Borderland » Blog Archive » The Mountains are High

on 2008-05-08 by nbrodsky

While I've heard lots about this report, and probably read brief excerpts, I've never read the whole thing. Should I? Or is it enough to know the gist of the report?

on 2008-05-08 by nbrodsky

Is the poverty line an international standard or a US standard? Isn't the line always changing?

on 2008-05-08 by nbrodsky

OECD?

on 2008-05-08 by nbrodsky

I think our low college degree attainmnent level, as compared to other countries, is because we don't subsizide college educations as much. American university, even the public systems, are very expensive!

on 2008-05-08 by nbrodsky

I believe the decline in voter education and participation is directly related to our culture of complancency and apathy. We've become too comfortable with our station in life, and don't see the need to keep the government in check. The fiction of Bradbury's Farhenheit 451 is becoming reality. For example, the war in Iraq... it often gets compared to the Viet Nam conflict, in terms of its unpopularity and futility. The difference between then and now, though, is that US citizens were more personally affected by the Viet Nam conflict because of conscription. We had more to fight for.. today, there is no draft, and therefore, no compelling reason to unite together as a country to influence government policy and express our dissatisfaction.

on 2008-05-08 by nbrodsky

Is this why I haven't read the report? Makes sense--while the report might be interesting in its own right, as it pertains to education, it doesn't help me be a better teacher... it has nothing to do with teaching, and everything to do with politics.