Part 4: Answering Previous Questions

Here’s another answer for a question(s) included in a past posting. This one is from October 10th: Various questions continued:

·         How do jobs get created by public policy? Answered

·         How does the economy really work? What are the primary elements of economic theory and how they work? Answered

·         What public policy efforts actually move the economy in one direction or another? We want the factual information, not opinion, please! Answered

·         Is homeownership an ideal our nation should embrace? How well are we doing? Answered

·         How do we measure effectiveness of the education system? If it is lacking, how do we fix it and who pays for it?

·         How do we replace the “oil standard” economy with another energy base? Would this produce more jobs and a more stable foreign policy in the Middle East?

·         What role should religion play in government? Any?

·         If religion is to be kept separate from government decisions, why then do we make laws about homosexuality, abortion and other elements based on religious tenets or dogma?

·         If religion is not public policy to be discussed, then why do we ask candidates about their religious beliefs and affiliations?

·         How diverse is our nation and is that a good thing?

·         Are all terrorists Muslims? Should we be afraid of all Muslims?

·         Is America a Christian nation or not?

New answer added today:

1. How do we measure the effectiveness of the education system? If it is found lacking, how do we fix it and who pays for it? This is tough to answer. I think one way we don’t measure it is by test results. Testing may tell us some things but it doesn’t measure if the system itself is working.  Here are few measures I think should be watched:
1. Graduation rate of students; high school, middle school
2. Graduation ‘on time’ data for all graduates; length of time to complete degree requirements
3. Data measuring the number of students seeking additional education

                                                              i.      College or university degrees

                                                            ii.      Technical or vocation education programs

                                                          iii.      Graduate degrees at universities

                                                          iv.      Professional certification programs and certificates issued

4. Career stability or growth data (does this even exist?)
5. Are programs offered to help people re-tool for career changes? If so, how well enrolled are they? And what is their graduation completion rate?
6. If we find problems with the education system how do we fix it? I think:

                                                              i.      Ask education specialists to assess the problems; identify a process to research both the problems and potential solutions;

                                                            ii.      Assign a cross disciplinary academic panel to assess an array of solutions to the problems then recommend their final solution

                                                          iii.      Seek systemic solution that does not patch a broken mess; refresh or replace as needed

7. Who pays for it? I think:

                                                              i.      Federal authorities need to champion this approach and pay for it. When adopted the states can incorporate it as they see fit

                                                            ii.      States will need to pay for their own education system through the local levels. But property taxes should not be a part of funding schools

8. Primary objective of education? I think:

                                                              i.      Students are nurtured to self actualization and self sustaining life style; their choice, but their consequences, too.

                                                            ii.      Inventiveness valued and supported throughout the educational experience

                                                          iii.      Quality of life issues explored throughout the school experience

                                                          iv.      Include comparative religions in curriculum but only as an academic subject; role in history, psychology, culture, etc.

I’ll stop here and pick up the list of questions in  later blog.

December 8, 2011