Commentary On “SAT Reading, Writing Scores Hit a New Low”
While filling in for a colleague a few years ago, i came into contact with his assistant, a truly beautiful 21 yo preparing for the Miss OK Pagent. Soon, she confided a perception of a need to expand her vocabulary for ‘competitions’ and sought my advice goddess as to an efficient means. ‘Read, you’ve got to start reading’, was my immediate reply….The WSJ, NYT, books. Since her boss was trapped in Italy for two wks pursuant to an unanticipated medical emergency, i suggested ‘The Winds of War’, thinking Natalie, similiar age, historical romance, bla,bla,bla. Her response: ‘Oh, i’ll just watch the movie’. Bottom line, these kids don’t think critically; Efforts during the past 40 years to promote self esteem as the primary mechanism promoting fullfillment and achievement have been a total waste and failure creating a whole generation who can’t say with any certainty what 8 times 7 is, and have metastasized into a self perpetuating, completely brainwashed educational estabishment.
