Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Why High Educational Stds are NOT OPTIONAL !!!

I was going to write something along these lines, however the last 3 paragraphs of this Newsweek article say it all. If this doesn't scare you into supporting NCLB/AYP, high educational standards and significantly improving the Public Education system, then spend some time reading the "World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman.

If you still don't understand, look around your home and garage. How many products do you have where the design, testing, research, marketing, development, profits, etc went to American companies and workers? First went the electronics, next the cars, now the appliances, what's next??? If the USA can not compete while being paid more, then our incomes and standard of living will lower over time. Are we ready for that, or will we keep accepting "OK"?

By the way, if you think that "YOUR" job can not be outsourced overseas... Therefore you do not care. (ie Doctor, Teacher, Butcher, etc) Just a reminder, the above mentioned "wealth creators" provide your "service industry" income. If that "wealth creation" disappears, so does your income...

The next time someone tells you the standards are too high, tell them to move to some other country that does not want to have the most capable employees in the world. I personally like the USA's high standard of living and pray we find a way to maintain it for the good of my children. Thoughts?

Newsweek "When will the Jobs Come Back?"
World is Flat Summary 1
World is Flat Summary Wiki
G2A Link to Zimmerman's Writings

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think the reason so many pundits are so complacent about so many issues is they have an unspoken assumption that their jobs can't be outsourced. But the fact is, if they opened up the application process, I am sure they could recruit TV anchorpersons from India who would be able to do the job just as about as well, while being paid much less. They wouldn't even have to move, they could do the broadcasts from New Delhi, where production costs are much lower.

John said...

The American based company I work for has design and service centers in India and China, and uses Consultants based in Romania. Given the USA folks insatiable hunger for the lowest cost and highest quality no matter what, companies have no choice but to off shore the work if they want to stay in business.

Now I am not telling you to buy junk, however given the choice between 2 equivalent products. It is best to err on the buy American side and pay some extra money, that is if you like our current quality of life.

Important note: The mfg cost was most of the product cost/value many years ago. Now the R&D and other development cost are a much higher percentage. (ie products are more complex) Where product is built is not as important as who develops and profits from the Intellectual Property...

Therefore really smart and hard working citizens are critical to winning the game...

Anonymous said...

What I am seeing is highly educated, highly productive, and highly motivated and experienced people, who have done everything right losing their jobs on a daily basis. That being the case throughout the economy, the notion that are troubles are due to a failing educational system as such, seems to me a bit on the unexamined side.

Instead of distilling talking points from the conventional wisdom, maybe Newsweek should look at itself as a rather typical failed enterprise within a failing company to discover reasons why our economy is under so much pressure.

John said...

Their are many many many many reasons for our situation.

The one I am interested in right now is School Administrators who continually say that "The GRADING CRITERIA is too high or unrealistic". Then they say "Please go tell your Politicians to lower the hurdle because we don't want to strive for excellence."

The reality is that jobs go to those that provide the best value. (good performance/low cost) And consumers reward companies for doing this. Therefore the politicians have no choice but to adopt equal or higher standards than the "best in class". Otherwise they get our jobs and the high standard of living.

Unless of course we choose to raise costs and reduce innovation by raising protectionist walls. I would prefer to think that American's can out learn and out perform anyone... If we get our focus back, and start working and stop whimpering....

I have smart capable friends that are unemployed. The reality is that sometimes you are in the "right place at the right time", and sometimes you are in the "WRONG place at the right" time...

My father once told me to not push too hard for a "too high" salary. Because layoffs are often an evaluation of "perceived cost to perceived benefit".... If the ratio is higher than your peers, it may not bode well...

Anonymous said...

India currently has the largest illiteracy rate in the world. That's evidence that an educational system can have successful results without any standards at all.

"I have smart capable friends that are unemployed. The reality is that sometimes you are in the "right place at the right time", and sometimes you are in the "WRONG place at the right" time."

Sure, that's why they are losing their jobs. It's not because they failed some arbitrary and shifting standard back when they were back in high school.

I am worried that America is the wrong place at this time, and may continue to be so for the indefinite future.

We can set the highest standards. We can say that no one should be allowed to graduate from high school unless their grades are good enough to put them on the wait list for acceptance to Harvard. But what does that have to do with teaching children?

Anonymous said...

This call for constantly increasing standards in lieu of a real education policy reminds me of a cargo cult. Surely, if we build a landing strip in the wilderness good things will come automatically, and without further effort on our part.

John said...

By that rationale, a CEO should give all lower level Managers at all the various facilities / subsidiaries a budget, defined expectations and a "ToDo/Howto" List. Most folks I know want the expectations and budget. Then they thrive on delivering within the constraints...

Otherwise the terms: turning the crank, micromanaged, etc arise.

By the way, the increasing standards and measurement have everything to do with teaching the children. It creates a need which requires creativity and effort to fill. Also, poor performers can be identified and removed from the system or taught. Without this administrators, teachers and parents lose focus and pursue less value added activities. (ie personal hobbies and interests)

Anonymous said...

"Most folks I know want the expectations and budget."

Sure, they feel very secure in knowing what t's they have to cros and what i's they have to dot.

"By the way, the increasing standards and measurement have everything to do with teaching the children. It creates a need which requires creativity and effort to fill."

That's one of the things I worry about, whether the creativity it takes to meed constantly shifting standards has anything to do with the teaching of kids.

"Also, poor performers can be identified and removed from the system or taught. Without this administrators, teachers and parents lose focus and pursue less value added activities."

I am not so sure about that. Shifting standards will turn an adequate performer into a poor performer through no fault of their own. The poor kid will be asking himself, what's the point of meeting a goal today, when all that will happen is the standard will be moved tomorrow. There's a reason why they don't move the goalposts after the game has started.

John said...

Not talking about improving the kid... Am talking about consistently improving the Admin/Teachers/methods... Should be pretty invisible to the kids...

Not talking about constantly changing the expectations. They look good to me, let's meet them now...

It's the Education group that wants to change them again...

Anonymous said...

"Not talking about constantly changing the expectations. They look good to me, let's meet them now..."

But, see, the expectations DO change every year with NCLB. And in a few years basically all schools in Mn will be "failing". I don't think we have universally failing school. High achievement is absolutely the appropriate goal, but there doesn't seem to be any reason to think NCLB is the goal that we need to reach.

Your business analogies are interesting intellectual exercises, but I don't think they're legitimate comparisons. Kids aren't widgets. You can't necessarily tinker with the management principles and supply chain and get a better product because--they're human beings. An MBA doesn't equal a EdD. Just as a teacher couldn't jump in and do your job tomorrow, I'm certain none of us could successfully manage a classroom--let alone a district--based on our great ideas and our computers.

I really think more stick applied to the teachers (and students) isn't going to produce the results you expect.

John said...

Anon,

First, the std is fixed. The number of children that must pass it each year is changing.

If general management and coaching techniques won't work on Teachers and Administrators...(ie expectations, carrots, sticks, goals, measures, etc) I am always open to new paradigms, what are your thoughts on how to raise the level of performance of our public education system?

Ideas welcome. Preferably they don't involve large amounts of money. We seem to be a bit short on that right now.

I am sure we could get distracted whether children are widgets or not. However, remember I am interested in improving the processes and employees that work with the children/widgets. Now they are adult employees and typical mgmt concepts should apply.

As always, opposing thoughts not only welcome... but encouraged !!!