Bill, I got that same response from Melody Barnes. I did not reply to the valueless platitudes of her summary of results.
I applaud you for taking the time to press your points with Ms. Barnes. Gene. ---- Original message ---- >Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:45:56 -0400 >From: Bill Hooper <[email protected]> >Subject: [USMA:50144] Results of Survey on educational needs >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > >I recently participated in a survey on educational needs in the US. I stated >my opinion that teaching the SI metric system should be an important >educational goal. > >I received a reply following the survey and was not happy with the results >they reported. All the ideas that were "summarized" were generalities and >topics that were completely devoid of content. (The vagueness of the >generalities are also a failing of the report, but that is not my main >thought here.) Here is my reply. (The instructions at the end of the report >directed that I send my reply to the White House, which I did.) > >The excerpt below includes a brief quote from the report summarizing the >results and then my reply. > > >Melody Barnes, Director of the Domestic Policy Council wrote: >> >> "Recently, through the White House’s Advise the Advisor program, I asked for >> your ideas on how all Americans can help our students succeed in the 21st >> century. >> >> "Your response was tremendous! Thousands of you ... sent us ideas about our >> education system. ... We ... created a summary of what we learned. Take a >> look:" ETC. > >To which I replied: > >I took a look and I was dismayed to find a total absence of anything regarding >CONTENT. Yes, there are a lot of worthy general ideas, but they are all too >often such vague generalities that they can be interpreted to mean almost >anything (or nothing). > >There are elements of CONTENT in our educational system that MUST be addressed >if our educational system is truly to meet the needs of the 21st century. > >One particular one (which I had offered to Ms. Barnes's survey) is the >teaching of the SI metric system, thoroughly, correctly and probably >exclusively. The rest of the world (96% by population) uses metric in >everything they do, in all trade, commerce, design and manufacturing, etc. Our >students are not prepared for the 21st century if they have not thoroughly >learned the SI metric system and how to use it (and, importantly, NOT just >busy-work converting metric values into Ye Olde English values and the >reverse). > >There are other matters of CONTENT that need to be addressed as well, but I >believe the metric system is one of the most important. > >Regards, >William Hooper >
