Comments on: Circle time for America's education crisis

How does the future look for U.S. education? A kindergarten tour enlightens CNET News.com's Michael Kanellos.

Taiwan is not a nation but a province of China

According to definition in United Nation's documents

or we can call it a special region, with unsettled problems, but it is
not an independent nation by now.

more specifically, more than 99% of the population in the world
does not admit its qualification as a nation.

[feranick]

true, but...

True. However they implemented an education and economic system that is different from the one of the mainland. For the purpose of describing the advancement in the education system, Taiwan can be considered then something different from China.

hey, so is Tibet ...

... and any other nation China cares to bully or invade? Taiwanese have democracy and more freedoms than China, so let's leave out the politics and comment on the actual story.

Education system in US is still cutting-edge

but somehow there should be better policy to support / regulate
public schools for those are the genetic pool for prosperous

private school is too much emphasized, if there is no competitive
public school, private one will become "noble club" and then soon
fell down like in middle century Europe.

Pushing on a Rope

Ultra-competitive kindergartens have always been
a feature of life in New York City. Perhaps they
are spreading to the other Blue States. The real
questions are, what is happening in the heartland
and what is happening in the colleges?

According to the Taulbee Survey, Computer Science
majors in America have declined by 39 percent,
compared with the fall of 2000. Perhaps this
is related to the fact that Computer Science
salaries have delined by 39%. I don't see any
way to "fix the schools" which fails to address
the lack of good careers after graduation.
Trying to fix the problems of the schools in
isolation is like pushing on a rope.

Yuppie parents almost always get obsessed by
the desire to have their children benefit from
advantages that they did not have. The kids
usually survive the experience. The fact that
the Manhattan Montessori school's pre-kindergarten has a waiting list does not
consitiute a social cirsis. It's just not
that important. Really.

[feranick]

Education in the US is not homogeneous

Good article, but I guess it gives only the perspective of the higher-end of the education spectrum. I used to collaborate with Middle schools in rural Pennsylavnia and suburbs. Shools there have plenty of other problem than the ones described in the article. Lack of computers and labs and general funding for special courses are normal. Comparing my experience with the issues discussed in the article, I feel like there really are two Americas. A rich overachieving one, and a depressed, poor one, depending on the neighboors.
A really good education system should provide a really homogenous education across all the US. American kids are not all children of CEOs, IT executives, politicians.

[herbwuz]

US Public Schools Not Underfunded

US public schools are grossly mis-managed, but cannot be called underfunded. We spend (waste) more money per student than any other nation.

[gravytoss]

pick school then BUY HOUSE

Bigger in its impact on our economy than any of these: " Hence, school selection involves a battery of interviews, assessment tests, teeth gnashing and humility." is the scrutiny of family finances with the aim of buying a house in the best community you can afford [where best means "best schools"]...it is a very significant factor in house prices.