Sooooo.. Here's my rant for the day. Please stop me if I'm wrong.
It seems to me that every year that I have been a Recruiter (going on five by the way) the young folks that I talk to just get dumber, and dumber, and dumber, and dumber. I do not understand how someone who has spent twelve years in school, can't pass the ASVAB. A test that is written at an 8th grade education level. What is being taught in school these days? Really. What is being taught. How does someone who speaks English, and has a High School Diploma not know a simple word like variable, or feasible? How does someone with a bachelor's degree fail the stupid test? A F&$king Bachelor's Degree!!
Honestly I had someone in my office three days ago with a Bachelor's Degree from a prominent California College come into my office and score a 19. Y'know if you just answered all the English questions and selected random numbers on the math parts, you could score a 27. Granted that won't get you in either, but for Peete's sake it's closer. I sat on my couch once and took that test while watching survivor, with my kids doing what they do all over the house, using no scratch paper, and only answering the math problems I could figure out in about two seconds, and I still scored a 69. I haven't looked at an Algebra problem in at least 14 years, and I can do better than someone who is "learning" it?
Earlier this week I was with a whole pile of High School Seniors, and I decided to do a U.S. History quiz, and the results were sickening. Nobody knew simple things. Simple significant things like why did the U.S. enter WWII, when was Pearl Harbor Attacked, When did WWII end? Why did we fight a Civil War. Really, who can't answer that? When did we land on the moon, who was the first American in space, when did the Cuban Missile Crises happen, and who was president at the time, how long did it last?
I asked them to write me a one page history lesson, just one page. When I got them back, it was like I got a history lesson from a third grade class. No I take that back, my son is in the third grade and he knows more about American History then most of those seniors did. Seniors we are about to send into the world. Y'know the future leaders of America?
So now we have established that they don't know English, math, or history. So what do they know. are they any good at P.E.? Hell no. I know this because more of them are coming home from basic training with injuries then ever before. Which tells me that their bodies are entirely too fragile. I know this because Basic training has never been easier. NEVER.
But I tell you these kids today can play the shit out of some video games. Oh yeah. I hope that comes in handy some day. They can smoke the shit out of some weed too.
You can't tell me it's this town I live in either, because the last town I lived in was the same damned way, and THAT school district was a freakin award winning district. What the F%ck is the criteria for winning awards these days? Show up sober, and able to write your name on a piece of paper and you get an A+?
Parents reading this you really need to wake the fuck up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Schools these days are really just retard factories. Sending your kids into the world barely able to read and write, and knowing nothing of their own history and culture. But you don't care either. That's why you've got little Timmy hopped up on twenty different kinds of A D D dope. So you can just ignore him all day. He's being quiet right now, so everything is good. Meanwhile he's up in his room wasting away on the X BOX. THAT'S WHY HE HAS A D D RETARD!!! How the hell do expect a teacher to be able to compete with HALO 3?
Also, If you think he's not doing dope, you're just as stupid as he is. Go ahead ask me how I know?
Boy can you tell how mad this makes me. What ever happened to standards? We live in some make believe world now where every one's a winner. WRONG. Contrary to what we believe not everybody is special. If everyone was we'd need a new word to describe it. We only learn through trial and failure. You can't win all the time. When was the last time in California someone was held back a grade? Teachers are so afraid of not getting tenured they pass everyone now, wether or not they can pass. The California ed System ought to change it's motto to something like "California Schools- Meet the Standards or we'll lower them to meet you".
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Cuba had a missle crisis?! Damn, hope it didnt last longer than 13 days, I wouldn't want the world to be on the brink of a nuclear war...You know what is sad, IMMIGRANTS who come to this country know more about American History and culture! Its sad when Julio, Ahkmed, and Chen know about the Boston Tea Party, and Women's Sufferage. I bet if you were to ask a high senior what the Boston Tea Party was, they'd tell you it is where the Queen of England goes to "let it all hang out". It really disturbs me to hear that the future "leaders" of America know NOTHING about the history of this great country. Significant events in U.S. and World history. I say again, SIGNIFICANT EVENTS in U.S. AND WORLD HISTORY! I think that should entail that you've AT LEAST heard of some of the events. Most of these kids have no idea what Prohibition is!
