“Neither of the NPR employees voted for Bush”

[ATFFL]

Those who can, do.
Those who can't, teach.

And those who have no concept of reality, insult teachers.

[ATFFL]

Dude, I have nothing against elementary and high school teachers who are overwhelmingly underpaid and underappreciated.  I was referring to the college professors which gain the awe and respect of our liberal friends.

Those who can, do.
Those who can't, teach.

And those who have no concept of reality, insult teachers.

I've found it caries widely based on the field.  Your eduction professors almost all have 5-10 years teaching in their field before moving on.  Research fields almost always have profs who are there to do research and teach only because it is required.

English profs are there because they cannot write the Great American Novel.  Business profs tend to either be complete real world failures or people who made their money and are now giving back.

[ATFFL]

I was surprised to see that California, hardly Bush country, was in the bottom ten.

http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/p20-550.pdf

You can thank Prop 13, which was passed by anti-tax zealots, for that. Also, CA has a lot of immigrants.

Another this, is a HS diploma equivalent from state to staet? I have the feeling a NY HS diploma is more meaningful than an AL one.

CA's educational system fell apart long before that, jfern.  They were the first to adopt the experimental education methods from the 60s and early 70s.  They are now among the last to drop these widely discredited programs.

[ATFFL]

CA's educational system fell apart long before that, jfern.  They were the first to adopt the experimental education methods from the 60s and early 70s.  They are now among the last to drop these widely discredited programs.

What experimental education methods? I've haeard that CA had pretty good schools before Prop. 13 was passed in 1978.

Personal grammar (there is no proper grammar, write how you want), personal spelling (same as above, for spelling), hands off science instruction (let the kids loose in a field so they can learn biology) and a variety of other hair-brained, highly unsuccessful programs got their start in California before Prop 13 ever saw the ballot box.  Some schools still practice them.