Regarding U. S. Education, it is popular to complain that China is graduating thousands more engineers than we are. But how many of these touted foreign degrees aren’t worth the paper they’re written on? U.S. teachers serving in China find the schools riddled with favoritism for kids of party bosses.
Is it a matter for alarm that China graduates more engineers than we do? China’s population is numbered at 1,324,665,000 while ours is 307,006,550, so they probably have need of over four times as many engineers. Of what quality are these China degrees? As I’ve posted before, my brother computer science professor found that the Asian students, though good at memorized processes and formulas, were at a loss compared to the U.S. students when given open-end problems requiring original thinking. My engineer son works for a microchip maker that finds most of its Japan-educated engineers cannot match the U. S. hires.
It’s time for the public education critics to lay off this “Chinese engineers” malarkey.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
What is a Christian?
We all do well to allow people to determine their own labels if we’re going to use religion labels. If a man says he’s a Christian, then we ought not to try to go behind his statement because we have particular beliefs about Christ with which he may not agree. “Judgment is mine sayeth the Lord.” He warned that many shall cry “Lord! Lord!” and many use his name to do miracles, cast out devils, but He shall say to them at the last days “Depart from me ye workers of iniquity, I never knew you.” Did He warn so we could judge and condemn others, or rather so that we could examine ourselves and be careful whom we follow?
Friday, September 10, 2010
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.”
The laws of heaven do not offer much reward for mere belief in Christ. As James wrote: “Thou believest that there is one God? Thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know O vain man, that faith without works is dead.” Job’s devotion to God survives even through loss of his family, all his worldly wealth, his health, his wife’s support. Through all this, he does not simply believe in God, but still trusts Him enough to say after all the losses: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Get past myths about public education
Published “My View”, Deseret News, Aug 16, 2010
MY VIEW
Recently, again we read (DesNews 4/11/10) John Florez’ laments that Utah public education does not get the “global economy”. He bemoans that the U.S. has only 14% of the world’s college graduates, that all the Utah legislature can do is “[defy] the Federal government” in education matters. Its time that we put to rest some of the popular phrases for pillorying our public schools.
A Global Economy as it relates to education, merely means a larger group of potential competitors for jobs or business. Mr. Florez thinks that “global economy” suddenly demands ingenuity, resourcefulness and initiative. Wrong! Those have always been in demand, and our supply of them developed through the public schools system, has helped make America Great.
It is popular to complain that: 1) china is graduating thousands more engineers than we are; 2) students in Europe and elsewhere surpass our kids in math proficiency, 3) We must have charter schools to re-invent public education, 4) we must have Federal intervention and funding for our public schools, 4) our students were/are a “Generation at Risk” - the gloomy U.S. Office of Education report.
Take these one at a time. Thousands of Chinese engineers: How many of these touted foreign degrees aren’t worth the paper they’re written on? U.S. teachers serving in China find the schools riddled with favoritism for kids of party bosses. My engineer son works for a microchip maker that finds its Japan-educated engineers cannot match the U. S. hires.
Our kids surpassed in math: Typically these tests measure all our high school kids against the selected-out college-bound kids in other countries. In Germany at abt age 13 kids test into a college-bound track or not. My math professor friend says the Asian kids memorize well, but can’t compare to the U.S. educated when original thinking is required. Charter Schools Some of these may do well, but they are simply re-inventing the wheel. Public schools began as neighborhood-organized, local schools and grew into school districts. If these charters are required to teach all comers, teach English as a second language and have loaded on them all the bells & whistles we demand of public schools they’ll become . . . public schools.
Federal Tests & Funding No Child Left Behind created monster problems. Congress’ meddling generates thousands of wasted hours of duplicate testing time, teaching-to-the-tests and paperwork. One size does not fit all, the genius of federalism gives us local ingenuity and design for problem solving. “
A Generation at Risk” That same publically educated generation addressed in the infamous report of the US Office of Education, is now (still) producing far more patents than ten times its numbers of foreign inventors. U.S. worker productivity ranks us far above nearly every other economy or nation. It is too bad that President Reagan failed in his plan to dismantle the U.S. Office of Education. As for Mr. Florez, it would indeed be refreshing if he could once go behind his favorite cover phrase (global economy) and articulate some form of logical reasoning about it. He and others think entrepreneurial types like Bill Gates should design our schools. Did Bill Gates even go to college? His version of a well-rounded college grad is probably a Microsoft employee. And he’s supposed to be expert in public education? We’re far better off to stick to the business of investing in, supporting, and improving our existing public school system, continuing the local control and funding that has succeeded so well, and leaving the nay sayers to their own doom and gloom.
NOTE: Mr.Beus is the father of twelve children educated in Utah public schools
MY VIEW
Recently, again we read (DesNews 4/11/10) John Florez’ laments that Utah public education does not get the “global economy”. He bemoans that the U.S. has only 14% of the world’s college graduates, that all the Utah legislature can do is “[defy] the Federal government” in education matters. Its time that we put to rest some of the popular phrases for pillorying our public schools.
A Global Economy as it relates to education, merely means a larger group of potential competitors for jobs or business. Mr. Florez thinks that “global economy” suddenly demands ingenuity, resourcefulness and initiative. Wrong! Those have always been in demand, and our supply of them developed through the public schools system, has helped make America Great.
