I used to have a neighbor who was a principal at one the the Grand Rapids Public Schools. She told me (in a hostile tone) that parents like me, who want to know what is going on and voice their opinion; who get involved with the class and thereofor see things from the inside, are the problem. They don’t want us around.
To her way of thinking the involved parents are a problem. So when I see articles or hear the school administrators or teachers complain that lack of parent involvement is the main problem, I am skeptical. I agree to a certain extent, but parents are used as a scapegoat, just as “not enough funds” is the reason for every failing in the school system.
I, too, work in the public school system. I can attest that I have seen the very same things. I have also voiced the need for the very changes this teacher asks for.
I am also a sincere believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and wholeheartedly agree with every one of her statements regarding God our Father, our present, and our future.
I thank God for giving her the courage to write this article.
The education system in this country is just another government minority jobs program. Kids will learn more about life sitting in the lobby of the DoT for a week. They will learn more about civics and liberal arts sitting at a township board meeting. They will learn more about self esteem playing a sport and learning how to win and lose.
Schools in the US should teach 5 things. Reading, Math, Science, the Constitution and the use of proper English.
Interesting discussion.
Magnet schools vs ‘neighbourhood schools’.
I disagree with her. Magnet schools are parents taking responsibility for their children. Yeah, it’s an insult to the system to take children out of it, but it’s also a good sign. Neighbourhood schools can be tight knit, but that’s not necessarily the best thing for education, if they are tightly knitted to reject education altogether.
Inclusion vs Exclusion.
As a former special needs student, I vehemently disagree with her opinion. Every case must be assessed individually. The goal should be inclusion if at all possible, unless it’s shown that it simply cannot and will not work. Under her system, yeah it would be easier for teachers, but it also means that students like me would never enter the public school system, because we’d never get a chance to show that we actually can do the work. Prejudice is a powerful thing to overcome.
Other than that, I pretty much agree wholeheartedly. I agree with her about ‘teaching to the test’, because a correct education ought to account for what the test teaches anyway, and should be seen as a ‘minimum’, not as an end goal in and of itself. Assessment if it were tied to promotion (I’m old enough to remember this), really does work in motivating students.
Thanks for your story. I’ve been keenly watching the local system here in Stamford with my 7 year old. We are currently in a magnet school here starting last year, but the same, cold vibe is felt. The principal with the fancy degree stays in the office most of the time with the new, young assistant principal out in the halls doing the grunt work. There are so many ‘assistants’ in the school, I think there are more than the students.
Just to puncture the cold, pc atmosphere, my wife and I had our kid talk about Jesus and the meaning of Christmas last month during his presentation day. He could pick any subject, but we wanted to go for it.
Let me tell you, the kids LOVED it. However, the teacher, when presented with the topic from my wife, was a scared puppy. She said in a hushed voice how she could get fired. But, she later consented and you could tell how she wanted us to just do it and get it over with. Yes, the kids loved the presentation with handouts on the manger scene.
Anyway, I just wanted to finish by saying my kid came home and ‘remembered’ to mention that he escorted out of lunch with the other boys by Dr. So and So and taken to a room where the Dr. let them play a bit and asked them questions. We found out about this after a few weeks with no mention from the school. What, my kid’s a lab rat for evaluation? If it’s to check for something, send home a note in the famous nightly folder. We get fund raising notes every other day, we can’t get something like that pointed out? Anyway, we’ll be calling our school next week for more info so there are no further ‘microscope’ examinations w/out our knowing.
Thanks again for your story, down here in Fairfield County, I sense a coldness in this system here. Open house at the local Catholic school is next wk, we’ll be there ....
GipperCT
We have a very large ELL (English Language Learner) population.
We talk of going to college as a natural occurrence from kindergarten on. All of our classrooms are represented by a college and the students in that room learn the college chant. Twice a month, we gather as a school for "Friday Flag" in which the entire school says the flag salute and some kids perform those college chants.
The teachers collaborate from grade level to grade level to make sure the (example) 2nd grade teachers are teaching what the kids need to know for 3rd grade.
As a whole, our school theme is "No Excuses" so if Johnny didn't do his homework because he got home late, he still sits out at recess and does that homework. We have consequences.
We are compassionate to a point (our staff can be generous if a student needs a new backpack or a coat for winter) but our students are expected to act in a proper manner and, for the most part, they do.
No Excuses is a great concept!
The Unions want power and control.
The socialists want to destroy our culture and our county.
Erasing any sense of consequence under the guise of “separation of church and state”, ensures NO VALUES will be taught.
Satan is well equipped to fill this vacuum.
This for me was one of the best money quotes from the article laced with them:
“Additional money for education is not needed. Too much of it is already being squandered on worthless programs that will never work or help the students. Much of it goes to the creation of mediocre jobs that are totally unnecessary. These newly created jobs are usually of the administrative variety found downtown. One example of wasteful spending is the computers owned by the schools. For instance, computers are not even being repaired with spare parts available from other computers. These non-working computers are just put aside and eventually thrown away. There is not even an attempt to repair them. There is no appreciation at all found for teaching resources, the taxpayer and the taxpayers’ money. How can the educational system be effective when it takes everyone and everything for granted?”
