Business education chief says we must instill high standards in students to help them succeed
Mike Lukens, who runs the web site San Joaquin Valleyfornia, has an informative interview with James Lanich, president of California Business for Education Excellence. Listen to the 12-minute podcast by clicking here and then clicking on the link to the podcast.
Lanich, who was in Fresno Monday for a town hall on student achievement, says educators, lawmakers and other policymakers should set high expectations for students. Lanich has an informed take on student achievement problems in California, and there are lessons for all of us in this interview.
Comments
While he does make some solid, pragmatic suggestions, That had to be the most cliche-ridden 10 minutes i've ever spent....
Posted by: swift | May 6, 2008 4:00 PM
...but I share the concern. In my own business, I've met, and fired, men in their 20's who had absolutely no job skills whatsoever, they didn't know how to be respectful of clients or even how to speak english, but would steal w/out hesitation. The k-12 schools are not entirely to blame, I think it has more to do with the T.V. and the much talked-about "family breakdown" points there as well, as does the "new sociopathy" that the psychological community is so alarmed at.
Posted by: swift | May 6, 2008 5:08 PM
If students have high standards set for them and people that believe in them they can achieve anything. When they are told that they are stupid or worthless that is what they learn to believe they are. This includes being bullied by other students that has a supposed zero tolerance but kids are cruel and nothing seems to ever get done about it.
Posted by: Jackie Krage | May 6, 2008 7:11 PM
Swifty and Jay K... do you think taking God out of the schools has anything to do with your concerns and wasn't NCLB implemented to set higher standards and the ability to measure them?It seems accountability is not something teachers unions want to deal with. Public education on all levels in CA is abysmal and the only actions taken are finger pointing,more useless studies and the constant demand for more money.Serious businesses will need to deprogram and self educate future work forces or just put up with mediocre employees.
Posted by: Brian Murray | May 7, 2008 6:08 AM
Although we have had mediocre eduacation for years in the states it has only gotten worse since the NCLB Act was put into effect. Absolutely taking God out of anything hampers success. The things people use in everyday life need to be taught and vocational courses to help those that are not college bound or can't afford it to go to college can still get a career in something besides hamburgers.
Posted by: Jackie Krage | May 7, 2008 7:48 AM
Poor work ethic starts at home where too many parents tell little Johnny he's the best in the world no matter what he does. This trains him to be incapable of taking criticism from teachers and eventually employers.
Parents do a great disservice to their kids when they teach them hubris instead of humility. These kids grow up to become employees that expect the corner office and $60,000 as a starting salary without earning them. That's their "high standards".
Posted by: Fran B | May 7, 2008 8:52 AM
I recently spoke with a man that was telling him that although he is good at baseball he needed to go to college and study a career because reality is that the chances of making it to the big leagues is close to nil. I thought this was great because it is so true.
Posted by: Jackie Krage | May 7, 2008 11:43 AM