Comments on: Do the right thing http://www.joannejacobs.com/2006/12/do-the-right-thing/ Thinking and Linking by Joanne Jacobs Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:51:22 +0000 hourly 1 By: hardlyb http://www.joannejacobs.com/2006/12/do-the-right-thing/#comment-30023 hardlyb Sun, 10 Dec 2006 18:32:05 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2006/12/08/do-the-right-thing/#comment-30023 I suspect that to compete more effectively in the global economy, the best marginal action would be the number of high performing kids that go into productive enterprises such as engineering and science. That is, instead of killing off gifted programs in the name of "closing the gap", we should spend the (at most) few percent of the education budget that these things would consume on the students that would most benefit from an education. However, as you point out, being competitive in the global economy isn't the main reason that we should be worried about how rotten our public schools have become. And our absurdly over-priced universities tend to do a pretty good job with the smartest kids, anyway, except for the ones that major in non-subjects. I suspect that to compete more effectively in the global economy, the best marginal action would be the number of high performing kids that go into productive enterprises such as engineering and science. That is, instead of killing off gifted programs in the name of “closing the gap”, we should spend the (at most) few percent of the education budget that these things would consume on the students that would most benefit from an education.

However, as you point out, being competitive in the global economy isn’t the main reason that we should be worried about how rotten our public schools have become. And our absurdly over-priced universities tend to do a pretty good job with the smartest kids, anyway, except for the ones that major in non-subjects.

]]> By: Chris http://www.joannejacobs.com/2006/12/do-the-right-thing/#comment-30022 Chris Sat, 09 Dec 2006 00:53:40 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2006/12/08/do-the-right-thing/#comment-30022 > improving mediocre suburban schools rather than tacking inner-city schools It's not an either/or ... both improvements are vital -- and for the reasons Joe correctly articulates: a better society. Some of the gaps are the mediocre and even highly thought of suburban schools are quite substantial. > improving mediocre suburban schools rather than tacking inner-city schools

It’s not an either/or … both improvements are vital — and for the reasons Joe correctly articulates: a better society.

Some of the gaps are the mediocre and even highly thought of suburban schools are quite substantial.

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