Arizona Comes In Last For Smartest States In The Country

[matcom]

<snip>

PHOENIX -- When it comes to intelligence, a new survey ranks Arizona dead last among the states.

For the second year in a row, an annual smartest-state ranking puts Arizona in the No. 50 spot.

The list is compiled by Morgan Quitno Press, a private research and publishing company in Kansas that also puts out annual rankings on the most livable, safest and healthiest states.

In the smart-state ranking, Vermont comes in at the top, followed by Massachusetts, :bounce: Connecticut, New Jersey and Maine.

Arizona is at the bottom, preceded by Nevada, Mississippi, California and Alaska.

http://www.wftv.com/education/10097181/detail.html

[RebelOne]

1. Georgia, my state, is #41. I can believe that. n/t

[RubyDuby in GA]

20. I personally find it hard to believe we aren't dead last

I demand a recount!

[CottonBear]

47. Oy. 41st. Thanks Sonny, for cutting the education budget, you bastard.

:grr:

Hi Ruby! Give Carter Dean big kiss for me!

[RubyDuby in GA]

53. I'll have the picture to end all pictures soon for you guys

Little Carter went to Plains to meet Big Carter this past weekend. The First Lady just took him out of my arms for the picture. I think she tried to steal my baby :)

[CottonBear]

56. OMG! Miss Rosalyn held your baby? How cool is that!

OK, we want the picture of little Carter and big Carter and we want it NOW! ;) :hi:

[Phillycat]

2. We're number 10! We're number 10! nt

[blondeatlast]

3. The Arizona State University student body

brings us WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY down, yanno. Those out-of-state fratbrats come here for the sun, stay for the beer, and then disperse the effect among the general population after graj.

Don't forget the Minutemen on the border, either. And the Maricopa County Sheriff's Dept.

If you could discount them, and I'd very much like to, we'd be way better off.


:hide:

[kay1864]

4. Actually, college students don't figure into it

"The ratings are based on 21 elementary and secondary education indicators, ranging from graduation rates and test scores to teacher pay and class size."

Useful info if one is thinking about where to raise the youngun's.

[Phx_Dem]

14. ASU is a Research 1 University

One of only 8 that don't have a medical school.

Research I Universities
Without an Agricultural or Medical School

Arizona State University

California Institute of Technology

University of California - Santa Barbara

Carnegie Mellon University

Florida State University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Princeton University

University of Texas - Austin
—: close window :—

[bmbmd]

41. UT doesn't have a medical school?

The piece of paper on my wall says different. (There are, in fact four med schools in the UT system.)

[kay1864]

44. UT- *Austin* doesn't

Those four UT med schools are on other campuses.

[bmbmd]

46. And are as much a part of UT

as the Tower. One university, one chancellor. One board of regents.

[kay1864]

48. And nine separate presidents and campuses

The post above clearly says that UT-Austin does not have a medical school (along with seven others). It does not say that "UT" doesn't have a medical school. Nor did you attend UT-Austin for med school.

[bmbmd]

58. Here is what the UT website says-don't shoot the messenger.

Part of The University of Texas System, UT Southwestern Medical Center is governed by the UT Board of Regents. President Dr. Kern Wildenthal leads the medical center which includes three degree-granting institutions:UT Southwestern Medical School, UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and UT Southwestern Allied Health Sciences School. These three schools train more than 4,000 medical, graduate and allied health students, residents and postdoctoral fellows each year.

http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/home/about/index.html

You are getting all upset over semantics. I went there, I've got the paper to prove it, and I know that UTHSCD is an integral part of the UT system. I never said it was in Austin-I said it was UT.
The University of Texas at Austin is a part of the UT system, UT Arlington is part of the UT system, and UT Southwestern is a part of the UT system.

[kay1864]

61. You're amazing

I'm not "upset", but you are completely missing the obvious. I tried twice to explain it in English, and sorry I don't speak Latin. Let's try math:

UT does not equal UT Austin.

Post above said "UT-Austin". I said "UT-Austin". You said "UT". The two are not synonymous.

[Catshrink]

60. Gee, guess that's why my friend calls it the "Valley of the Dumb"

[BarenakedLady]

5. RI is 14

that's where I was edumicated. :silly: NY is 16.

[XemaSab]

6. We're 47!

W00T! :bounce:

[ceile]

7. #25-smack in the middle

There's something to be said for mediocrity.

