The following continues the serialization of Chapter 3 on education of SIMPLE SOLUTIONS for Humanity:
Serteens
It is said that the top 2% in any community do half the work. Well, interestingly enough, it is reported that the richest 2% own half the wealth. Conversely, the poorest half of the world’s population own 1% of global assets. American schools spend more than $8 billion annually to educate the mentally retarded, while spending less than $800 million on gifted programs. While this can be understood, and is the only humane thing to do, is it smart?
In 618 BC child prodigies were assembled by the Tang Dynasty to the Imperial Court for specialized training. Today, China provides more than half a billion dollars each year to Key High Schools for science and technology. Plato, circa 400 BC, wrote about specialized training for the gifted. The Renaissance saw a wide variety of gifted provided special education in the arts. In the U.S. the shock of Sputnik in 1957 no doubt inspired me towards engineering and helped create a higher interest in science and engineering as a matter of national security.
Now, not faced with a competitive enemy, we are today failing our geniuses, as the highest achievers are challenged the least. You would expect those with superior intelligence would at least stay in school longer, but the dropout rate is similar to other students. America’s gifted, furthermore, score significantly lower than the gifted from Japan, Hungary and Singapore, because we basically ignore our top students.
Ex-Air Force officer living in Honolulu, George Carter (now, author, The Splintered Rainbow, AuthorHouse—who was the individual who talked me into publishing SIMPLE SOLUTIONS with this company), in the 1970’s, formed a chapter of SERTOMA (from SERvice TO MAnkind), a service club first started in Kansas City in 1912. SERTOMA focused on promoting freedom and democracy, plus assisting with hearing disorders. There is usually some association with the military, for patriotism is a motto. How I ever got involved with this organization is a real mystery, for only today, decades after leaving them, do I now appreciate the value of freedom and democracy, from the first chapter of this book, and am beginning to lose my hearing.
Clearly, the top 2% of students, the ones that go on to our best universities, then go on to get a PhD degree or an MBA, will have a greater influence on the future of the world. Partly with this thought in mind, George formed the Serteens Club of Hawaii to enhance the future success of gifted and talented intermediate and high school students who tested in the top 2 percentile. It became his passion.
Part of my joining SERTOMA could have been to assist George with Serteens. I recall participating with him in an early planning meeting with the Hawaii Superintendent of Education. I came away stunned. Here was this highly respected educator (and father of someone who later became a valued staff member of the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, an organization I directed at the University of Hawaii), who essentially refused to cooperate with George. The attitude portrayed was that one shouldn’t spend extra money on the elite. We needed to treat all students equally. However, it would be permissible to skew the budget towards the needy, as the gifted will somehow find their way. This is the American way of life. While I could live with this form of sympathy, I was nevertheless troubled that we were missing an opportunity.
This is the problem. The gifted, especially, tend to focus on themselves. They do extremely well in achievement tests and inordinately focus on their studies, for the rewards of current acclaim and future scholarships steer them towards personal success. Then, someday, they find themselves in the real world and discover that only looking out for yourself does not work. You need to be able to influence people. You are part of a total system of systems. You don’t learn leadership in any of your courses, unless you took ROTC or were part of team sports. On the contrary, mathematics, science and language in the past taught you to NOT cooperate. Serteens promoted people relationships and becoming involved.
George, nevertheless, plugged on and, over time, gained a measure of the State Department of Education’s confidence. His students were terrific, and will go on to become societal leaders. In 2004, the current crop renamed themselves the George B. Carter Serteens Club of Hawaii. After two decades, I have on my schedule participating in their annual Hawaii Volcanoes National Park camp out, the week after I submit this book for publication.
Regarding education, of course, you can’t prioritize everything, for the budget is limited. As a simple solution, though, I would like to suggest that $8 billion continue to be annually appropriated to improve education opportunities for the mentally retarded. However, instead of $800 million, we need to increase this figure by a factor of 10 for the gifted to optimize the prospects for the future of humanity. In consideration of crime and Chapter 1, I can add another $8 billion (wincing that the annual Department of Energy budget for renewable energy has averaged less than $1 billion) to the edification of those individuals who show signs of becoming our future career criminals. So how will this sum of double digit billions magically become available? Read on.
-It is said that the top 2% in any community do half the work. Well, interestingly enough, it is reported that the richest 2% own half the wealth. Conversely, the poorest half of the world’s population own 1% of global assets. American schools spend more than $8 billion annually to educate the mentally retarded, while spending less than $800 million on gifted programs. While this can be understood, and is the only humane thing to do, is it smart?
