FSU physics professor Paul Cottle has an article in the Tallahasse Democrat today about how Florida is apparently only putting energy into seeing that students measure up to the minimim standards for school achievement. Cottle argues that we should be pushing students to reach quite a bit higher.
We need to make sure that students at all of our high schools have access to courses in physics and calculus. It is hardly surprising — though it is certainly regrettable — that some economically disadvantaged schools do not offer physics. It is a much bigger shock to realize that many schools in the prestigious International Baccalaureate program do not offer physics, either. In fact, only 16 percent of Florida’s high-school graduates have taken a physics course, about half the national rate. This shortcoming must be remedied if we are serious about transforming our state’s economy.
IB is a scam.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=5384
“IB is a scam.”
—
My mother does things like this. Makes a claim and tells you who said it. Citing sources is good, but one source without any argument…
I think that arguments should be the combination of all your sources of data into one coherent thought; not a claim–swallowed and then regurgitated. It was an interesting article though. IB is affiliated with a hippy-esque group of people who want peace and think they know how to get it. It doesn’t seem all that bad to me.
It is sad that even the elite students in Florida don’t have access to a physics course. On the other hand, rather than take IB they could dual-enroll to take the course in a college.