--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In part, it's almost surely a failure of…" description: "\"In part, it's almost surely a failure of modern education, whether K through 12 or higher education, or really both. Barack Obama went to Ivy League in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/paul-kengor-14302_america_in-part-it-s-almost-surely-a-failure-of_1062769.jpg" --- # In part, it's almost surely a failure of modern education… ![“In part, it's almost surely a failure of modern education, whether K through 12 or higher education, or really both. Barack Obama went to Ivy League institutions like Columbia, which are reputed to be among America's top colleges. And yet, this very recent product of those American institutions is…” quote by Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/paul-kengor-14302_america_in-part-it-s-almost-surely-a-failure-of_1062769.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/paul-kengor-14302_america_in-part-it-s-almost-surely-a-failure-of_1062769.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/paul-kengor-14302_america_in-part-it-s-almost-surely-a-failure-of_1062769.jpg) > “In part, it's almost surely a failure of modern education, whether K through 12 or higher education, or really both. Barack Obama went to Ivy League institutions like Columbia, which are reputed to be among America's top colleges. And yet, this very recent product of those American institutions is not publicly articulating an appreciation of the American founding or the founders and their vision for America.” [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote criticizes modern education for not fostering appreciation of American founding ideals despite elite schooling. **In simple terms:** Education fails to teach founding values. Key Takeaway Reform curricula to include civic heritage. Themes education civic engagement elitism Mood critical concerned Type analytical political When to use this quote - college courses - high school civics - public policy debates Key Concepts civic education historical literacy Questions to Reflect On - How can schools balance critical thinking with civic pride? - What curricula changes would improve historical understanding? A Different Perspective May overlook diverse perspectives on national history. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Appreciation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciation/) [Articulating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/articulating/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Founders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founders/) [Higher Ed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-ed/) [Higher education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-education/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Ivy league](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ivy-league/) [Modern education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-education/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) ## Related quotes > [Baseball is a habit. The slowly rising crescendo of each game, the rhythm of the long season--these are the essentials and they are remarkably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/baseball-is-a-habit-the-slowly-rising-crescendo-of-each-game-the/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [Last year, in the year 2008, it just became normal to watch great American institutions crumble, almost dissolve like sand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/last-year-in-the-year-2008-it-just-became-normal-to-watch-great/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [I think some people have blind faith in American institutions without knowing a whole lot about them and think they will stand up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-some-people-have-blind-faith-in-american-institutions-without-2/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [If faculty and staff at American institutions are under foreign influence, the least we can do is ensure that the United States government is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/if-faculty-and-staff-at-american-institutions-are-under-foreign/) [John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/) > [Parties do not maintain themselves. They are maintained by effort. The government is not self-existent. It is maintained by the effort of those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/parties-do-not-maintain-themselves-they-are-maintained-by-effort-the/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [Our fathers and grandfathers who poured over the Midwest were self-reliant, rugged, God-fearing people of indomitable courage...They asked only for freedom of opportunity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/our-fathers-and-grandfathers-who-poured-over-the-midwest-were-self/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [I think the public library system is one of the most amazing American institutions. Free for everybody. If you ever get the blues about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/i-think-the-public-library-system-is-one-of-the-most-amazing-american/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [America has furnished to the world the character of Washington. And if our American institutions had done nothing else, that alone would have entitled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/america-has-furnished-to-the-world-the-character-of-washington-and-if/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) > [I supported Obama. I went to his rallies. I parted with my hard-earned money. There was a movement going on, and I was really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-france/i-supported-obama-i-went-to-his-rallies-i-parted-with-my-hard-earned/) [Brian France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-france/) > [Barack Obama went high, despite Donald Trump's best efforts to bring him down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/barack-obama-went-high-despite-donald-trump-s-best-efforts-to-bring/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I like to remember what Michelle Obama said in her amazing speech at our Democratic National Convention: When they go low, we go high.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-like-to-remember-what-michelle-obama-said-in-her-amazing-speech-at/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I think after Sandy Hook, when Obama went out, and he talked a lot about gun control and met with the parents, there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-think-after-sandy-hook-when-obama-went-out-and-he-talked-a-lot/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [President Obama went to India, South Korea, then Japan. He's going to keep travelling until he finds his birth certificate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/president-obama-went-to-india-south-korea-then-japan-he-s-going-to/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [I want Obama to have to weigh in on Ben Affleck as Batman. It's about time Obama went to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-want-obama-to-have-to-weigh-in-on-ben-affleck-as-batman-it-s-about/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“MILWAUKEE- President Barack Obama went to Milwaukee on Monday to talk up an improving economy and push Congress to boost the minimum wage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/milwaukee-president-barack-obama-went-to-milwaukee-on-monday-to-talk/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Paul Kengor > [The American founding is not just about a group of people, a group of men. It is about an ideal: Both a vision and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/the-american-founding-is-not-just-about-a-group-of-people-a-group-of/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [Maybe the most interesting find in my research is that it is clear that Ronald Reagan, among all modern presidents, plainly rediscovered the founders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/maybe-the-most-interesting-find-in-my-research-is-that-it-is-clear/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [“Only when people are free to worship, create, and build, only when they can decide their destiny and benefit from their own risks—only then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/only-when-people-are-free-to-worship-create-and-build-only-when-they/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [As has been reported, and is unmistakably evident to all but the most naïve, federal employees have been ordered to exploit this crisis, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/as-has-been-reported-and-is-unmistakably-evident-to-all-but-the-most/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [ It is quite sad, to me, that that ideal, that vision and understanding \[of American founding \], doesn't seem to be a part of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/it-is-quite-sad-to-me-that-that-ideal-that-vision-and-understanding/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [ The presidents varied in the degree to which they cited the founders. 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The president can teach as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/if-our-presidents-or-potential-presidents-don-t-know-this-or-don-t/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [“Only in the detached from reality world of goofy Hollywood and modern academia could a mass murderer like Che Guevara be turned into something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/only-in-the-detached-from-reality-world-of-goofy-hollywood-and-modern/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [Throughout American history our presidents have invoked our nation's founding fathers. This is particularly true of recent presidents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/throughout-american-history-our-presidents-have-invoked-our-nation-s/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [ Which founders have these presidents cited - and why? What did, say, President \[Ronald\] Reagan's view of George Washington, or President \[Bill\] Clinton's view… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/which-founders-have-these-presidents-cited-and-why-what-did-say/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [Learning is a good thing, but unless it's tempered by faith and a love of freedom, it can be very dangerous indeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/learning-is-a-good-thing-but-unless-it-s-tempered-by-faith-and-a-love/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [“Ultimately, Reagan presided over the largest tax cut in American history, and accomplished it working in tandem with (rather than against) a huge Democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/ultimately-reagan-presided-over-the-largest-tax-cut-in-american/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [ Ronald Reagan \[ cite the founders\] on behalf of emphasizing the faith of our founders, of limited government, of the uniqueness and exceptionalism of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/ronald-reagan-cite-the-founders-on-behalf-of-emphasizing-the-faith-of/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) [Explore all 47 Paul Kengor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. 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