Posted on 01/26/2018 12:06:59 PM PST by BruceDeitrickPrice
Rudolf Flesch, writing in 1955, noted that “things have changed in the last 10, 20 years. For the first time in history, American parents see their children getting less education than they got themselves. Their sons and daughters come home from school and they can’t read the newspaper; they can’t spell simple words like February or Wednesday; they don't know the difference between Austria and Australia. The fathers and mothers don’t know the reason for this, but they know that something terrible has happened to their most precious dreams and aspirations…”
Isn’t it beautiful the way Flesch perceives the decline of American civilization from two tiny examples? Austria and Australia look alike. What’s the big deal about telling them apart? Such casual imprecision is how kids think today, and is the essence of our problem. Flesch remains The Man in American education. He grasped long ago the fatal symptoms of the country’s intellectual death spiral. A school system that doesn’t teach little children the difference between days of the week and months of the year? Well, there’s little hope for it.
Even as the Education Establishment insisted that American children read, write, and spell better than ever before, Flesch proved the absurdity of this claim. He saw the country’s academic decline; he saw the intellectual fabric of the country start to unravel. “The American dream is, essentially, equal opportunity through free education for all. This dream is beginning to vanish in a country where the public schools are falling down on the job…”
Please read that three times. There should be symphonic accompaniment with big kettle drums. The American dream is vanishing; equal opportunity through free education is fading. All of this was stated back in 1955, in Flesch’s famous book "Why Johnny Can’t Read"......
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
There was a time when classical Greek and Latin were taught in High School. Now days they’re teaching remedial English, composition, and math in college. Sad
Thank the Progressives who have dominated America's so-called "education system" for effectively erasing the Framers' ideas of liberty which underlie the Constitution and were articulated clearly in the Declaration of Independence for the great ignorance of those ideas among youth!
Such was not always true in America.
The following is an excerpt from the "Centennial Thanksgiving Sermon" (1886) (celebrating America's 100th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence) by a Black Ohio Legislator and A.M.E. Bishop Benjamin W. Arnett on "The Greatness of America" - Note that this Sermon is delivered only a few years after the end of the Civil War by this outstanding scholar/legislator/Bishop.
"Let us see what it is that makes us so great; wherein lies our strength. What has made us one of the greatest powers of the earth, politically and intellectually? Have we come to the conclusion that it is Righteousness that exalteth a nation? We have met to-day at the request of the President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, and also the Governor of our beloved State, Rutherford B. Hayes. For what? Why call us from our homes? Why come to the house of God? Why not go to the hall of mirth and to the places of amusement to-day? No that is not what they want us to do. We are commanded to go to our 'several places of worship, and there offer up thanks to Kind Providence which has brought our nation through the scenes of another year, and blessed the land with peace, plenty and prosperity.' Then as Americans we have reason to rejoice and congratulate ourselves on the greatness of our beloved country; at this the close of the first hundred years of experimental government of the people, by the people, and for the people. To be a citizen of this vast country is something, and to share in its privileges and duties is more than something." - Dr. Benjamin W. Arnett, 1876 "Centennial Thanksgiving Sermon" - Library of Congress - African-American SectionIf current generations of youth in America go to the LOC web site and read this lengthy Address by a remarkable Black scholar of history, Ohio State Legislator, and A.M.E. Bishop, who had lived through the years surrounding the Civil War, then their perspective might be enhanced, enlarged and encouraged by their pride in such an intellectual giant from America's history.
Progressives talk a lot about "diversity." By the term "diversity," Progressives mean "diversity" of anything and everything except freedom of conscience, freedom of expression of ideas which differ from the "Progressive" agenda for "changing" America. That agenda would change it from adherence and devotion to the ideas of liberty outlined in its Declaration of Independence and structured into its Constitution for self-government to an agenda based on their on oppressive ideology.
Shame on them and all whom they control through fear!
The things we are witnessing are the consequences of decades of Progressive academic and government "elitists'" indoctrination of America away from its founding principles in the ideas of liberty and toward the cultish and oppressive ideology of Progressivism, an ideology which demands complete submission to "progressive" regressives who believe they are entitled, and were appointed, to rule over everyone else. A society where Progressives rule is a society where the ideas of liberty have been subordinated to the ideas of tyranny.
