Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Contributor 

Back “in the day” (1960s) the United States had the best educational system in the world.  Even if we allow for personal/country pride we were definitely in the top five.  Where are we today?  It depends on the survey one reads.  We are somewhere between 13th., behind Slovenia, and 36th waaay behind Bulgaria.  How many American students can find either country on a map?

What happened?  Is it just Gloucester City or the country as a whole?  The answer to the second question is easy.  No, it is not just Gloucester City.  It is the country as a whole.  We are spending an unbelievable amount of money for our kids to rank between 13th and 36th.

The biggest excuse I heard when getting my Masters in Education at St. Joseph’s University was that the Russians sent a satellite (Sputnik – 1958) into space before the United States.  That was more than 50 years in the past and Sputnik self-destructed after three months.  America followed with Telstar (including a song) in 1962 and we were successful.  Instead of using this as a classroom lesson of taking your time and doing a project correctly, the educational geniuses decided to reinvent the wheel.  How many of us with gray hair remember “new math?”  My class was the last of the “old math” students.  After that parents could no longer help their kids with homework.  Parents knew that 7×5=35 but they couldn’t explain the philosophy behind the new way of doing things.

As young as I was (7th grade) I didn’t understand.  After World War II both America and Russia made offers to the German scientists that they couldn’t refuse.   It was really the German scientists who built Sputnik  and Telstar – not the Americans or Russians.  No one thought to ask the Germans how they learned.  Despite the evil done by some Germans, the average student learned well.

I taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in Philadelphia and I always asked my students about schools in their native countries.  In China the names of the students who didn’t do “well enough” were published on a board and they were embarrassed in front of their classmates.  No one would have thought that was funny, especially when the student got home.  In most West African countries education was a privilege, not a right.  If a student got two questions wrong on a test he was beat two times at school.  Then you went home!  In Cambodia (legally Kampuchia) failure is not acceptable, neither is “getting by.”  Only success is acceptable. 

When I looked at the list of countries which educated its students better than the United States, I found several which were legally bilingual:  Singapore (3 languages,) Canada (2,) Belgium (3,) Ireland (2,) Switzerland (3,) and Israel (2.)  No other country coddles its students the way America does.  Every other country prepares its students for a world which is tough and not fair.   

By Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Contributor

Store Closings in 2022

Maybe there is hope for mom and pop stores if they can just hold on long enough.

We’ve been doing a lot of talking and worrying, with cause, about “mom and pop” stores and if they can survive by the time the pandemic ends.  During this time, however, we haven’t been looking at big box stores and those which have been in operations for more than a century.  There is always “good news/bad news” in issues such as this.  The good news/bad news is that if major mall stores close, the mom and pop stores pick up the slack – if they can survive that long.

Some chain stores are closing completely, others are just changing their mode of operations.  Is there a street corner in any city without a Starbucks?   There will be more in the next year or two.  The coffee store will be closing about 400 full-service stores but will be opening about 700 drive-throughs.  You will soon be able to buy a $4 cup of coffee without getting out of your car.  That expensive coffee made a 21.6% profit for the company.

Continue reading “THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY:We Worry About “Mom and Pop” Stores Surviving (VI)” →

_{Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Contributor}

Part II

Our federal administration is not making out very well in court but this decision was predictable.  Today Federal District Judge Mathew Schelp overruled the federal rule that all health care workers in facilities which accept Medicare and Medicaid (basically all) must be vaccinated.

A year ago these health care workers were our heroes; this year they are losing their jobs.  The same is true of most first responders.  In many, if not most of these cases the workers aren’t against the vaccine but don’t want the government dictating what chemicals go into their bodies.  Others have medical conditions which may have a negative effect – we just don’t have enough information yet.  Finally, there is that pesky ole document, the United States Constitution which prohibits the government from interfering with religious beliefs.

Continue reading “The Story Behind The Story: To Vax or Not to Vax (V)” →

by Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Contributor

Have you gotten a letter or e-mail from Public Service Electric & Gas Co offering a new thermostat for free?  Sounds good, doesn’t it?  Maybe not.

