Don't get me wrong. I believe as much as you do in the abolition of PS 666. However, fair is fair. If a hospital in Outer Slobovia has no CAT Scan device and no thermal imaging technology, that will have negative results but those results are NOT the fault of the doctors who practice there as best they can. There will be instances in which such doctors will do a very fine job against great difficulty and intimidating odds. There are young women who, despite grinding poverty, carry their pregnancies to term because they will not kill their flesh and blood. Those doctors and those women are heroes for their fight against the odds. So are good public school teachers. We owe it to them to abolish PS 666 and provide the good ones with the opportunity to teach in quality non-gummint schools where their efforts are appreciated in the delivery of actual learning and separate them professionally from those who actually believe in Horace Mann, John Dewey and Antonio Gramsci.
Anyone tempted to think that public schools and their unions are not a toxic problem ought to go to the hotel where this year's convention of the National Education Association is held or this year's convention of the American Federation of Teachers and stroll through the area where various moonbats are hawking their "curricula" to the delegates. When I happened, thirty years ago or so to do this, I found "curricula" including every form of exotic flora and fauna as to the "oppression" of lavenders and of Latin American communist activists "oppressed" out of control of Chile when Allende got his at the presidential machine gun and of the evils of military leaders and what not. It is also useful to peruse the resolutions passed by these conventions and by their delegates.
Your apparent insight that nothing can "reform" gummint skewels since someone's views must prevail, since we are not interested in imposing our views on other people's children any more than we want them poisoning our kids' education, since no sane person wants to waste endless hours wrangling in vain against lavishly paid, thick-headed, impenetrable school commissars when the time can be far more profitably spent living and teaching our own kids, is very well founded. And, of course, who wants to waste ever-escalating amounts of tax money to promote the ideas that Americans despise, that Catholics despise, that Christians despise, that many Jews despise, that Mormons despise, that sensible pagans and atheists and agnostics despise, that you and I despise?
That you understand the term Gramscian and that I understand it and that not one PS 666 denizen in a thousand understands it is reason enough to abolish PS 666. That gummint skeweling has long been dominated by the secular humanists, by the Deweyite "progressive" "education" establishment, by an ideology hostile to our nation and our faith is reason enough to abolish PS 666. And, in both cases, more than reason enough to erect a will of separation between education and gummint extorted tax money.
One final tiny disagreement. Unlike most nations, ours has had socialists who actually favored basic civil liberties like freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly for those of us who disagree with them. That sort of socialist (the late Sidney Hook, the late George Meany, the late William Green) did not look forward to communism but rather fought communism knowledgeably, vigorously and effectively. Their conservative critics wisely pointed out that freedom of the press was only theoretical if the gummint owned all the presses. The AFL-CIO was more of a bulwark against communism than Barry Goldwater ever dreamed of being. That was then. This is now after the repeal of those clauses of the AFL-CIO constitution and by-laws which prohibited communist involvement at any leadership level even shop steward.
Thank you for your words about teachers who are doing a “good job”.
I hope, that if you were to see me teach, you would include me with those who are doing a “good job”.
Since you cannot “see me” however, I will continue to do “my best” to teach the children who have been entrusted to me. (Sometimes I have to “go find them” as they forget where their classes are, but once found, they are generally amenable to instruction :-)
Ironically, I’m a good example of the certification issue, as I am NOT a certified teacher.
But, I “teach” all of the time.
Much of what you’ve said, I agree with...
MUCH OF IT!!!
I am certain that after exchanging thoughts with SoftballmominVA, you know that WE (as those who work WITHIN the schools) know just how deep some of these problems run.
Also, some of what you’ve said, I don’t understand...
But, as a lifelong learner, I will endeavor to educate myself!
Good day to you.
Thank you for indicating you respect ***some*** teachers.
Certainly you are correct to not respect ***all***.
I see it differently. If the government schools are hopelessly flawed in their design, then how can continuing to support them be helpful?
SOME of those who post here have demonstrated that they are dedicated to doing a fine job with their students and that they succeed.
I surely agree that some here on this board are very talented.
Imagine if there were small schools that were organized like a professional law office? Can you imagine the creativity that would be unleashed? Not only that but associate teachers could be mentored by the "partner" teachers, and teachers really could have the opportunity to be earning the salaries of other professionals.
The problem, as you seem to appreciate, is that the system of gummint skeweling itself is fatally and irretrievably flawed.
Then what is the point of continuing to work in one?
