IP: NY education

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 09:58:26 -0400
> To: Jean_Camp () harvard edu
> From: Richard Jay Solomon <rsolomon () dsl cis upenn edu>
> Subject: NY education
> Cc: farber () cis upenn edu (David Farber)
>
> > For the elite who make it to US schools, the education system for those 
> > foreign countries offers:
> > algebra in jr high
> > "advanced" calculus in high school
> > music in high school
> > decent foreign language instruction through school.
>
> The high school I went to, Bronx Science, offered all those -- indeed 
> required all those subjects of every graduate. So did 3 or 4 other public 
> high schools in NYC in my day. But we don't value such schools any more. 
> At my 40th high school reunion, a couple of billionaire alumni offered 
> their old school a huge endowment to raise salaries, buy equipment, etc., 
> but the NYC Board of Education said they cannot accept an endowment for 
> just one school, and certainly not to raise salaries(!) -- they would have 
> to donate the money to the NYC general fund (where it would vanish into 
> some corrupt project).
>
> The billionaires told the City to go to hell. So much for catering to the 
> brightest and best.
>
> Richard



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