And that's the breakdown. Illiterate rich kids in charge of a corporation with overeducated slaves as their editors.

[EC]

3. And that is exactly the reason many of use

"Administrative Assistants" hate our bosses. We worked hard and spent money on the education to be better than the boss who makes 10 X's - 100 X's as much as we make. We have no respect for stupid bosses.

[phantom power]

7. morlochs and eloi

maybe it's time for the 99% to go Galt.

[Lurker Deluxe]

9. **cough**bullshit**cough**

You're telling me that the extremely wealthy are sending their children to very expensive schools so they do not have to learn to read and write?? When they get out of the primary schools unable to read and write they somehow get great SATs and get into Ivy league schools which then pass them with degrees??

I'll call BS on that nonsense all day, and twice a day on weekends.

[no_hypocrisy]

10. I was there. He told me. It was 1985 before republicans stopped

Last edited Wed Dec 26, 2012, 05:47 PM - Edit history (1)

telling the truth.

To distinguish your portrayal of the student body, it wasn't "uber-rich", just merely upper upper middle class/nouveau riche.

To specify what happened: The Headmaster told me that the fathers would make phonecalls to get some kids admitted to the college of their choice. If the kids were beyond hope for college, they'd go straight into the boardroom as a junior executive.

[Lurker Deluxe]

14. OK ... I am mistaken

The fathers who "own" corporations with a "boardroom" and pools of "secretaries" with masters degrees is merely upper middle class.

These upper middle class people can "make a phone call" and get people into "any college of thier choice". I was barely out of school in '85, I do not remember all of these students getting into schools that could not read and write properly. Was it some special school? What was the name of it?

Right.

Again, people were spending good money to send thier children to non public schools to get a worse education?

That is what you are selling?

[no_hypocrisy]

15. The school is defunct now.

The kids had been given a free pass throughout the years, not to mention neglected by parental attention. It wasn't a boarding school, but rather a day school. And honestly, I don't understand what the kids got as a benefit in a private school versus a public school unless the parents had assumptions about public schools having rampant drug use, etc. (Yeah, yeah, I know that's naive). To address your question, I believe the school accepted any student whose parent could pay the tuition.

[baldguy]

2. We stopped trying to create a well-informed citizenry

And started to create uncomplaining worker drones.

[marmar]

4. k/r

[woo me with science]

5. K&R

[Populist_Prole]

6. That was just the meme du-jour by the corporatists. It has since outlived its usefulness to them

It was nothing but a red-herring like the gag: See THIS hand? ( let's askee gaze at said hand ) Well watch out for the OTHER one! ( hits askee with other hand )

[CreekDog]

8. not the equalizer in terms of wealth, but the equalizer in terms of power

education empowers.

[HiPointDem]

11. never was. a few proles making it into the ranks of the elite doesn't make education an equalizer.

[CreekDog]

12. would you say being uneducated makes one just as powerful?

[HiPointDem]

13. in some ways yes, in some ways not. if by 'uneducated' you mean not having a college education.

the people who fought the greatest battles of labor were for the most part 'uneducated'. they were a lot smarter than most college-educated people i know.

college-educated people can be remarkably stupid -- & passive. because they think they're smart & powerful.