If religion cannot (understandably in a pluralistic society) be taught in the gummint skewels, secularism (at the very best) becomes the established "faith." I don't want to be taxed so that children (anyone's) can be taught that God is irrelevant, that faith is irrelevant, or that the US is "imperialistic" or any of the rest of the drivel that is taught in gummint skewels.
Exactly! A religiously neutral education can **not** exist. It is impossible to simultaneously teach from both a god-less and God-centered worldview. Even if it were, **that** too would not be religiously neutral since some parent would want to have exclusively a god-less or exclusively God-centered.
Don't get me wrong. I believe as much as you do in the abolition of PS 666. However, fair is fair. If a hospital in Outer Slobovia has no CAT Scan device and no thermal imaging technology, that will have negative results but those results are NOT the fault of the doctors who practice there as best they can. There will be instances in which such doctors will do a very fine job against great difficulty and intimidating odds. There are young women who, despite grinding poverty, carry their pregnancies to term because they will not kill their flesh and blood. Those doctors and those women are heroes for their fight against the odds. So are good public school teachers. We owe it to them to abolish PS 666 and provide the good ones with the opportunity to teach in quality non-gummint schools where their efforts are appreciated in the delivery of actual learning and separate them professionally from those who actually believe in Horace Mann, John Dewey and Antonio Gramsci.
I would prefer to see government teachers ( in general) redirecting their efforts at building up a private system of schools, and working politically to begin the process of privatizing universal K-12 education for all children. Why attempt to give CPR to a dead horse?
Anyone tempted to think that public schools and their unions are not a toxic problem ought to go to the hotel where this year's convention of the National Education Association is held or this year's convention of the American Federation of Teachers and stroll through the area where various moonbats are hawking their "curricula" to the delegates. When I happened, thirty years ago or so to do this, I found "curricula" including every form of exotic flora and fauna as to the "oppression" of lavenders and of Latin American communist activists "oppressed" out of control of Chile when Allende got his at the presidential machine gun and of the evils of military leaders and what not. It is also useful to peruse the resolutions passed by these conventions and by their delegates.
I have read these resolutions. It is like reading the goals of the Communist Party. For the life of me, I simply do not understand why anyone would give money to an organization like that.
That you understand the term Gramscian and that I understand it and that not one PS 666 denizen in a thousand understands it is reason enough to abolish PS 666. That gummint skeweling has long been dominated by the secular humanists, by the Deweyite "progressive" "education" establishment, by an ideology hostile to our nation and our faith is reason enough to abolish PS 666. And, in both cases, more than reason enough to erect a will of separation between education and gummint extorted tax money.
I find it surprising that I must, on occasion, define the term "Useful Idiot". What are young people learning in their schools and colleges? How can they reach adulthood without having heard that expression?
Your apparent insight that nothing can "reform" gummint skewels since someone's views must prevail, since we are not interested in imposing our views on other people's children any more than we want them poisoning our kids' education, since no sane person wants to waste endless hours wrangling in vain against lavishly paid, thick-headed, impenetrable school commissars when the time can be far more profitably spent living and teaching our own kids, is very well founded. And, of course, who wants to waste ever-escalating amounts of tax money to promote the ideas that Americans despise, that Catholics despise, that Christians despise, that many Jews despise, that Mormons despise, that sensible pagans and atheists and agnostics despise, that you and I despise?
Of course there some in society who deliberately and willing fully choose not acknowledge that government schools can not be reformed. But....I don't post for them. I post so that I and other conservatives can sharpen our arguments. I also post so that conservative language and ideas can be picked up by the conservative press and media. I have been reward many, many times.
One final tiny disagreement. Unlike most nations, ours has had socialists who actually favored basic civil liberties like freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly for those of us who disagree with them. That sort of socialist (the late Sidney Hook, the late George Meany, the late William Green) did not look forward to communism but rather fought communism knowledgeably, vigorously and effectively. Their conservative critics wisely pointed out that freedom of the press was only theoretical if the gummint owned all the presses. The AFL-CIO was more of a bulwark against communism than Barry Goldwater ever dreamed of being. That was then. This is now after the repeal of those clauses of the AFL-CIO constitution and by-laws which prohibited communist involvement at any leadership level even shop steward.
I agree that in the past that our nation's socialists basically supported the Constitution. That has changed. The current crop of Marxists are very dangerous, in my opinion.
I have been accused of not be creative, but honestly I don't know of a better way to put it. Marxism is freedom's **most** serious threat. Schools are their most important weapon. We could easily lose our freedom if the Marxists succeed in indoctrinating the next generation of voters.
To All:
Every word in the post above is about education in GENERAL. Not one word is directed at anyone **personally** on this board.