Last year, the Center for Public Education reported that U.S. 15-year-olds scored 489, below the international average of 500 in overall science, scoring below 16 other countries.
Many leading researchers are leaving the United States and moving to Europe to work at the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Now we face the prospect of a Republican administration that would further degrade science education standards.
Gov. Sarah Palin, when asked about teaching creationism in public schools, responded, "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of information. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both."
The Assemblies of God preach that men lived beside dinosaurs and the Grand Canyon was the result of Noah's flood. When you cast your vote, think about future students.
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Comments: 14
In today's world we would educate our children to a certain level and then pay for their higher education in schools that do not submit to political creationism.
The neocons would have you submit to a state religion even though they have no real religious beliefs.
We taught our children to have independent thought and are proud of it.
Education programs initiated to foster a new generation of engineers. One of the more remarkable and remembered things that came out of this was the concept of "New Math".
Dramatically increased support for scientific research. For 1959, Congress increased the National Science Foundation appropriation to $134 million, almost $100 million higher than the year before. By 1968, the NSF budget would stand at nearly $500 million.
High Schools also received money and encouragement to upgrade the science and math programs. This was the beginning of the "AP courses" so commonplace today.
Fortunately, the space race did not require upgrading courses in Biology or we likely would have sat home in front of our TV's watching the Russians walk on the moon.
Today, the most common debate over science curriculum is whether we should include "creationism" or "intelligent design" in High School science courses or if we can't, eliminate any mention of evolution. Only in America, among developed countries, has this trend gained traction. While other countries are improving science education, we are dumbing ours down.
The mounting education deficit is not about course content, it is about attitude. Americans do not respect, are greatly suspicious of and actively dislike smart, well-educated people. We honor and value our quarterbacks far more than we do our valedictorians.
Both Michelle and Barrak Obama have been tarred with the mysteriously derogatory label of "elite". Elite is defined as "A group or class of persons ..., enjoying superior intellectual, social, or economic status". Both came from solid, blue collar, middle class american roots. Nothing "superior" about their upbringing compard to say George Bush. What sets them apart is their achievements in education, earned at some of the finest schools in the country.
As long as we continue to embrace unreason and anti-intellectualism as good old fashioned American values, we will continue to see our pre-eminent place in science and technology, innovation and invention erode. It won't be long before we see the great leaps forward originating in India, Korea, Europe (see LHC) and even China as we sit here debating how many angels can sit on the head of a pin.
I was waiting for Palin to break out in a chorus of "Onward Christian Soldier" during her speech.
Very scary stuff, especially for us non-Christians.
No way, no how, no McCain, no Palin.
Thank you for an excellent comment. Anti-intellectualism is so rampant within the Republican Party that there is very little chance of teaching science effectively in this country. It's not that people are against science, it's that they don't know. Our science education is limited in this country. How does one teach biology without evolution? Today, there are many biology teachers trying to do just that because of the "controversey."
Agreed, C.J. Palin is too backward to meet the future needs of this country. I'm for Obama because while his religious beliefs are front and center - at least he respects facts.
Pandering to the lowest common denominator of the religious right has become standard operating proceedure for the republicans. I doubt that the educational institutions that cater to the true elites of this country such as Andover and Yale waste much time on Intelligent Design".
People that claim to be christian are followers of Jesus Christ and I do not believe he would sanction murder for profit, going through a village cutting heads off, or destroying his creation in any way.
Its to bad the South cannot see through these hypocrits that call themselves patriots.
Do you think he would have an opinion on a gas pipeline?
I think Jesus would sanction a real negotiating process in place of "my way or the highway" republican wars for profit.
In any case we need to get rid of the ugly American image soon or we are going to be in big trouble.
In case people have forgot Bush retired all the military leaders that would not go along with his "god told me to do it" lunacy and you can see whats left lol.