>>>The Discipline Disaster . The decline in discipline is a tremendous problem. With the disintegration of the family unit, children already have their backs against the wall. The majority of them lack the guidance of a father and mother to give them discipline and direction. The school superintendents choose to ignore this grievous problem. Administrators like to pass the buck onto the teaching staff. Many of these administrators do not have the respect of the students. Because of this situation, teaching staffs are totally frustrated and demoralized. The student’s attitude is: “Since there is no accountability why should we bother to do right?”
Ain’t it the truth. I had a student threaten me in my classroom and MY ADMINISTRATORS argued against expulsion in the kids hearing.
I had a kid who was flunking draw a penis on my window with one of those paint sticks that you write on cars with and the kid was not EVEN expelled.
Instead, the administrators come to me and ask, “Why aren’t you more relaxed?” Because you don’t do your job. 90% of the students actually LIKE my class, but I can’t teach if the 10% of the troublemakers have no consequences.
>>>The Discipline Disaster . The decline in discipline is a tremendous problem. With the disintegration of the family unit, children already have their backs against the wall. The majority of them lack the guidance of a father and mother to give them discipline and direction. The school superintendents choose to ignore this grievous problem. Administrators like to pass the buck onto the teaching staff. Many of these administrators do not have the respect of the students. Because of this situation, teaching staffs are totally frustrated and demoralized. The student’s attitude is: “Since there is no accountability why should we bother to do right?”
Ain’t it the truth. I had a student threaten me in my classroom and MY ADMINISTRATORS argued against expulsion in the kids hearing.
I had a kid who was flunking draw a penis on my window with one of those paint sticks that you write on cars with and the kid was not EVEN suspended. It has yet to be cleaned off!
Instead, the administrators come to me and ask, “Why aren’t you more relaxed?” Because you don’t do your job. 90% of the students actually LIKE my class, but I can’t teach if the 10% of the troublemakers have no consequences.
First, parochial schools do not have to accept everyone. The public schools are obligated under federal law to both admit and retain even the most incorrigible students until they reach 21. These students quickly learn to scam the system showing up for just enough classes as not to be truant, but spending their time at school doing drugs, fighting, having sex and generally screwing around.
Second, again because of federal mandates schools must accept and accommodate all special needs students. My wife attended some of these students who could best be described as being non responsive. However the school district provided each of them with a teaching aide who did all their work while they stared blankly into space. My wife had to administer their medications, do tube feedings, suction their trachs and even ride with them by cab to and from their homes...of course all this was free to the parents. These students were also "mainstreamed" into regular classes even though many would have benefited from a school especially geared to their needs.
The parochial schools without these government mandates could concentrate on educating their students and instilling religious and ethical values that would be taboo in public schools. My wife commented that the parochial school students were polite, disciplined and focused on learning .. a big change from what she saw in the public schools.
This really hits the nail on the head. As the husband of a former public school teacher, I have seen all of this in extremes.
The “Educational System In America” is geared to pander to the lowest common denominator.
This ain’t rocket surgery.
Thanks for posting. I sent this to my daughter and son-in-law who have just decided to send their children to Christian school.
It’s the system that is the problem.
There are good individuals involved in the system but it’s based on a flawed model developed by the Prussians.
A more thorough analysis is given by John Taylor Gatto in his “Underground History of American Education”
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/underground/toc1.htm
Available as a downloaded PDF file as well:
http://mhkeehn.tripod.com/ughoae.pdf
or
http://www.scribd.com/doc/12880618/John-Taylor-Gatto-Underground-History-of-American-Education
Over all, I get her point but exactly what could happen that's more "serious" than what has already happened?
The all encompassing pronoun, "they".
That includes this teacher, you and me and every person in the country. She's right of course. "They", "we" have to do something about it. My solution is to vote out liberals in every elective office on all levels, including liberal school board members.
Many board members at the local level, including my school district, don't even have a party affiliation by their name, it's up to me to find out their political bent.
We had a mayor in my little town (now deceased) and he didn't even have to put a political party by his name on the ballot. All I had to do was talk to him a little to find out he was conservative, when he decided that I was too, he finally told me that he was Republican. It does not take a lot of effort but it does take some, to find out where your local school board members stand and then vote the liberals out, campaign against them, work for conservatives, even if it's just sticking one of their signs up in your yard.
The essay is a relevant summary of liberalism, and how it becomes leftism. If an individual is not instructed in exercising personal responsibility (thus liberalism) then the only alternative is externally-imposed reactionary authoritarianism. Liberalism, the abandonment of responsibility, IS Leftism.
And that instruction in responsibility starts from five years old and continues to when one is accepted as being a mature adult. Thus the tragedy of fatherless families.
Incidentally, and we will repeat this on other threads, both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are products of worthless irresponsible fathers, and probably promiscuous mothers.
I believe being consciously honest and objective with one's self and assuming personal responsibility is a Christian teaching.
Johnny Suntrade
An excellent article...thanks for posting.