I Are Educated

Talk to anyone who knows about global education and they will tell you that the US is lagging behind other progressive countries. It’s not that we are dumber than the rest of the world … well, yeah, maybe it is. I would say, however, that our smartest and most gifted are just as smart and gifted as everyone else’s smartest and most gifted, but we have fewer smarts and giftedness to go around. Call it what you will, we just don’t put a premium on education in this country.

Working in higher education, however, you like to think that most people have a general grasp of basic core knowledge. After all, everyone you deal with has a minimum of a high school diploma and has managed to score moderately well on the college entrance exams. Yet oustide these hallowed walls of higher learning there are still those who lack basic fundamental skills … such as simple, single-digit addition.

Case in point: My brother-in-law and I, along with a few other guys, have taken over the Optimist Club Softball program that gives girls ages 5-16 the chance to play summer league softball. The program was in shambles and was about to fold so he and I, mostly he, joined the Optimist Club with the express intent of taking over the program. So far, things have run pretty smoothly. We will have four leagues for girls ages 5-7, 8-10, 11-13 and 14-16. Take special note of those age divisions: 5-7, 8-10, 11-13, and 14-16.

We are currently in the process of registering for the upcoming 2008 season which takes place in June. Girls register for leagues according to their age on Dec. 31, 2007. This is plainly stated on all material that has been sent out concerning registration.

Yesterday I received a question via email concerning registration. The email read, “If my child is 6yrs old and her birthday is in August, will she be put in the 5-7 yrs old catagory [sic] or bumped up to the 8-10 yrs old catagory [sic]?”

And we wonder why all the good jobs are going overseas.