[City Lights]

8. As someone who lived there recently, I'm not surprised one bit by this.

They've got tons of money for roads, but nothing for the schools. The majority of people I encountered during my stay were not just ignorant, but ignorant and proud.

When we moved there, our kids were a full year ahead of their grade level in math. During our stay, we had to go to great lengths to ensure our kids didn't fall behind.

[Phx_Dem]

10. It depends where you live

school spending is low in some school districts in AZ and the formula for funding them is a little unfair. However a ranking system like this one does not take into account many factors like demographics, population size and mobility.

[City Lights]

11. I ended up driving my kids into Scottsdale for school.

I was able to enroll them at Cocopah during open enrollment, which guaranteed them a spot at Chaparral High School. We left last fall, while my eldest was in 8th grade.

[mark414]

9. that explains this guy:

[YankeyMCC]

12. Let's hope Mass shows that intelligence on election day

and puts Deval Patrick into the gov office.

[xchrom]

13. oh. my.

:spray:

[underpants]

15. NUBMER 6!! eat THAT Montana!!!!

:bounce:

[MissMillie]

16. Wouldn't we all love to see a redstate/bluestate breakdown of this?

I know I would. I recognize that CA is in the bottom 5, but the top of the list looks decidedly blue.

[cwydro]

24. yes yes!

[BigMcLargehuge]

17. When asked to identify their home state on a map of the USA...

some Arizona students pointed to The Pacific Ocean, others declared they were forcibly moved to Arizona by their parents, and a few drew pictures of scorpions and rattlesnakes beneath a blazing desert sun, one student simply scrawned "Crom!" on the map.






















:hide:

[LaurenG]

18. Mass huh

Martin lives there doesn't he? That explains it.


















:hide:

[Coventina]

19. What can I say? Arizona attracts stupid people.

I mean, what smart person would choose to move to the desert?

Our growth industries are construction, call-centers, and tourism (service industry jobs). All fields that don't exactly require degrees in rocket science.

That's why idiots like JD Hayworth keep getting re-elected.

A personal case in point: A friend of my husband's just moved here this week from Philadelphia. He comes here with a wife & two kids under the age of 4. No job, just bought a huge house with a mortage to match. The wife has no job (plus mental problems). They left both their families back east.

They had no reason to come here except "cost of living". Well, I think a job back east & high cost of living and a support network is better than no job and "low" cost of living and no support network.

10,000 people move here every month. And they are mostly morons like this family.

[Phx_Dem]

21. top business sectors in AZ

1. Trade, Transportation, Utilities
2. Government
3. Professional and Business services
4. Education and Health Services
5. Leisure and Hospitality
6. Construction
7. Manufacturing
8. Financial Activities
9. Other Services
10. Information

http://www.azcommerce.com/Research/Workforce-Labor.htm

[Coventina]

26. Interesting that Education and Health are grouped together.

I'm sure that makes it a lot higher because of all the health staff we employ for all the old people who come here to die.

Education would probably be #259 without being grouped with "health".

[Phx_Dem]

31. Not sure they come here to die

but you make a good point about grouping education and health together. There are 4 universities in AZ, and a huge number of trade schools.

[Coventina]

33. Well, the oldies in Sun City vote in droves against anything progressive

which leads me to believe that their attitude is "I've paid all the taxes I'm gonna pay in this lifetime, so to hell with everyone else." Thus the "waiting to die" comment.

I will admit that I overstated the lack of education part, though. Maricopa county has one of the largest and best community college systems in the US. Don't know how it happened, but it truly is a great thing.

[Phx_Dem]

36. I worked in Sun City years ago

what a horrible place. I worked at a drug store, you would not believe the amount of alcohol the store sold. Over x-mas, we sold 75 PALLETS of Scorsby scotch. The "customers" shopped the sales so hard the company had to subsidize the store. What's funny though is that because the old people shopped sales so much all the retailers would raise the prices on everything else.

[Coventina]

38. My sister used to work at the Sun City Trader Joe's.

She could tell you stories that would make your hair curl.

From my experience and observations it seems to me that old age makes bad people worse, and good people better. Unfortunately, it seems that all the evil old people have congregated in Arizona retirement communities.

