[AdamSelene235]

Welcome to FR.

AGAINST SCHOOL How public education cripples our kids, and why

[Alberta's Child]

Bump for later.

[talleyman]

Bump

[AdamSelene235]

The Seven-Lesson Schoolteacher

[Marie]

Welcome little FReeper! Very good first post!

[Luke]

A bit off subject but... it has taken me a number of years to admit this since my child has been teaching at an elementary public school for more than a decade and I work for a school union (The state I now live in is a "right-to-work" state; I'd love to be fired because of my political beliefs - I'd become wealthy overnight) BUT...
public education in America is a Federally mandated..., taxpayer funded..., union controlled... JOBS PROGRAM. Education of children is a 'by-product' of the "goal" which is to provide jobs for workers.

Frankly... it is my personal opinion that you simply do not love your children enough ...if you send them to public school.

We have many "highly qualified" teachers who put forth 100% each and every day. I imagine you will find some in most schools. Dedicated teachers who advance thru merit admit that 'tenure' never protects a teacher who does his/her job. 'Tenure' only protects those contracts that the administration wishes to terminate.

From my prospective most union members are more concerned with personal rights and benefits than job performance. Having said this... I'd be the first to admit that approximately 10% of our members require 100% of union time and expense.

Frankly... as a taxpayer I'm not concerned with providing lifelong positions with retirement benefits to janitors, cooks and bus drivers. I had much rather my tax dollar be spent on "highly qualified" teacher salaries and books rather than benefits for support personnel and school board administrators/lawyers and plant facilities to house school boards. Many of those jobs/tasks could be provided by parent and PTA organizations IF the unions would permit it AND the parents REALLY valued public education.

But... who really values something that is free?

[Dead Dog]

I quizzed my mother about this jerk. She worked as a teacher and administrator in public schools for over 30 years, much in curriculum development. Apparently, John Dewy isn't very influential anymore. However, her generation was pretty much students of his BS.

"Democracy in Education" seems like his prime work. He was very critical of Marx, yet was philosophically identical (materialist).

[Hibernius Druid]

Welcome to Free Republic. I've been looking for a quote like this from Dewey, one that shows his atheism. Please cite the exact source (chapter and verse, so to speak) so I can show my friends in education. Thank you.

[oyez]

As I remember when I was in grade school back in the late '50's the teachers were saying that schools were changing because "we are behind the Russians." Apparently, that was the excuse to develop a more socialistic education system. Now that we have outlasted that Russian system its time to go back to traditional values. Maybe the kids will get interested in learning again. .

[Hibernius Druid]

Still awaiting your reply to my post #11, supra, new Freeper. If you're going to write about education, you certainly should know how to attribute sources. Just where exactly will we find the quote you attribute to John Dewey? Thanking you in advance. Hibernius Druid