Thomas Jefferson, only days before his death on July 4, 1826, explaining his inability to attend a gathering to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration, wrote to Roger Weightman:
"I should, indeed, with peculiar delight, have met and exchanged there congratulations personally with the small band, the remnant of that host of worthies, who joined with us on that day, in the bold and doubtful election we were to make for our country, between submission or the sword; and to have enjoyed with them the consolatory fact, that our fellow citizens, after half a century of experience and prosperity, continue to approve the choice we made. may it be to the world, what I believe it will be, (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all) the Signal of arousing men to burst the chains, under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessings & security of self-government. That form which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. the general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view. the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of god. These are grounds of hope for others. for ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them." (Jefferson, June 24, 1826, to Roger Weightman, End of Jefferson quotation)
Thomas Jefferson, only days before his death on July 4, 1826, explaining his inability to attend a gathering to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration, wrote to Roger Weightman:
"I should, indeed, with peculiar delight, have met and exchanged there congratulations personally with the small band, the remnant of that host of worthies, who joined with us on that day, in the bold and doubtful election we were to make for our country, between submission or the sword; and to have enjoyed with them the consolatory fact, that our fellow citizens, after half a century of experience and prosperity, continue to approve the choice we made. may it be to the world, what I believe it will be, (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all) the Signal of arousing men to burst the chains, under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessings & security of self-government. That form which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. the general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view. the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of god. These are grounds of hope for others. for ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them." (Jefferson, June 24, 1826, to Roger Weightman, End of Jefferson quotation)
By the third day, the English instructor told me I could take the final and needn't bother coming in after that. She told me I could, “get an extra hour of sleep”. After I explained that I still had to be an earlier class, she asked me if I'd be interested in doing some tutoring in the English class. I couldn't have guessed what I would find.
Most of the students were fresh from high school. From their work I would have guessed third grade. After the quarter I'd like to think they benefited from the from the tutoring. I know I did. It really open my eyes to how far public schools had declined in the 12 years since I graduated. I can only imagine where it is today.
I’m 9 years younger than you & went straight to college after HS. Like you, 1st semester included English Composition with many of my peers. I came to find out I was miles ahead of most of them because my senior English teacher basically taught the freshman college course & used a college text that taught the basics of the thesis statement and exposition by example. I had multiple fellow students tell me that they had no such instruction in HS. I didn’t get to be a formal tutor for the class but certainly did it informally.
My HS was small town OK with my senior class graduating 42 students. It was all about a teacher who cared & knew the requirements for the next level.
Oops, I left out a few letters. Maybe some remedial typing would help.......
They don’t even know if the other kids are male or female.
Most of my teachers were nearing retirement age by the time I reached high school. There were still several who had taught my Dad in the late 1930s. Some of the newer teachers coming on board had also been taught by the early 1900s generation. I realize now how lucky I was.
BTW, my grad class was only 150, still a small class for the first of the baby-boomers.
“Most of my teachers were nearing retirement age by the time I reached high school. There were still several who had taught my Dad in the late 1930s. Some of the newer teachers coming on board had also been taught by the early 1900s generation. I realize now how lucky I was.”
Ditto - I had teachers and principals that knew/taught my mom in the 30s/40s. My 4th grade teacher had taught my godfather in a one-room country schoolhouse back in the 30s. That brings an entirely different kind of teaching into the classroom that simply isn’t seen today. By today’s pedagogy standards, we were being “drilled and killed” with multiple spelling bees and math problems solved on the chalkboard in competition with other students. We just thought it was fun to have a contest in the classroom.
I hate to admit this but I didn’t really learn how to read until I was 18 and I started learning actual phonics.
It makes a HUGE difference.
‘I hate to admit this...’ Through no fault of your own, you were not properly taught how to read. This is a textbook example of the failing of our educational system! Tremendous respect for you to have overcome in spite of it. Well done & you should be proud of your accomplishment!
Thank you! :)
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