CNN - Many College Athletes can't read or write

I always find the 'reading on a X grade level' reasoning interesting. What defines that can be a bit murky, and I remember from going to school, the vast majority of kids in the non-honors classes had next to no reading comprehension ability. really regardless of what grades they got even. They hated reading, and had no desire to do any.

They use a comparison of other college enrollees. I think an argument could be made that the athletes are more on par with the general population.

 
Does this really surprise anyone? We brag about graduation rates, but the truth is many student athletes graduate college at a junior high reading level. The value of an undergrad degree is already questionable. What about when your athletic department tutors pretty much carried you through?

This is the culture and it isn't changing anytime soon.

 
Just look at twitter...That is all you need to see to judge the education of many. I don't care if it is "short hand or slang", it is pathetic in my opinion. My wife is a teacher and she tells me about kids that are moving up in grades and they can't read or write at the current level they are in. She said that when she confronts parents about it, they get all pissed about it and blame the teachers for not doing their jobs or calling their kids stupid.

 
This is not a surprise. I'm currently teaching at a college and it is so frustrating sometimes. I mean they can't pronounce words they've never seen before because all they learn in school is those stupid sight words and not true phonics anymore. They can't problem solve to save their lives. Got a student that I couldn't even walk her through a crossword puzzle activity... was trying to help another put together her ideas for a paper in another class and she couldn't spell simple words like "center"...

This is why I'm sick of the student athletes complaining about not getting paid. They are handing you a degree. Now for most majors if you don't know what you're doing the degree is worthless but a lot of these kids end up with a Bachelor's degree in pud that allows them to actually get higher up in the pecking order and compete for jobs that others actually worked their way into consideration for.

 
The title of this thread is misleading. Reading at an 8th grade level is not "can't read or write". No, they obviously can't do it as well as you would think a college kid should be able to. However, you would be surprised at the percent of the population that really can't read that well. It's sad but true.

That doesn't dismiss the premiss of the discussion. I wish athletes were held to a higher standard academically. However, in the world of multi million dollar programs with coaches making 7 figures......this is going to happen.

 
beanman said:
Serious question, do you think Jameis Winston can read and write?
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Hell, he can barely speak....
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Stumpy1 said:
Just look at twitter...That is all you need to see to judge the education of many. I don't care if it is "short hand or slang", it is pathetic in my opinion. My wife is a teacher and she tells me about kids that are moving up in grades and they can't read or write at the current level they are in. She said that when she confronts parents about it, they get all pissed about it and blame the teachers for not doing their jobs or calling their kids stupid.
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Who are the Huskers playing football against this week? What color is a yellow banana? What does a rose smell like?

Welcome to the type of questions a college professor asks for the bonus test during a semester. And this professor is pretty much the most decorated (in terms of teaching awards) around. It's not just the parents, though they are at the very foundation of the problem. The entire system is completely broken at all grade levels and all we're churning out are mouth breathing morons. Murica! Murica! Murica!

 
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BigRedBuster said:
The title of this thread is misleading. Reading at an 8th grade level is not "can't read or write". No, they obviously can't do it as well as you would think a college kid should be able to. However, you would be surprised at the percent of the population that really can't read that well. It's sad but true.
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Yep. Deal with the general public for a little while, and the rampant stupidity and ignorance quickly becomes very disturbing. We could do a whole thread in the politics forum about the hows and whys reading, writing, math and reasoning skills are so bad in this country. Its hardly just athletes. And if you think reading at a junior high level is bad, you really, really, really dont want to test the general public's math skills. Just watch people struggle to figure out what 4/$9 is per unit.

 
Are our schools really so easy that you don't even have to learn how to read and write? I hope not but it wouldn't surprise me. Wonder what they charge other kids to do their homework.

 
Stumpy1 said:
Just look at twitter...That is all you need to see to judge the education of many. I don't care if it is "short hand or slang", it is pathetic in my opinion. My wife is a teacher and she tells me about kids that are moving up in grades and they can't read or write at the current level they are in. She said that when she confronts parents about it, they get all pissed about it and blame the teachers for not doing their jobs or calling their kids stupid.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wjJC7RvhQs

 
Decked said:
Are our schools really so easy that you don't even have to learn how to read and write? I hope not but it wouldn't surprise me. Wonder what they charge other kids to do their homework.
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There's no accountability or punishment for failure. Kids are moved on to the next grade (thanks "No Child Left Behind" for contributing) whether or not they actually learn the material. So if I'm a young kid whose parents don't care if I learn anything or not then why would I apply myself? I could just play video games all day until I'm grown up and then I'll figure out what to do then. (I mean kids stay kids and never learn responsibility so why would they think about their future?)

And when you compound that with the government/state's VERY generous system of living without doing $HIT!!!! program...what's the purpose in doing anything but trudging through life a lazy bum with nothing to ever accomplish.

Bottom-line...it starts at home. Schools suck. Teachers have their hands tied by silly policies that "protect" the schools and mandate everything about them. School keeps teaching my oldest child these damn "sight words." That's great...is she going to memorize every flippin word in the english language? I teach anatomy? You think I remember every single anatomy term? Nope. I learned some latin so I could break down these words. Teach em the basics (phonics) and have them "apply" their understanding.

Geez what a rant. I'm going to work.

 
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Decked said:
Are our schools really so easy that you don't even have to learn how to read and write? I hope not but it wouldn't surprise me. Wonder what they charge other kids to do their homework.
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Keep in mind the article states at an '8th grade level' which is enough to function in the world. Its a far cry from illiterate. And more than enough to graduate.

There is very little holding kids back anymore, its deemed too damaging to their self esteem.

 
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