Steven Jobs On American Education

[jdperren 0]

A recent article in Wired discusses a recent series of speeches by Apple's Steven Jobs. The CEO blames the egregious state of American education to a large extent on the inability to fire incompetents and hire the best minds. He argues that the unions are a primary reason for that.

Not surprisingly, the columnist takes Jobs to task, citing 'complexity', an implicit right to education at taxpayer expense, and the rest of the long-familiar socialist slant on the subject.

My opinion of Steven Jobs just rose a point. Wired on Jobs View of Education's Problems

[Oakes 0]

When I first heard about this, I was stunned. He is surrounded by the likes of Al Gore and a customer base that slants unbelievably leftward that I never would've guessed he was this reasonable. Then again, he seems to have a disinterested head-nodding attitude to anything more abstract than his business.

How American :-)

[JRoberts 0]

I'm not a leftist...

[non-contradictor 0]

That's awesome. I wish it were more well-known. Thanks for sharing!

If you read the article, there is a link to a 1996 Wired article where Jobs makes similar statements, as well as some other promising things:

I'm an optimist in the sense that I believe humans are noble and honorable, and some of them are really smart. I have a very optimistic view of individuals. As individuals, people are inherently good.

Most of the stuff they study in school is completely useless. But some incredibly valuable things you don't learn until you're older - yet you could learn them when you're younger. And you start to think, What would I do if I set a curriculum for a school?

God, how exciting that could be!

He certainly has a good sense of life.

P.S. I've been a Mac user for six years, and I'm no leftist.

[Tom Rexton 0]

Oh, I believe you, and no offense taken. I was under the impression that Jobs himself had more of a leftist view. I'll have to do some investigating when I get the chance.

Steve Jobs is an interesting character--like so many businessmen he is compartmentalized. I skimmed through a biography about him playfully titled iCon. The author describes Jobs' coming to realize that "maybe Thomas Edison did more good than Karl Marx and (some other man whose name I can't remember) ever did" --something to that effect (that was not an exact quotation). This makes sense, else how could he possibly live as he does, pushing technology forward? Sure he's leftist, but he doesn't see the contradiction.

And yes, I'm typing this on a Mac!

[jdperren 0]

One quote among many that stands out is:

"The solution, Jobs believes, is to treat schools like businesses: Empower the principal to fire bad teachers like a CEO." Yes, heaven forbid we should do that. 'Cause, you know, those unshod children just might not get shoes unless the government supplies them at fixed prices using approved shoemakers - shoemakers who have demonstrated so convincingly, by the way, what excellent cobblers they are.

My opinion of Steven Jobs just rose a point. My opinion of Wired columnists remains unchanged.

[Joss Delage 0]

I applaud Steve Jobs for his stance on public education.

I assume that people here know that Al Gore is one of Apple's 7 Directors.

[jdperren 0]

More interesting quotes from Jobs on education:

[From a 1995 Smithsonian Oral History interview]

"What kind of person could you get to run a small business if you told them that when they came in they couldn't get rid of people that they thought weren't any good.? Not really great ones because if you're really smart you go, 'I can't win."

"The unions are the worst thing that ever happened to education because it's not a meritocracy. It turns into a bureaucracy, which is exactly what has happened. The teachers can't teach and administrators run the place and nobody can be fired. It's terrible."

And this dead-on-the-money quote from Donna Botatin, who posted the quotes:

"Rather than anti-union, I find Jobs to be pro individual accomplishments, in any and all endeavors."

[Oakes 0]

Wow, check this out...

Jobs to get "Rotten Apple' award without apology

The California Federation of Teachers has invited Apple CEO Steve Jobs to either attend an annual CFT convention next month or offer a public apology for his "insulting comments" to California's teachers. Should Jobs fail to apologize or neglect to attend the conference, where he is encouraged to speak with the people who educate California's children and hear from them what the situation is like, the CFT will create a new award specifically for Apple's chief. "We'll call it the Rotten Apple, for the individual who best personifies the need to think differently about public education and teacher unions," California Federation of Teachers president Mary Bergan wrote in a letter to the executive. Bergan aggressively rebuted Jobs' statement to an educational reform conference last week, where he expressed belief that the schools have become unionized "in the worst possible way" and that the unionization with lifetime employment of K-12 teachers is "off-the-charts crazy."

http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/02/23/tea...demand.apology/

[non-contradictor 0]

The group leader says the big problem is actually under-funding, and contested Jobs' likening of public education to a business.

This reminds me of referendum time last year when my home district was campaigning for more funds. They were threatening to cut all extracurricular activities if it didn't pass, including sports, and you can imagine what an uproar that caused. The schools can teach absolutely nothing, but threaten to cut sports and the teachers can rally all the parents together to get them more money. I didn't give it too much thought immediately, since I had transferred to a public magnet-type boarding school the year before in an attempt to escape the mind-numbing boredom of the local high school. Anyway, one Saturday morning I go to the door to find my old elementary school vice principal with a campaign sign. I was wearing a class T-shirt for my new school. She commented on it. I couldn't help but smile at the irony. Then she asked my mother whether she could count on a "yes" vote from our family. My mother said no and shut the door on her. Why on earth would we give them more money if they don't deserve the money they've already got? I didn't leave their school system because I thought it was too good.

Unfortunately, it passed anyway. Ach, I get so angry when I think about this. I have a cousin who is starting private kindergarten in the fall. She goes to a private day-care/pre-K school at the moment. She loves school now, is always excited to do her homework, and when I think about what will happen to that enthusiasm when she starts off in public school already ahead of everyone and bored...

It does make me wonder how many other famous people have called the teacher's unions out. Why are they specifically targeting Jobs for a brand new "award?"

[Stephen Speicher 0]

Then she asked my mother whether she could count on a "yes" vote from our family. My mother said no and shut the door on her. Why on earth would we give them more money if they don't deserve the money they've already got? I didn't leave their school system because I thought it was too good.

I can't remember exactly what it was, but something you related previously made me like your mother. Regardless, this current instance is sufficient: I like your mom!

[non-contradictor 0]

I can't remember exactly what it was, but something you related previously made me like your mother. Regardless, this current instance is sufficient: I like your mom!

I don't know how I missed replying to this before.

In any case, thank you. I do too.