We really need to reevaluate our education system if we have any desire to keep this nation moving FORWARD. Otherwise, we will fall into a regression very similar to after the fall of the Roman Empire...
What you write is very true but don't forget that while all this is going on, our educational system is still producing brilliant students too (straight As,perfect SATs, etc), though they are far fewer. The big question is why there is such a huge gap between slackers and high achievers, and how to narrow it?
Excellent post and I agree completely. One point about history class...seems like every year I studied American history we were lucky to get to WWI before the school year ended.
A pet peeve I have is people's blind reliance on spellcheck. I can spot a document/email/etc. that has been spellchecked but not proofread a mile away. Aargh!
P.S. Welcome to the recruiting blogging world. I discovered your blog this week and have been enjoying reading your posts. Hang in there - whether you know it or not, your blog, along with the others (SFC B & Station Commando, to name two), is giving a voice to MANY recruiters, detailed and converted alike.
in my area we actually look forward to working with people with GED because we at least confident they can pass the ASVAB, our couselors actually have the nerve to be offended if we talk about how their students have problems passing the ASVAB, "but she is one of the smartest kids in the class." I am sorry Ms. Guidance Counselor, your Honor Student only scored a 23 and that was the highest score in you graduating class. That is why I am not coming to your school and you guys will not get calanders or coffee cups this year, call the Marine Recruiter
I can answer the Civil War question, but I don't know that I could tell you anything about the Cuban Missile Crises. Other than maybe who was President.
And I was Valedictorian. :)
In tenth grade, we were all forced to take the ASVAB and at the time I had no intentions of ever joining the military. My high school counselor told me to shut up and fill in bubbles. So I did. I didn't read the questions. And I got a 60 something. I did much better a year and a half later when I actually read the questions... I don't see how it's POSSIBLE to fail the ASVAB. Though clearly, it is.
Oh, a rant I've wanted to write for a long time is finally out there, and you put it wonderfully... err... well, you know what I mean.
Yes, it is an extremely distressing situation, and California is not alone in dealing with this. While in Lake Charles, LA, I had numerous kids come in and fail the EST horribly. And I don't mean miss it by a few points, I mean not even make double digit scores. And we also had colleges in the area cranking out graduates that routinely failed the ASVAB. Absolutely disgusting.
I don't consider myself a genius but I am smart. I have no problems with the EST or ASVAB, in fact I needed to take the ACT a few years ago and scored a good 12 or so points higher than most of the high school grads in my area. However, not being able to pass a test geared towards eigth-graders is a disgrace to our education system. Why are we making all these kids stay in school for so many years if we don't require them to learn anything? What a waste of time, money and effort.
Good post.
It's a shame our high schools don't continue to build on the 8th grade skills necessary to do well on these standardized tests. Instead, by the time seniors have graduated from high school, they do not remember the material they once knew in 8th grade.
I'm going to echo Jack Army. California is not alone. I think Arizona gets the people who can't hack it in CA.
I've had dozens of people who can't break double digits on the ASVAB. And these are people with diplomas from all around the state, one was even a collij grajit. Depressing.
Well I found your blog because I scored low on the practice ASVAB twice. With a GED to get in the army I need to score a 50 or higher. I scored a 38 and 41. I'm sure you know that because you said you're a recruiter.
The main thing I noticed, where I think a lot of people may suffer, is we cannot use a calculator on the math section of the ASVAB. In high school, we ALWAYS used a calculator for math. I did math up until 10th grade and the stuff they taught us after algebra I would not even call math... Many schools are picking up a new math program. Mine had "IMP"
I was 17 when I passed the asvab and 20 when I failed it. I do not want to blame my failure on the chicago public school system but some of these kids reality does not allow them to dream very far. From experience-Teachers dont care anymore and the ones who do can barely sustain thier class. The schools I attended graduated more thugs than they did students. Thats why you see so many little men with thier stupid hustler ambitions. I am not making excuses for our generations dummies but NOBODY gives a shit anymore which is why I sent my ass to military school and now have to play "catch up"...Mr. Station Commander Man-you should really send your stats to someone who can do something about this.
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