New York Writer is Shocked by High School Teaching and Culture

The Atlantic ^ | 11/28/2001 | Interview of Elinor Burkett by Sage Stossel

[ex-Texan]

Well, it is now "official." Why? Because a New York writer with all the correct credentials now says that our schools are all screwed up.

Just take a walk on a high school campus some day. You will see teenage girls dressing like street hookers .... teenage boys wear gang banger garb and no one appears to be serious about learning anything at all.

[Brett66]

But at least their socialized. (/sarcasm)

[dasboot]

HA!

This explains the new media ad blitz by the NEA, "Public Education: An American Idea" , which pins the success of America squarely on the shoulders of the public schools.

I wonder how Ms. Burkett will enjoy being publically lambasted as a right-wing John Birch KKK kook, now?

She's not telling a lot of us what we didn't already know; she's just had her eyes opened (red pill) and wants to spread the alarm. Too late, too little.

Maybe Lynn Cheney will call her and give her a pep talk.

[Cleburne]

But isn't that the reason schools exist?
For what it's worth, this high schooler (who is not connected to any government run "educational" establishment, is currently partaking of the Canterbury Tales, Beowolf, MacBeth, a volume on the life of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a regimental history of the 1st Georgia, a large collection of Scottish, Englsih, and American folk ballads, and for pure interest, a book on edible plants, all of which I am reading out of my own interest. I should note that the arangement of my schooling is such that it encourages such pursuits, although I must admit much of it is borne out of my own novel ecentricies...

[Pharmboy]

Now wait just a durn minute here...I saw this movie on HBO. It was with Drew Barrymore...yeah, that's it, it was called "Never Been Kissed." Not worth watching.

[concerned about politics]

That's why my children aren't allowed to enter a public school.
They're too valuable to me to have them totally screwed up with Marxist studies instead of reading, writing, and lots of math.
My kids will be the leaders of tomarrow because they'll be the smarter ones, and the rest will be "evenly distributed" worker bees.

[Pharmboy]

We spend more per pupil now than ever...and our scores are lower than ever (remember: we "re-centered" the SAT up 50 points...each!). I know you were being sarcastic Ron...this isn't addressed to you.

[Sender]

Tell me about it. My wife is a HS teacher North of Atlanta, and the school system can be really ridiculous. They throw real problem kids, some on probation and even one with an ankle bracelet homing device, some severely disabled, in with the bright kids and with the country kids. Then they expect the teachers to conduct a meaningful class with all ability levels at the same time. Worst of all, if some kid scratches the desks or glues something to the floor, they blame my wife. I know, I just got back from helping her to refinish the drawers in question and scrape the carpets. The young man in question got 10 days suspension, and they missed a golden educational opportunity by not making the kid refinish the drawers himself. Then he could understand the pride in doing something and not stupidly damaging things. But instead they only vent on the teacher for not somehow preventing it. I am thinking more about homeschooling every day.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I have a daughter in High School and I am very impressed with the level of education she is receiving. Of course, she is taking Honors classes. From what I have seen, her school is very much like many others - there are all levels of learning - from the kids who really shouldn't waste the effort to even get to the building, all the way to the Advanced Placement courses that actually award college credits.....

As with every aspect of life, education is what you make of it.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Cleburne, There was an article referenced the other night that had been written by a 16 year old liberal. It was an opinion piece written for Democratic Underground. It was poorly written and not well thought out, but was receiving accolades by the DU bunch.

I would put you up against the liberal kid anytime! You are obviously very well educated and write better than most adults I know. Are you planning a career in writing?

[SuziQ]

that in classes where students of all abilities are thrown together, the less able students simply rely on the smarter students to do all the work, and the more precocious students become bored and alienated. It also struck Burkett that today's rhetoric about using new curriculum requirements and testing programs to raise standards are beside the point when adults, both inside and outside of schools, prioritize the protection of teenagers' self-esteem over challenging them to achieve.

Which is precisely the reason we've decided to homeshcool all the way through high school, unless our kids decide to go their Jr. and Sr. years to the local Math and Science Magnet school at which the kids are serious about learning. I always laugh when people opine about the fact that being homeschooled, our kids miss out on the 'socialization' of high school. Frankly that's one reason WHY WE DO homeschool, so they won't have to spend so much mental energy fooling with that crap! They could probably BOTH finish high school in 3 years if they wanted, that's how much time is wasted in regular school. I gave my daughter the option of going back to school next year for the 9th grade and she said precisely that; that it was a lot of wasted time sitting in a classroom!

[Russell Scott]

All education that is worth anything has truth as its foundation. When you remove teaching about the Word of God you remove the foundation to all wisdom. Thence you get sheeple who can't discern the truth from a lie. They are then easily lead to a socialist slaughter. Its a great plan. Thank God it ain't going to work because God always has a remnant who won't "bow their knee to Baal".

[Andrew Wiggin]

When trying to impress people with your accomplishments on message boards, I think that you'll find that it's a good idea to spell check your post more carefully than normal.

[Andrew Wiggin]

"I wonder how Ms. Burkett will enjoy being publically lambasted as a right-wing John Birch KKK kook, now? "

Notice that she high-tailed it out of the US, all the way to Kyrgystan and now Afganistan.

PS If her husband also followed her out of the country, he is certainly devoted.

[Ole Okie]

The young man in question got 10 days suspension, and they missed a golden educational opportunity by not making the kid refinish the drawers himself. Then he could understand the pride in doing something and not stupidly damaging things.

Unfortunately, the kid's parents would have screamed to the ACLU (or other far out organization), and the teacher or principal who had him refinish the desk would be on trial for imposing involuntary servitude.

Conditions were hardly ideal when my mother taught in the 60's and 70's. Yet the schools were still basically under control of the teachers.

Today the ONLY thing that seems to count is "self-esteem". And the teachers have no control of their classes.

[THX 1138]

We just aren't spending enough money on our schools. Especially the inner-city schools.

You're joking, right?

[Leisler]

English easy, math be hard.

[GuillermoX]

I looked at the High School curriculum for the Georgia Millitary Academy in Marietta, GA for the early 1900's and was astounded. What they had to learn blew away what a college student is supposed to learn today. I wish I had that to post here.

[Chuckster]

Good for you!

OTOH my 24 year old assistant, though bright, articulate and reasonably competent has never read a book in her life! She is a HS Graduate (Government school of course) and even completed a year at the local community college.

Never read a book in her life. I was stunned when she told me. She explained that she had never been required to read a "Whole book" in school and , anyway, "Reading's so boring" she said.

as someone who doesn't own a TV and who goes through two or three books a month I simply couldn't comprehend.