Here’s an article from yesterday that riled me a bit:

Letter: Why our physics teacher shortage matters

No, not the part about the lack of physics teachers, which is sad enough.

It’s the reasoning given:

I teach physics here in Phoenix and was a runner up for Arizona Teacher of the Year. The decline of high school physics in Arizona severely threatens business in our state. In stark contrast to the rest of the nation, only 20 percent of our high-school students are able to take physics and now we are down to only 160 certified physics teachers left statewide.

That’s right. The primary (and really sole) reason given for why lack of teachers is bad is because it’s bad for business.

This is the end result of dropping the concept of a “liberal” education.

That something only has value if it can be commercialized and monetized is something quite different than the idea of a person being “well educated”.

And this isn’t just some Koch-conspiracy driven movement. No, President Obama embraces it too, along with parts of the Democratic establishment.