The U.S. Breeds Cocky Kids Which Puts it at a Disadvantage in the World

When I phoned my airline to see if I could cash my frequent flyer points in, I realized that I was speaking to a call center in India. That was not too surprising after hearing that many major airlines are experiencing financial difficulties, so jobs like these have been outsourced. What was surprising was the advanced level of the man's intelligence and professionalism. As he opened my account from the other side of the world, I understood why the airline sent this job overseas.
Whether you are a free trade supporter or not, the reality of this scenario is that it is happening. What is the solution? Should our leaders fight to keep jobs here or stay on the laissez-faire path?
That is the current challenge.

Here is the reality: The United States ranks 28th in math and 22nd in science. This country is behind China, Korea and Finland. Many experts are saying that today's children will not do as well as their parents. The fact is that this nation will take it on the chin even harder if we do not compete in the global marketplace. The way to do that is to improve our schools so that we are able to produce quality workers in this country who can compete with those in places like India and China.

I only hope that view would prevail in our schools. We cannot forget the story of Larry Neace. The Physics teacher was fired during the last school year for lowering the grade of a student who was sleeping in class. Neace, a 23-year veteran of Gwinnett County Schools in suburban Atlanta, was previously warned not to lower a student's grade for misbehaving in class. Neace disagreed and paid the ultimate price with his job.

I can understand why the school board came to its conclusion. Throughout the 1980s, scores of parents threatened lawsuits if educators lowered grades due to a student behaving badly. Today, school boards are dealing with the view that the student is empowered by challenging the teacher. Is this good policy? When it comes to producing good students who can compete in the global marketplace, I would say that the Neace decision is an example of how this nation is not meeting that goal.

Does the original Neace decision say that it is OK for future students to sleep in class? If school is preparing our students for the real world based on decisions like this case, then we are headed for countries like China and India to call the economic shots. If we were to find logic in the decision, then we must ask, "Would a company like Dell Computers say that on-the-job behavior should not be linked with an employee's annual review?" Life in the global marketplace does not work like that, so why should the school system operate in such a fashion?

As I was working out my frequent flyer points with the airline call center employee, I noted how this man had such a strong work ethic and character. In this state, we talked about how important character education is to the process of training our children for the future. Allowing bright students like the one in Gwinnett to sleep in class without any consequence can create a "cocky culture" whereby everyone slides by in life. When I was on the phone to India, I asked myself, "Could the sleeping student compete with people like this?" Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding, "No."

Thankfully Larry Neace is gainfully employed in nearby Barrow County. He has become a celebrity of sorts in Gwinnett County, which has produced a runaway bride and a happenstance hostage. While Mr. Neace might not be as glamorous as Jennifer Wilbanks or Ashley Smith, his story has deeper meaning because it involves all of us and our families' futures. As far as I know, Mr. Neace does not have a movie or book deal. What he does have is something that he cherishes the most in his life-a teaching job.