Nowhere in PSE&G’s e-mail does it say anything (even in the fine print) about the thermostat being changed remotely.  This is a question that needs to be asked and answered.  In June of this year USA Today¹ printed an article about this program being used in Texas.  Customers were “given the opportunity” to sign up for the program.  Shortly thereafter people found their houses much warmer than they set the thermostat.  This was during the summer and one couple found their thermostat had been raised to 78 degrees in the middle of the day.  Some people said this was being done without their consent.

Continue reading “THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY (Your Money/Chapter IV)” →

by Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews

The other day I wrote about the Kyle Rittenhouse trial in Kenosha, WI. When he was attacked by three ex-convicts. He shot back and killed one of them. A second testified in court that he had pulled a gun first. Mr. Rittenhouse defended himself.

Since then the trial has been a tragedy of errors. The prosecutor has made mistake after mistake and the defense attorney has made four requests for a mistrial but it hasn’t happened.

Since the trial started there have been groups of radicals shouting “No Justice, No Peace.” Correspondents report that the judge and jury can hear this. It is a threat. If you don’t find Kyle Rittenhouse guilty you will be sorry. This is jury intimidation and reason number five for a mistrial.

Continue reading “The Story Behind The Story: What Is Going On in the Kyle Rittenhouse Trial?” →

by Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Contributor

There are only a few days left before those of us who are over 65 or disabled can change Medicare coverage plans.  This is a very difficult decision.  There are many health insurance companies

who will provide coverage, usually better than the government’s, but at a premium.  The government’s plan leaves a lot to be desired.  To start, let’s look at what Medicare does not cover.¹

1.  Medical needs incurred outside the United States.  If you plan to travel and you have kept the government’s plan, make sure to buy travel insurance.  Although it can be a big help it doesn’t always solve your problems.  Twice a friend was in Mexico and was hurt.  They went to the hospital and was told that it would cost $8,000 just to have an ER doctor look at her.  Her husband said that they had travel insurance but that didn’t solve the problem.  Until the hospital actually received the $8,000 they put it on my friend’s credit card.  How many people have an $8,000 line of credit on their credit cards?  Investigate the laws where you plan to go.

Continue reading “THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY (Chapter III):Medicare Coverage Plans” →

by Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Contributor

The United States Senate has passed a bill submitted by Sen. Marco Rubio (R, FL) to make Daylight Savings Time permanent.  Sen. Rubio made some valid points in his bill.  During the standard time when evening comes at 5:00 p.m. crime rate is higher, people become depressed due to Seasonal Affective Disorder and for an unknown reason, people have more heart attacks.  There is also the hope, optimistically, that with more daylight kids will spend more time outside getting exercise.

image courtesy of The Farmers Almanac

Continue reading “The Story Behind The Story: Daylight Savings Time Forever” →

BY DOROTHY PHILBIN | CNBNews Contributor

When I taught at West Philadelphia High School a student named S.M. was the valedictorian the first year I was there.  I’m happy for everyone who works hard enough to place first in a class of more than 300 students.  He should have been very proud.

At that time the CEO (Superintendent) of the district was Paul Vallas who, in my opinion, was doing a wonderful job.  His first priority was to buy all new textbooks for every student.  Other, similar priorities quickly followed.  Sadly, for S.M. it was too little, too late.  Even though he was valedictorian he had to take a remedial math course over the summer to enter college in September.  The school hadn’t prepared him to take an entry-level college math course.

Continue reading “THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY:Response to School District of Philadelphia CEO Candidates” →

BY DOROTHY PHILBIN | CNBNews Contributor

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (March 16, 2022)–Cleary’s Notebook (CNBNews) this week printed an article about the Teach for America program and they, as with many employers, can’t fill openings.  In their case they have hundreds into thousands of openings.  I had experience with Teach for America when I taught in the School District of Philadelphia.  I felt it was a very unfair program.