Needlenose

Bad enough that we are plagued with the traditional reactionary yahoos that could be found south of the Mason-Dixon line, but the movement back to the stone age appears to be spreading.  New Hampshire just overwhelmingly passed a law to allow parents to any part of a school curriculum – and force the school to provide alternatives.  So much for traditional Yankee common sense and pragmatism!

Reminds me of a recent Beavis and Butthead episode, where the two boys encounter Fundees protesting the teaching of evolution in school.  The lead Fundee explains that the theory of evolution is too complicated, can’t be understood – and something you can’t understand shouldn’t be taught.  The two young idiots of course expand this notion to pretty much every subject in the curriculum.  Assuming that they live in New Hampshire (increasingly plausible), all they need now is to have Beavis’ slut mom complain about all the subjects…and legally the New Hampshire schools would have to provide them with dumbed-down alternatives to real education!

No child left behind?  Of course, just watch the dullards in NH exploit ‘social promotion’ – Reactionary style!!

Racing to the bottom

Among developed nations, we’re now “average” in education,  a “C” student so-to-speak.  Not much consolation that we’re just ahead of Mexico and Turkey.  And our life expectancy has fallen for the first time in 25 years.  On the good news side, at least we are no longer leading the world in carbon dioxide emissions, China now has that dubious role…no wait, mixed blessing, that’s due to the fact that China may soon surpass us in manufacturing.

Well at least we are still #1 in national debt!

As you might have guessed after years Shrubyian neglect, US students are falling behind in the life sciences.  And if you guessed this phenomena was regional, you’d be right:

The report grouped states into four categories based on performance in the four areas measured: leaders of the pack, second tier, middling performance and lagging performance.

Leaders included eight Northeast and Midwest states, including Ohio, while those lagging in performance consisted mainly of Southern states.

You think maybe if those states taught kids proper science instead of creationist bullshit, and that Eve came from a zygote rather than a man’s rib, they would do better on their life science exams?

In thematically-related advice, Jeebus might save your diabetic kid’s life you if beg enough, but administering insulin is generally considered more effective.  The Lord helps those who help themselves!