Responding to a message by Matt, to Charles on ...
MS>I'll ask the question that Shanker doesn't want to hear: why _should_ 
MS>businesses care about HS achievement?
Fair question, but I'm going to begin by answering with questions of my 
own.  If they _shouldn't_ care (as you suggest), then why _do_ they 
care?  Why do many business leaders suggest, in public print, that the 
schools aren't producing kids with skills that prepare them for the 
workplace?  Why are there frequent vocal complaints by business leaders 
that those they hire can't read and do math?  And yet, why do these 
business leaders continue to hire students without checking their high 
school transcripts to see what kind of grades they got in English and math?
MS>Businesses are in the business of making money for 
MS>themselves, not in the business of flogging HS sophomores 
MS>to work harder and take tough courses.
And yet business leaders attended the education summit in New Jersey 
last spring in droves and voiced their concerns over the quality of the 
education of those graduating from our high schools.  Those who 
were present even agreed to start reviewing transcripts before 
hiring.  Others, not present, continued to pound away in the press at 
the lack of skills among those they hire.
To be quite honest, our perception of the concern is totally different.
MS>Few businesses hiring _college_ grads even look at _college_ transcripts.
That's not the way I understand it.  Quite often employers send 
representatives out to the colleges looking for the very best college 
students and to offer them top dollar to work for their firms.
Again, our perceptions differ.
You made a number of other comments that indicate we are in total 
disagreement about what education can, and does, offer businesses.  I 
saw no point in continuing the debate.
Chuck Beams
Fidonet - 1:2608/70
cbeams@future.dreamscape.com
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