It is popular to complain that: 1) china is graduating thousands more engineers than we are; 2) students in Europe and elsewhere surpass our kids in math proficiency, 3) We must have charter schools to re-invent public education, 4) we must have Federal intervention and funding for our public schools, 4) our students were/are a “Generation at Risk” - the gloomy U.S. Office of Education report.
Take these one at a time. Thousands of Chinese engineers: How many of these touted foreign degrees aren’t worth the paper they’re written on? U.S. teachers serving in China find the schools riddled with favoritism for kids of party bosses. My engineer son works for a microchip maker that finds its Japan-educated engineers cannot match the U. S. hires.
Our kids surpassed in math: Typically these tests measure all our high school kids against the selected-out college-bound kids in other countries. In Germany at abt age 13 kids test into a college-bound track or not. My math professor friend says the Asian kids memorize well, but can’t compare to the U.S. educated when original thinking is required. Charter Schools Some of these may do well, but they are simply re-inventing the wheel. Public schools began as neighborhood-organized, local schools and grew into school districts. If these charters are required to teach all comers, teach English as a second language and have loaded on them all the bells & whistles we demand of public schools they’ll become . . . public schools.
Federal Tests & Funding No Child Left Behind created monster problems. Congress’ meddling generates thousands of wasted hours of duplicate testing time, teaching-to-the-tests and paperwork. One size does not fit all, the genius of federalism gives us local ingenuity and design for problem solving. “
A Generation at Risk” That same publically educated generation addressed in the infamous report of the US Office of Education, is now (still) producing far more patents than ten times its numbers of foreign inventors. U.S. worker productivity ranks us far above nearly every other economy or nation. It is too bad that President Reagan failed in his plan to dismantle the U.S. Office of Education. As for Mr. Florez, it would indeed be refreshing if he could once go behind his favorite cover phrase (global economy) and articulate some form of logical reasoning about it. He and others think entrepreneurial types like Bill Gates should design our schools. Did Bill Gates even go to college? His version of a well-rounded college grad is probably a Microsoft employee. And he’s supposed to be expert in public education? We’re far better off to stick to the business of investing in, supporting, and improving our existing public school system, continuing the local control and funding that has succeeded so well, and leaving the nay sayers to their own doom and gloom.
NOTE: Mr.Beus is the father of twelve children educated in Utah public schools
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
When fall is come as now . . .
JEWELER'S FROST
When fall is come as now I long for eagle wing
to soar aloft and search the woods below
for that first tree from whence the myriad colors spring
from tree to tree the harbingers of snow.
Perhaps with leaf from first- turned tree and jeweler's glass,
I might discover answers there to why
the cold-struck trees don brilliant hues the self-same night
the frost has brought the news the leaves must die.
When fall is come as now I long for eagle wing
to soar aloft and search the woods below
for that first tree from whence the myriad colors spring
from tree to tree the harbingers of snow.
Perhaps with leaf from first- turned tree and jeweler's glass,
I might discover answers there to why
the cold-struck trees don brilliant hues the self-same night
the frost has brought the news the leaves must die.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Contentious world could use James’ age-old advice
“Be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath”
How many troubles we could avoid by heeding this counsel from the Apostle James. Husbands with wives, parents and children, neighbor and neighbor. In disagreements, planning our next remarks leaves no ear for words of the opponent. Helping a friend: Our advice so quick we can’t hear the nature of the problem – unaware that a good listener is half the solution.
The panelists on cable news may be entertaining – interrupting, contradicting, never listening. They bring two “experts” on opposite sides, they’re like two ships that pass in the night – barely enough running lights to notice there’s someone else there, let alone actually hear his views. Let us not imitate them, for their manners corrupt all communication.
Try a day’s resolution that you will not interrupt anyone all day, amazing how much discord is avoided. “Be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath”.
How many troubles we could avoid by heeding this counsel from the Apostle James. Husbands with wives, parents and children, neighbor and neighbor. In disagreements, planning our next remarks leaves no ear for words of the opponent. Helping a friend: Our advice so quick we can’t hear the nature of the problem – unaware that a good listener is half the solution.
The panelists on cable news may be entertaining – interrupting, contradicting, never listening. They bring two “experts” on opposite sides, they’re like two ships that pass in the night – barely enough running lights to notice there’s someone else there, let alone actually hear his views. Let us not imitate them, for their manners corrupt all communication.
Try a day’s resolution that you will not interrupt anyone all day, amazing how much discord is avoided. “Be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath”.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Amend the Constitution against babies?
So now Governor Herbert, the So Carolina Senator and others have joined the cry to amend the Constitution to bar US born children from citizenship – I guess unless their parents are citizens.? What a tiny portion of the flood of Latinos they so much fear this would affect. Couple that with the tremendously difficult task of amending: they would strain at gnat to swallow a camel.
Supposedly, crowds of pregnant women are swimming the Rio Grande to have their babies here. Poppycock! Blow away the smoke and there might be as many as a few hundred a year. This campaign against newborns sounds a lot like the haves against the have nots. No more “Give me your tired, your poor . . . .”
Supposedly, crowds of pregnant women are swimming the Rio Grande to have their babies here. Poppycock! Blow away the smoke and there might be as many as a few hundred a year. This campaign against newborns sounds a lot like the haves against the have nots. No more “Give me your tired, your poor . . . .”
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