Public Education’s Dirty Secret

Quillette ^ | February 10, 2019 | Mary Hudson

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Bad teaching is a common explanation given for the disastrously inadequate public education received by America’s most vulnerable populations. This is a myth. Aside from a few lemons who were notable for their rarity, the majority of teachers I worked with for nine years in New York City’s public school system were dedicated, talented professionals. Before joining the system I was mystified by the schools’ abysmal results. I too assumed there must be something wrong with the teaching. This could not have been farther from the truth.

Teaching French and Italian in NYC high schools I finally figured out why this was, although it took some time, because the real reason was so antithetical to the prevailing mindset. I worked at three very different high schools over the years, spanning a fairly representative sample. That was a while ago now, but the system has not improved since, as the fundamental problem has not been acknowledged, let alone addressed. It would not be hard, or expensive, to fix.

Washington Irving High School, 2001–2004

My NYC teaching career began a few days before September 11, 2001 at Washington Irving High School. It was a short honeymoon period; the classes watched skeptically as I introduced them to a method of teaching French using virtually no English. Although the students weren’t particularly engaged, they remained respectful. During first period on that awful day there was a horrendous split-second noise. A plane flew right overhead a mere moment before it blasted into the north tower of the World Trade Center. At break time word was spreading among the staff. Both towers were hit and one had already come down . . .

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Ping.

[nnn0jeh]

Ping

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

One third of pupils can’t read.

When you teach sight words instead of phonics, that’s the result. We’ve been doing it for 50 years or so, but the geniuses that run the education bureaucracies can’t figure out the problem.

That sounds absolutely spot on. I’ve never understood how anyone ever learned how to read and write Chinese.

[NorthMountain]

I have taught in both government schools and private schools. From that experience, and from discussion with friends and family members who have taught in both environments, I say with unshakable confidence:

It is long past time to ABOLISH government schools

Educating children is far too important to let government continue its catastrophically failed pretense at doing it,

[NorthMountain]

The teachers were actually trying to teach the students to recognize the sounds that the letters make in order to sound out the words.

How utterly astonishing! It's not like the Greeks and Romans devised such a system millennia ago ...

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

This isn’t the ‘50s or 60s and prior when teachers did it for the love of teaching ^{and because, being women, their access to other professions was limited, basically, to nursing.}

[wintertime]

Good analogy.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I don’t think the fundamental concept of public education is evil, even if I do think the current iteration of it does contain evil elements, particularly the indoctrination and revisionist history aspects of it.

The trouble is that education is a cultural endeavor - and you either teach one culture or another. Bible reading and the Lord’s Prayer in school is one culture, not reading the Bible and not praying a Christian prayer is another.

With consequences in either case.

[gogeo]

That was a while ago now, but the system has not improved since, as the fundamental problem has not been acknowledged, let alone addressed. It would not be hard, or expensive, to fix.

She says teachers aren't the problem. I say it's the tip of the iceberg.

There's no part of public schools that works the way it should...not teachers, administrators, students, or parents. And there's no way to fix it. That's how it's gotten as bad as it is, and getting worse. There's no accountability for anyone.

[metmom]

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[Dr. Pritchett]

“Seemed be more interested in bringing the focus upon themselves.”

She must be a real joy in the classroom. I think you’re a better writer!

[monkeyshine]

It’s long, agreed. But I read it all. Her main point is that it’s not generally the teacher’s fault - but students attitude and very bad disciplinary and curriculum policies.

I am totally in favor of school choice/vouchers. Before making that step, parents should be informed of their kids grades and attitude. In K-6 we were graded on performance, effort and attitude. Parents, and schools, should know what kind of kids are coming in and choose the school that will correct the most important deficiencies. I was a great learner, but a mediocre student - I had my issues as an adolescent but I wasn’t a troublemaker. Often just lazy because for the most part I was smart enough to get by, not then knowing that I only needed to compare myself to myself, not others.

The lions share of her blame goes to administrators, and though my experience is from decades ago I can’t quarrel with her argument. It appears to have gotten worse. If I were a teacher I would simply write hall passes for the disruptive kids. Let them hang out in the cafeteria if they don’t want to learn and let others learn.

Unwritten in the essay but I think a big deal is the money. Schools need attendance to get their cash. So they want to force all kids into this day-care system. Anyway among all the bad policies is the policy that your socio-economic status and choice of neighborhood dictates which school your kid goes to... good kids get caught up in the grinder of bad schools and bad student peers. Parents have no recourse, they should have all the say. And there is plenty of money for it - all the large schools are valuable assets which can be refitted to handle multiple smaller independent schools, or sold to finance the teachers’ pensions while great schools are being built each targeting different types of students and desires and teaching methods. A free market for education!

[aberaussie]

bttt

[1Old Pro]

. At one point I rearranged the seating to enable the students who wanted to engage to come to the front of the classroom. The principal was informed and I was reprimanded. This was “discriminatory.”

When I went to school we had "tracking" where the students who scored higher on standardized tests and wanted to learn were in once group and so on. This was the best approach IMHO for both students and teachers.