In 618 BC child prodigies were assembled by the Tang Dynasty to the Imperial Court for specialized training. Today, China provides more than half a billion dollars each year to Key High Schools for science and technology. Plato, circa 400 BC, wrote about specialized training for the gifted. The Renaissance saw a wide variety of gifted provided special education in the arts. In the U.S. the shock of Sputnik in 1957 no doubt inspired me towards engineering and helped create a higher interest in science and engineering as a matter of national security.
Now, not faced with a competitive enemy, we are today failing our geniuses, as the highest achievers are challenged the least. You would expect those with superior intelligence would at least stay in school longer, but the dropout rate is similar to other students. America’s gifted, furthermore, score significantly lower than the gifted from Japan, Hungary and Singapore, because we basically ignore our top students.
Ex-Air Force officer living in Honolulu, George Carter (now, author, The Splintered Rainbow, AuthorHouse—who was the individual who talked me into publishing SIMPLE SOLUTIONS with this company), in the 1970’s, formed a chapter of SERTOMA (from SERvice TO MAnkind), a service club first started in Kansas City in 1912. SERTOMA focused on promoting freedom and democracy, plus assisting with hearing disorders. There is usually some association with the military, for patriotism is a motto. How I ever got involved with this organization is a real mystery, for only today, decades after leaving them, do I now appreciate the value of freedom and democracy, from the first chapter of this book, and am beginning to lose my hearing.
Clearly, the top 2% of students, the ones that go on to our best universities, then go on to get a PhD degree or an MBA, will have a greater influence on the future of the world. Partly with this thought in mind, George formed the Serteens Club of Hawaii to enhance the future success of gifted and talented intermediate and high school students who tested in the top 2 percentile. It became his passion.
Part of my joining SERTOMA could have been to assist George with Serteens. I recall participating with him in an early planning meeting with the Hawaii Superintendent of Education. I came away stunned. Here was this highly respected educator (and father of someone who later became a valued staff member of the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, an organization I directed at the University of Hawaii), who essentially refused to cooperate with George. The attitude portrayed was that one shouldn’t spend extra money on the elite. We needed to treat all students equally. However, it would be permissible to skew the budget towards the needy, as the gifted will somehow find their way. This is the American way of life. While I could live with this form of sympathy, I was nevertheless troubled that we were missing an opportunity.
This is the problem. The gifted, especially, tend to focus on themselves. They do extremely well in achievement tests and inordinately focus on their studies, for the rewards of current acclaim and future scholarships steer them towards personal success. Then, someday, they find themselves in the real world and discover that only looking out for yourself does not work. You need to be able to influence people. You are part of a total system of systems. You don’t learn leadership in any of your courses, unless you took ROTC or were part of team sports. On the contrary, mathematics, science and language in the past taught you to NOT cooperate. Serteens promoted people relationships and becoming involved.
George, nevertheless, plugged on and, over time, gained a measure of the State Department of Education’s confidence. His students were terrific, and will go on to become societal leaders. In 2004, the current crop renamed themselves the George B. Carter Serteens Club of Hawaii. After two decades, I have on my schedule participating in their annual Hawaii Volcanoes National Park camp out, the week after I submit this book for publication.
Regarding education, of course, you can’t prioritize everything, for the budget is limited. As a simple solution, though, I would like to suggest that $8 billion continue to be annually appropriated to improve education opportunities for the mentally retarded. However, instead of $800 million, we need to increase this figure by a factor of 10 for the gifted to optimize the prospects for the future of humanity. In consideration of crime and Chapter 1, I can add another $8 billion (wincing that the annual Department of Energy budget for renewable energy has averaged less than $1 billion) to the edification of those individuals who show signs of becoming our future career criminals. So how will this sum of double digit billions magically become available? Read on.
The Dow Jones Industrials jumped 80 to the highest level since October 7, at 9627. The signs are looking good, and tomorrow will be crucial, for various indexes, inventories and budgets will be announced. Markets in the Orient were mostly down, while Europe was largely up. Gold crept up to $996/toz and oil to $72/barrel.
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In the Atlantic, Hurricane Fred, still at 90 MPH, will slowly weaken and become a remnant in a few days. In the Pacific, Hurricane Linda, at 75 MPH, will also dissipate over the next few days. In the West Pacific, Tropical Depression Mujigae is now over Hainan and will weaken further before heading for Viet Nam.
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