America’s Chip Renaissance Needs Workers – WSJ See my comment on the article. Here is what I wrote. Many universities, like the “elite” one where I taught engineers, want happy “customers”, not educated ‘students”. That America doesn’t have the excellent engineers it needs is not a surprise to me. When I taught differential equations, the […]
Keeping Engineering Students in the Program as “Happy Customers” is Wreaking Havoc on American Manufacturing.
April 12, 2024 by Leave a Comment
David Brooks See the Symptom – But Not the Disease
June 23, 2017 by
Source: Mis-Educating the Young – The New York Times Here is my comment. You have described the symptoms well, but you have missed the disease. The disease is letting higher education operate as a market economy – while assuming that, as a non-profit, it is altruistic. Just listen to Clark Kerr and David Riesman on […]
Loans ‘Designed to Fail’ No, Simply Designed to Make Money, Not Educate
April 10, 2017 by
Source: Loans ‘Designed to Fail’: States Say Navient Preyed on Students – The New York Times I wrote, I taught at a “non-profit” (Why they are called that, I have no idea.) “elite” university. As an insider, here is my advice for readers. I strongly recommend that everyone carefully read the paragraphs of this article […]
“Why Singapore’s kids are so good at maths” – and the US Isn’t
March 24, 2017 by
Source: Why Singapore’s kids are so good at maths Here is a highlighted quote from the article. Mathematics in Singapore is not about knowing everything. It’s about thinking like a mathematician Andreas Schleicher, head of the OECD’s education assessment programme Here is my comment. High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with […]
Why Is Productivity So Weak? Three Theories That Miss The Mark. My Advice? Read Piketty.
April 29, 2016 by
The rate of economic output is not increasing much. Or is there work below the surface that will pay big dividends in the future? Source: Why Is Productivity So Weak? Three Theories – The New York Times The answer if obvious. Here is how to see it. First, do a search for “diffusion of knowledge” […]
The Counterfeit High School Diploma – The New York Times (Do They See the Connection?)
December 31, 2015 by
Most states still have weak curriculums and graduation requirements that make high school diplomas useless. Source: The Counterfeit High School Diploma – The New York Times I tried to point out the connection. As a former math professor, I am quite aware of the cause of the problem – and it’s not high school. It’s […]
Why Pretend?
October 7, 2015 by
Data on non-repayment rates shows a new dimension of the problem, particularly with for-profit colleges and historically black institutions. Source: Student Debt Is Worse Than You Think – The New York Times I had to take the opportunity to comment that “The Academic-Financial Complex runs what I call a “pass-through” scheme. I understand the academic part well […]
Columnists at the NY Times Should Not be Making Erroneous Claims About What Universities Do…
October 6, 2015 by
On almost every campus faculty members and administrators are trying to stem…to widen the system’s narrow definition of achievement. Institutes are popping up…designed to cultivate the whole student: the emotional, spiritual and moral sides and not just the intellectual. Source: The Big University – The New York Times Here is my response. Are you kidding […]
Take on the 800-lb Gorilla
Source: US workforce: paying young Americans to learn the right skills I made the following comment. Someone has to take on the 800 lb gorilla. I have seen it in action up close and Bill Gross has pointed out that it really is an 800 lb gorilla. Here’s Bill Gross. “…To radically change the system…would […]