How to destroy the public school system

American Thinker ^ | 4 Apr, 2021 | Rob Jenkins

[MtnClimber]

Unlike many conservative commentators, I've long been a supporter of public schools. I enjoyed many positive experiences with them growing up, and my four children received an excellent public education here in Gwinnett County, Georgia, for which I am grateful.

Plus I've always thought there's something uniquely egalitarian and therefore American about the idea of public education, providing opportunities for all children to better themselves. I know that some conservatives like to call them "government schools," and that is technically correct. But I've always preferred to think of them as community schools, passing on the values of the community. At least, that used to be the case, and I'm hopeful that, in many places, it still is.

However, if I were vehemently opposed to public schools, and what I really wanted was to destroy them, I know exactly how I'd go about it.

First, I'd help elect radical, neo-Marxist ideologues to the local school board. As a bonus, they wouldn't have much experience running a school system or kids of their own in the county schools.

Once my radical leftists held a majority on the board, they could begin enacting their extremist agenda — starting with keeping as many kids out of school as possible for as long as possible by pushing popular superstitions about COVID-19.

[fwdude]

“...I’ve always thought there’s something uniquely egalitarian and therefore American about the idea of public education, providing opportunities for all children to better themselves.”

This author needs to pull his head out of the sand. What a deluded fool.

[Candor7]

How to destroy the public school system>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Let it be destroyed,

Let parents start up one room neighborhood schools with minimal staff and ignore the unions and public educators. Let them rot like poisonous fruit on their vines.

[Fai Mao]

Public schools are child abuse.

[alstewartfan]

I am 64. My Blakely, Pa public school system reinforced our family’s values rather than undermine them. Those days are gone. I’ll bet that there are no private schools today which would stand up to Blakely’s excellence. In 1969, we had to become part of a jointure with two other inferior school systems. Our education fell off a cliff within months.

[DownInFlames]

You bear me to it.

[Terry L Smith]

“Community schools”?

At one time, before the jimmah cahtuh Dept of Ed, the schools taught a curriculum that was tailored to the regional area, i.e., major industries that hired the most.

Now, schucks, I have actually sat with earners of baccalaureate degrees that could not compose a description of their cuurent employment entailed!!!

[RedwM]

I know Blakely had great football teams. We- Mt. Carmel played you for the championship back then. I don’t remember who won but it was a big deal to us. Good times. Off topic but you clicked my memory.

[Jim Noble]

there's something uniquely egalitarian and therefore American

The American government was ordained and established in order to secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity (you could look it up).

Liberty and equality are antonyms.

Therefore, whatever this author is selling, it has nothing to do with the design of America.

[fwdude]

I witnessed a similar steep decline, but much later than yours. When “desegregation” was imposed in the 70s, the lowest common denominator was immediately put in place, for EVERYONE. Couldn’t have the appearance of failure hurt little black children’s egos due to the government’s meddling. Busing students across town when we had a neighborhood school a few blocks from our house was a massive, useless waste of time. Black kids routinely threw rocks at our buses. The hallways were unmanageable war zones much of the time.

By middle school, I saw open, militant atheists teachers coming in to denigrate belief in God. We had a flaming homosexual teacher who was as vicious as they come. Had many more after that, including a band instructor in high school. I realize now that he subtly came on to me as a freshman. He was murdered at a “gay” bar he managed and co-owned after retiring. I later learned that he was quite the activist.

[Howie66]

Easy. Put Liberals in charge of it. Guaranteed to work, every time.

[Darksheare]

We were taught chinese history and how wunnerful the great leap forward was, and the five pillars of islam in NY state.
American history was glossed over or omitted.
1990’s

[alstewartfan]

We had graduating classes under 100 at Blakely. We won 13-0 in Blakely in 1968, then you smoked Valley View (the jointure) 47-6 the following year in Mt. Carmel, thanks to the unstoppable Gary Diminick. Then Valley View took revenge the next year, 14-8. I think Bob Veach was on your team that year. Awesome!!
I would not have traded those days with anyone.

[RetiredScientist]

The reason that public schools were reasonably successful through the early 1970's (when I graduated) was that most parents and many students welcomed such an education. My parents had grown up in the Great Depression and saw education as a great opportunity for my generation. There were a few outliers who would not do the work and were disruptive. In my high school, the solution was to have the disruptive students work with the janitor or in shop classes...

In that era, students were concerned about the war in Vietnam. My brother went. He was 12 years older than me and almost did not graduate high school. My parents used "tough love" - they gave him a choice: he could pass his classes and get into the Air Force or fail and get drafted into the Army. He passed and had a good career in the Air Force.

One of the biggest changes was the offshoring of jobs starting in the early 1980s. An older coworker with whom I shared an office had grown children who worked in the auto industry. They did not like school but liked building cars. Offshoring of jobs hit them hard.

In summary, the success or failure of the schools is dependent upon students and parents believing that consistent work in school will likely lead to a richer life. Unless such a goal seems likely to a student, they will probably immerse themselves in whatever distraction is on the phone and waste the taxpayers' money.

[RedwM]

Those truly were the days..my friend. And we weren’t indoctrinated like today. Gary is still a household name around here along with many others.

[Bookshelf]

Written: “...I’ve always thought there’s something uniquely
egalitarian and therefore American about the idea of
public education, providing opportunities for all children
to better themselves.”

You wrote: “This author needs to pull his head out of the
sand. What a deluded fool.”

Deluded, not at all. Up until a half-century ago very
talented women were our teachers. Then they entered the job
market and teaching became the vocation of the very very
minimally talented. They were prey to every stupid ism that
came along at mediocre universities and passed it on to
their students. Good bye public schools.

[JayGalt]

The author gave the public schools a pass on the abysmal testing results of their students that show most graduates are without basic math & literacy skills, most also with no knowledge of history or civics.
The author seems more like an oblivious pontificater than a conservative; someone who liked the idea but refused to examine the results of the practice.
Our Nations educational system is a disgrace and the refusal to allow tuition from the Feds & States to go with the students to public, private, religious, charter, magnet schools is what allows this state of affairs to continue.

[alstewartfan]

BTW, you guys beat possibly the best VV team ever in 1972, 20-12, and in 1986, our superior team lost 21-14 in a mud bowl. All you had that year was a back named Ahrensfield, and a good line. But we couldn’t get around the ends with that footing. Thinking about it, it may have been the ‘72 MC team that had Veach. His son Brett made quite the name for himself too!

[JayGalt]

If the author failed to notice the change in the next 50 years deluded is a very accurate description.

I had to pull my children from public school in 4th grade & kindergarten in the mid ‘80’s to a private school. The next two went directly to private school. By the time the first two boys were approaching high school we put them in a catholic boys preparatory school to escape liberal indoctrination of the private high school (run by a different headmaster) and to reinforce a moral grounding.

Anyone who has ignored all the “Why Johnny can’t Read” and the “new math” is either deluded or under a rock. One of my sons left the catholic school for a year. He wanted to play football. He came to us in March and said I want to go back to Oratory, “There are knives used in the hallways & people threaten me in Spanish, I can’t even understand them. No one cares what happens to me.”

[alstewartfan]

One caveat: Our education at Blakely was not complete, as I remember that poor Heather only had ONE mommy, and one DADDY, of all things. Quaint notion that an America existed before all this “progress”.