[Phx_Dem]

40. wow--that is exactly what I have always thought

I have worked in a lot of drug stores, mostly in Phx but also an Osco in Sun City. The old folks in Phx were very nice people, probably the most pleasant to deal with, whereas the ones in Sun City were horrible. I tell people the same thing about aging, some get nicer and some get meaner.

[Coventina]

45. I think there is something about a "type" of person who wants to seclude

themselves in an "exclusive" community that contains only people who are just like them, whether it be old, or white or wealthy or whatever.

In the case of Sun City, it's a demographic almost exclusively of old, white and *somewhat* wealthy. They don't like anyone who doesn't fit their profile. I think it's sick, personally.

They are a blot on this Valley. Ugh.

[Momgonepostal]

25. I wouldn't move somewhere with no job, but...

have been tempted MANY times to move for cost of living reasons. I can think of a few families from my area who moved to AZ for financial reasons, two to Gilbert and one to Chandler. One of them is a young family who lived in a crappy neighborhood here, high crime, bad schools. They were able to buy a decent house in a much safer area there, and live in a good school district. Another family sold there big ass CA house and bought another big ass AZ house for cheaper, and were able to pay off a lot of their debt. Both are very pleased with the move. I can't say I blame them.

[Coventina]

27. It's just really frustrating to me because each person who moves here

makes a bad situation WORSE.

The desert was NOT meant to support 6 million people!! The water is running out, the pollution is terrible and all the increased pavement and activity is making it even hotter!!

I wish the "cost of living" expenses could be made to reflect the REAL cost to the environment and quality of life. Then maybe people would stop coming here.

[cwydro]

52. same thing in Florida

people thinking EVERYTHING will be better if they just live in ___________. Fill in the blank. But no matter where they go, there they are.

[Zomby Woof]

22. No surprise

I enjoyed living in Flagstaff, but I tells ya, they were Dumb All Over. :dunce:

Phoenix is what really drags the state down. Libertarians tend to lower the bar everywhere they congregate. :evilgrin:

[cwydro]

23. where is Florida?

gotta be in the bottom ten...

[crim son]

29. It be hiding in a janitor's closet. n/t

[cwydro]

49. no doubt

:eyes:

[kay1864]

43. Florida is #29

Complete list here: http://www.wftv.com/education/10097048/detail.html

[cwydro]

50. cannot believe it

is that high up...

[BreweryYardRat]

59. I think me and a few others are tipping the scales.

But yeah, I'm kinda surprised too.

[crim son]

28. Maine is #5, with 10.79.

That'd be great if Vermont and Mass weren't 18.something and 16.something, respectively. :eyes:

[Patiod]

30. I'm shocked that Wyoming is as high as it is

Met some nice people, but they weren't holding a lot of Mensa meetings anywhere we stopped, if you get my drift.

[Reverend_Smitty]

32. We're #4, we're #4!

I know NJ has the highest high school graduation rate in the country and decent teacher salaries...that had to bump us up despite the dilapidated schools in urban areas like Newark and Camden

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

62. Imagine what we could do if we gave Camden to PA.

We'd take over the world!

[buddhamama]

34. my states come in thirdd and fifth respectively

I grew up in CT but now call Maine home.

[NoPasaran]

35. Well, Texas isn't at the bottom

But we're getting dumber!
:bounce:
No surprise to anyone who has followed the governor's race this year.

[Mz Pip]

37. No way

that Alabama is smarter than California. California has many of the top ranked universities in the country - Berkeley, UCLA, Cal Tech, Stanford, as well as excellent medical schools and law schools.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Coventina]

39. Ah, but it is also home to Free Republic

:P

on edit: fixed smiley

[kay1864]

42. It has nothing to do with universities. Or medical schools or law schools

"The ratings are based on 21 elementary and secondary education indicators, ranging from graduation rates and test scores to teacher pay and class size."

[elfrangel]

51. Is it wrong

for me to be ECSTATIC that Arkansas isn't at the bottom of the list? We're #32.

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[IronLionZion]

54. PA is a strong number 10 WHOOOOO!

What is going on in California?

Oh well, all 50 of our states are lower than the rest of the world. Maybe that will unite us. :silly:

[WritingIsMyReligion]

55. Maineahs! Represent da hizzouse! 5th place!

:headbang:

:P

[Crabby Appleton]

57. But that's still in the top 50, isn't it?