Thank you Greg. I ponder these issues a lot and this article helps me better frame some of my thoughts and analysis. To me, this comes down to attitude in the first instance. I am not a scientist . I tend to view attitude more about nurture than nature , and thus environmental, social and community factors are , in my opinion, critical a…
Thank you Greg. I ponder these issues a lot and this article helps me better frame some of my thoughts and analysis. To me, this comes down to attitude in the first instance. I am not a scientist . I tend to view attitude more about nurture than nature , and thus environmental, social and community factors are , in my opinion, critical as a child develops. I tend to believe that good ( or bad) attitude that has been instilled in a child is a powerful life force that often ( though not always) is hard to reverse given the environment etc. Finally, education can be the great equalizer because it can and has affected ( positively) attitude in countless children. Sowell et al should be read by all. Unfortunately , because their facts and conclusions do not fit the preferred narrative they are instead either ignored or worse denigrated ( especially and shamefully by many white progressives who have never even read any of Professor Sowell's many many books and articles). Thanks again.
And thank you, Michael. Sowell's work is definitely crucial. I do find, however, that he's so anti-left in his work as a public intellectual that he rarely if ever puts a critical eye on his side of the political spectrum.
No question that education is a huge part of the problem and is the arena for potential solutions. Excellent charter schools should be fully supported--period. A moribund public education system should have competition and alternatives. Economist Roland Fryer's suggested reforms for public schools are essential in this regard.
Thank you Greg. I ponder these issues a lot and this article helps me better frame some of my thoughts and analysis. To me, this comes down to attitude in the first instance. I am not a scientist . I tend to view attitude more about nurture than nature , and thus environmental, social and community factors are , in my opinion, critical as a child develops. I tend to believe that good ( or bad) attitude that has been instilled in a child is a powerful life force that often ( though not always) is hard to reverse given the environment etc. Finally, education can be the great equalizer because it can and has affected ( positively) attitude in countless children. Sowell et al should be read by all. Unfortunately , because their facts and conclusions do not fit the preferred narrative they are instead either ignored or worse denigrated ( especially and shamefully by many white progressives who have never even read any of Professor Sowell's many many books and articles). Thanks again.
And thank you, Michael. Sowell's work is definitely crucial. I do find, however, that he's so anti-left in his work as a public intellectual that he rarely if ever puts a critical eye on his side of the political spectrum.
No question that education is a huge part of the problem and is the arena for potential solutions. Excellent charter schools should be fully supported--period. A moribund public education system should have competition and alternatives. Economist Roland Fryer's suggested reforms for public schools are essential in this regard.