LABRats and the Education Crisis

Forrest M. Mims III

Are you keeping up with Shawn Carlson's progress with LABRats? Be sure to see his latest report in the News department of this issue of The Citizen Scientist.

Shawn's vision for LABRats is much more than just another good idea. It's his passion. Part of his goal is to build a permanent infrastructure that will make science fun and exciting for young people.

LABRats has the potential to transform science education in the United States, where students perform near the bottom of academic achievement tests.

What do these students know when they leave school? A Roper Organization study funded by National Geographic revealed that 30 percent of U.S. 18- to 24-year-olds can’t find the Pacific Ocean on a world map.

The education crisis that led to this sad result did not happen overnight. It’s in part a byproduct of a cultural shift in the U.S. in which entertainment, sports, television, computer games and working after school to make car payments have much higher priorities than a sound education.

Parents play a key role in these choices when they ignore their children, fail to encourage their studies or try to be friends instead of parents. Some parents push their children into activities that take away valuable study time and contribute nothing to their education.

The culture shift in America has been accompanied by a decline in respect for authority and morality, which makes life especially difficult for school teachers and students who want to learn. Shawn Carlson has experienced this firsthand in some rude e-mails he has received from a few teenagers.

Many schools across America hire police and install metal detectors to protect staff and students from teenage thugs.

The public school crisis cannot be fixed until the culture is fixed.

Schools need parents who make sure teachers don’t have to waste time dealing with students who are late or unruly.

Children needs parents who make sure they have a proper place to study and that they spend more time in school than playing video games and watching TV.

Children need schools that care more about hiring and retaining quality teachers than building larger student parking lots and bigger football stadiums.

Children need a return to a time when school teachers were treated with respect and were known for their academic achievement. Many of those teachers are now nearing retirement or have left the profession. According to the College Board, many of the 2005 high school seniors planning to major in education scored near the bottom in SAT tests.

Fixing the education crisis may take a generation or more. Meanwhile, parents who care about their children might follow the advice in an 1860 report card sent to me by Wylie Hawthorn of San Antonio, Texas:

“It is desirable that every scholar may accomplish as much as he is capable of doing, and this can only be done by a cooperation on the part of the parent. Your attention is also called to the propriety of occasionally visiting the school and seeing whether or not your teacher is faithful.”

The most serious offense that could be checked on this 1860 report card was “whispering without permission.”

That 1860 report card needs to be updated to include new advice for both parents and students: Find out about LABRats. Participate on the ground floor of a movement that can transform science achievement. You can learn about the program here. And you can sign up here.

Forrest M. Mims III