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From: bga@raspail.UUCP (Bruce Albrecht)
Newsgroups: sci.math,sci.physics,comp.edu
Subject: Re: Are Americans Intellectually Inferior?
Summary: elementary school teachers
Message-ID: <1149@raspail.UUCP>
Date: 17 Jan 89 00:37:50 GMT
References: <14.UUL1.3#913@acw.UUCP>
Organization: Control Data Corporation, Arden Hills, MN
Lines: 18

In article <14.UUL1.3#913@acw.UUCP>, scott@acw.UUCP (Scott Guthery) writes:
> Bret Jolly wonders if Americans are intellectually inferior.  The
> answer is a resounding "Really!" ... translation: Yes.  This
> is first and foremost a result of being subjected to a public
> education system that is run solely for the benefit of the unions
> that control it.  American children are hounded by mindless educrats
> pushing "self-esteem" and "skills acquisition" and precious little
> else from the time they're 4 until they're 24.  It takes its toll
> as any trip to the local Taco Bell will clearly demonstrate.

I've often wondered about the quality of our elementary school teachers,
at least as far as mathematics is concerned.  Nearly everyone that I knew
in college who had planned to teach elementary school were women with "math
anxiety".  When the people who teach math dislike it and barely understand it,
it's no wonder most Americans are pretty poor at it.  I don't know whether it's
the teachers or the school boards who are to blame for the degradation of the
curriculum, but I don't think that it's because the students couldn't handle
it.