AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR DUMMIES
The NEA is having a “debate” on whether public colleges should admit students who are unprepared. This quote (from the “pro” position) is hilarious:
Often those who arrive needing developmental coursework better reflect the diverse nature of our society. Not everyone grew up attending schools that were adequately funded, came from families that encouraged scholarship, or were provided safe learning environments.
A classroom filled with students of varied backgrounds contributes to the development of all students. Our graduates will be living in a complex and ever-changing world. This is but one way to assist in their preparation.
Admitting unprepared students for diversity reasons!? That’s a new one. BTW, did anyone catch the missing reason that students might be unprepared? Bad teachers! Oh, I forgot. This is the NEA, after all. Bad teachers don’t exist.
4 Responses to “AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR DUMMIES”
 Comment by meep December 11th, 2003 at 9:20 am |
I just don’t see why those unprepared can’t go to an appropriate school (say, a junior or community college) and take the classes that will =get= them prepared for higher education? This will increase the probability of getting a degree in the long run — I have friends and relatives who learned almost nothing in high school, and then went to a local community college for a few years to get up to speed before going to a bachelor’s degree-level college. Yes, it took them a while, but they got the degree, and in a couple of cases they’ve got graduate degrees as well. Letting people into a university before they can handle that level of work is doing no one any favors. |
 Comment by Bridgette December 11th, 2003 at 12:44 pm |
Obviously the NEA doesn’t realize public colleges already take in a large share of unprepared students. Non-credit prep classes have exploded on campuses and have managed to add expense and an additional year to college while lowering graduation rates. Using a technical school or a community college for college prep is much more practical and likely to actually help the unprepared student. I’ve taught the prep classes and it is sad when a student who has not been in a classroom for 30 or 40 years can run circles around the student who has only had a 3 month break from “academic study”. Higher ed has enough problems without the NEA ~forcing~ their problems on it. |
 Comment by Laura December 11th, 2003 at 6:32 pm |
I can see three possible reasons why a college student might not be able to perform in a regular course of study. (1) The student simply doesn’t have what it takes. (2) The student is too irresponsible and immature to show up for class and do his work. (3) The student was ill-prepared in high school. Of those three possibilities, the third is the ONLY one the NEA could be expected to take any responsibility for, and it’s really funny that that is the only one mentioned here. Hey – it’s not their fault. |
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Comment by darby December 11th, 2003 at 10:28 pm |
What gets me is this whole “diversity in the classroom” argument. That’s exactly the line they use when they’re trying to cut out gifted and spec ed programs! Diversity is gooood. It prepares them for the real world. Therefore we will lump the developmentally delayed kids, and the learning and physically disabled kids, and the average kids, and the gifted ones all in together, and expect the teacher to somehow bring them all up to grade level by the end of the year. |