I like our American education…

Many say that America has a poor quality education.

I disagree.

I have had students from South Africa, Ghana, Great Britain, Norway, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. I have not found the students from any one country any better prepared than my American students. I do know that in other countries the only students taking the college-entry type standardized testing are the top students who have been filtered out at age 11 and again at age 16. In America everyone, including those that are challenged in some respect, takes the standardized tests. Because it is so inclusive, the test has been made increasingly simpler and therefore less challenging to our upper students. The average of our scores is inclusive of everyone at the top and at the bottom. We often compare our results with those of European college-bound students who have made it through the 11-year and 16-year-old filters.

I like our system. It reflects our land of opportunity.

Let me explain. When I lived in Portugal I discovered two things.
First, a student had to be accepted into a track at age 16 (10th grade) in order to go to that particular study in university. If he or she could not succeed in that study, he or she had to begin again. Thus there were day and night classes for high school students; students in their 20’s worked with regular students, trying to finish those last 2 years of classes to be acceptable in college.

It seemed to me that that was similar to our community college system. I like our system better, for it prevents us from sending 25-year-olds among our 17-year-olds.

The second thing I discovered was how the exclusivity at the heart of the educational system fulfilled itself professionally. The job ads in Portugal clearly stated, “No one over 35 should apply.” One had to be established in his or her career by 35 or he was doomed. Once a person was 35 he was given no second chances. In America the community colleges are full of people over 30 seeking to improve their career options through education, or seeking to simply improve their lives. I like that.

I like our American system.

Considering how many foreigners move to America every year, I think many agree with me!