[TIPS] The race is still on - but the US is falling behind

http://economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10251324

Many thanks to John G (name withheld as he’s a student) for sharing this with me via the for:jgates513 tag on del.icio.us. John receives my tips, too. Do you think HE is in control of his education? Do you think he is a self-directed learner? Yes, I do, too. (He’s got his own business, too)

This article in the Economist is subtitled, “Money and effort aren't enough to impart the skills and knowledge needed in a cut-throat world”

This year the study focused on science. Finland topped the list, followed by South Korea, Hong Kong, Canada, Taiwan, Australia and Japan, then Germany, Brittan, Poland, and France. THEN the United States. Here is one finding of note:

“Letting schools run themselves seems to boost a country's position in this high-stakes international tournament: giving school principals the power to control budgets, set incentives and decide whom to hire and how much to pay them. Publishing school results helps, too. More important than either, though, are high-quality teachers: a common factor among all the best performers is that teachers are drawn from the top ranks of graduates.”

Maybe it’ll take a while before the NCLB efforts are reflected, eh? Maybe. But, do we have the luxury of time any longer?