New York Times (April 27)
“For years now, people have been talking about the insulated world of the top 1 percent of Americans, but the top 20 percent of the income distribution is also steadily separating itself—by geography and by education as well as by income.” Their isolation from the lower 80 percent “is changing the American social order and the American political system, creating a self-perpetuating class at the top, which is ever more difficult to break into.”
Tags: Class, Education, Geography, Income distribution, Political system, Self-perpetuating, Social order, U.S.
Washington Post (May 8)
“If you look around the world at nations that are now outperforming the United States on international tests, it is not hard to figure out the differences between their vastly improved educational systems and ours. It is not simply the pay of teachers that matters but the selectivity of education programs, the rigor of their preparation and the continuing education and feedback they receive.”
Tags: Education, Feedback, Nations, Outperforming, Pay, Preparation, Programs, Rigor, Selectivity, Teachers, Tests, U.S.
Washington Post (December 5, 2013)
The U.S. does not test well. In contrast, Japan, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan swept top places for math, reading and science in the recent PISA global educational survey. Nevertheless, “the United States has done very well in harnessing the talents of its top 1 percent and in attracting the top 1 percent from the rest of the world to live and work here. These are the engines of innovation, growth and dynamism.” Whether they will keep the U.S. from falling behind, however, remains to be seen.
Tags: Dynamism, Education, Growth, Hong Kong, Innovation, Japan, Math, Reading, Science, Shanghai, Singapore, Taiwan, Talent, U.S.
The New York Times (October 23)
While other countries make “progress from generation to generation,” the U.S. is falling behind in terms of literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills. “In literacy, for example, about 12 percent of American adults scored at the highest levels, a smaller proportion than in Finland and Japan (about 22 percent). In addition, one in six Americans scored near the bottom in literacy, compared with 1 in 20 adults who scored at that level in Japan.” Other nations realized the knowledge economy would offer very “few jobs for workers with mediocre skills…. Those countries, most notably Finland, broadened access to education, improved teacher training and took other steps as well.” The U.S. has yet to act with any sense of urgency.While other countries make “progress from generation to generation,” the U.S. is falling behind in terms of literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills. “In literacy, for example, about 12 percent of American adults scored at the highest levels, a smaller proportion than in Finland and Japan (about 22 percent). In addition, one in six Americans scored near the bottom in literacy, compared with 1 in 20 adults who scored at that level in Japan.” Other nations realized the knowledge economy would offer very “few jobs for workers with mediocre skills…. Those countries, most notably Finland, broadened access to education, improved teacher training and took other steps as well.” The U.S. has yet to act with any sense of urgency.
Tags: Economy, Education, Finland, Japan, Literacy, Numeracy, Problem solving, Progress, Skills, Teachers, Training, U.S., Urgency, Workers
Forbes (April 23, 2013)
Is growth the root of problems like global warming? No, growth is a panacea that “must not be sold short. Growth is not just morally defensible; it is a moral imperative for achieving lasting human flourishing.” Of course, there have been cases of reckless growth. Overall, however, “hard data documents its positive impact on the things that ultimately matter: education, environmental care, physical health, political freedom, and healthy culture. Failure to realize the transformative power of growth would be a failure of our moral imaginations.”
Tags: Culture, Education, Environment, Freedom, Global warming, Growth, Health
Euromoney (November issue)
“Asia’s young population has long been the envy of the west, but several of Asia’s most developed economies, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, were among the countries with the lowest fertility rates in the world this year as a result of rising education levels, more women working long hours and people getting married later, among other factors…. This presents many threats, but foremost among them are slowing economic growth and the need to provide income support for more elderly populations.”
“Asia’s young population has long been the envy of the west, but several of Asia’s most developed economies, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, were among the countries with the lowest fertility rates in the world this year as a result of rising education levels, more women working long hours and people getting married later, among other factors…. This presents many threats, but foremost among them are slowing economic growth and the need to provide income support for more elderly populations.”
Washington Post (July 6)
While universities in the U.S. may be among the world’s best, 57% of Americans feel they do not provide good value. The Post believes universities should condense the study period and offer three-year degrees to make college more affordable. “Today’s students have the capability to acquire and distribute knowledge faster than any previous generation, thanks to technology. Higher education needs to catch up.”
Tags: Affordability, Education, U.S., University, Value
