Ward Griffiths wrote on August 30, 2008 10:28 AM: > Should we wonder now why so few of our public servants seek to emulate Washington -- how would they even know how? -- if they have no idea what he did on Dec. 23, 1783, and then on March 4, 1797, arguably the two most important acts taken by any single man in delivering us our freedom ("If this is true," said no less a figure than George III, "then he is the greatest man of the age") ... exceeding even what "the indispensable man" did on Christmas night, 1776, a date any American should be ashamed at having to look up?<

Vin, you forget Washington's more important (and encouraging Clinton and both Bushs and a lot of jerks from John Adams on) key date of August 7, 1794. Check with Neil, it's a keystone date in several of his books.

Bill Smith wrote on August 11, 2008 05:35 AM: Abe Lincoln was dead before slavery ended Marshelle. I can see you government school "education" shinning through.

Marshelle Baxter wrote on August 08, 2008 10:29 AM: Thank you! At last there is a sane person who understands the value of a TRUE education. Teachers out there are tired of being told what to teach, how teach and actually evaluated on how well they read the teacher's manual script. Yes, you read script now to students that way all are on the same page, teaching the same thing and making sure the script is followed verbatum. History has to have chronological order otherwise all we are teaching is a fact that happened somewhere in time. I would sure hate to see the 8th grader taught about space and which president put us there only to have the next "Theme" be on Abe Lincoln's end to slavery. You cannot learn to write before you learn what the alphabet is. Careful parents, the students they teach may be your own. Stand up before it is too late and the districtrict hands out attendance diplomas to it's finest students.

Bill Smith wrote on August 04, 2008 09:22 AM: nuevo americano, you are amusing at best and have no concept of free. People who really believe and understand liberty know nothing is free. They, however, do not believe in stealing wealth (taxes) from others to pay for things they agree with.

John F wrote on August 03, 2008 09:35 PM: Paolo,

I think Dana Perino's ignorance says more about the Bush Administration than it does about the state of education. One would hope that the President wouldn't choose someone so ill-informed to be his principal spokeswoman.


Mr. S.,

From the letter:

"Instead, I wanted them to learn the relevance and meaning of some key facts, and then to show me they could convey that relevance and meaning in a clear and convincing way. Sure, it would be cool for young people today to know the facts of the Great Depression. Even cooler would be for them to be able to speak and write about it well."

Obviously being able to speak and write about the Depression well requires knowledge of the basic facts of the Depression. Sounds to me you read the letter you wanted rather than the letter you got.

nuevo americano wrote on August 03, 2008 04:56 PM: UNLV.-did you think about the university when the governor cut the budget. The RJ wants everything free --tax free. At least Reno supports their university mostly with our tax money.

Carl Bussjaeger wrote on August 03, 2008 03:46 PM: Robert: "Face it school instuctors don't enjoy being made to appear unprepared or particularly uninformed."

I'd like to contrast that with a remembrance of my old Astronomy 101 professor in college: Any time another student had a question about something currently visible in the sky, he unabashedly referred them to _me_. He knew I was keeping with observations at the time, and his own course-load had been keeping him away from the telescopes. I learned a lot from that man.

Would it surprise you to learn that was _not_ a state school? Some instructors get it, while others suck at the taxpayer's jugular.

Robert Fechser wrote on August 03, 2008 12:31 PM: Thanks again Vin, what about Burgoyne at Brandywine. Some people are ignorant about history because it is so intimidating (all those dates, names and places) I believe that a majority of todays school instuctors are bereft of technique. When I was in high school (Gorman,Valley,Vegas and Clark) I was constanly labeled a problem student because i did know My history and because I read the newspaper everyday and I had the nerve to question the status quo. Face it school instuctors don't enjoy being made to appear unprepared or particularly uninformed. What results are ignorant uneducated graduates who require remedial quick cures pryor to any remote chance of advancement in higer education. I advocate more parental involvement especially in curriculm and testing. I believe that these forgotten students need more noses in books that provoke thought. "Lies My Teachers Told Me" would be a good start. How long can administrators keep trowing good money after bad. These people keep gettin reelected only because they are the ones who refuse to really enforce educational standards, hence ignorant voters. I won't even start about the NEA and NEF...

Joe C wrote on August 03, 2008 12:12 PM: Thank you Vin Suprynowicz for spewing real facts about what has happened to our educational system and the morons teaching and running it.

I have been to Gettysburg twice and each time feeling like I’m there experiencing history. Getting an understanding of the battle and marksmanship of the snipers at places like the Devils Den and Little Round top.
Places where such sad and valiant history took place, American heroes fighting for what they believed in.

Every educator should hold their head down in shame if the share the same thinking of Cheryl Grames Hoffman.

Brian wrote on August 03, 2008 11:22 AM: UNLV is a joke. The education you receive there is a joke.

UNLV= University of Never Leave Vegas.

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