The Lowering of the Bar/Boondoggle

Courtesy of EdWeek.org

U.S. Students Fall Short in Math and Science

Teenagers in a majority of industrialized nations far surpassed their American peers in mathematics in results that seem likely to add to recent consternation over U.S. students’ core academic skills.

• America Idles on International Reading Test
(December 4, 2007)

Here's one take on the subject, supported by several different responses:

Time will tell if the "flavor of the day" teaching methods really work. The initial report is: it's not looking good. Time to get back to basics before our educational system can't educate anyone past the equivalent of fourth grade in 1969. Remember, today's kids are the folks that will be caring for us when we get old. Don't they (and we) deserve better than what's on the horizon?

Boondoggle (def.): to do work of little or no practical value merely to keep or look busy.

Yep. Shoe fits.