Replies

I've been substitute teaching lately, and have gained some insights into this situation. The district where I've been working is in an urban area, with all the urban pathologies you would expect: violence, child neglect, crack babies coming of age, poverty, etc.

The social workers here (and there is typically one per school) deal with those kinds of problems, that typically get in the way of these kids getting an education. I would agree that it is not a perfect solution. I would further agree that it absorbs resources that would be better spent teaching children. It is at best, a band-aid solution to a complex and pervasive problem. But, absent radical action on the part of society to compel people to be better parents, I don't know what the alternative is.

The problem is exacerbated, in my district anyway, by a system of "school integration" (read forced busing) which exports the urban pathologies of the 'hood to a formerly good school in a middle class neighborhood - Consequently, our neighborhood public school, which I pay for, is not an acceptable option for my own children. The mindset which underlies this integration seems to be a kind of insane egalitarianism: classes are not grouped by ability (with the exception of "learning disabled" kids) but instead all move at the pace of the slowest crack baby in the class, with interruptions by all the discipline problems - These two factors, which govern the speed with which the rest of the children learn, are the direct result of poor parenting.

It used to be that the children of poor parents were, for the most part, similar demographically - They all resided in the poorest neighborhoods, and so were concentrated in those schools. Now, however, we have magically assigned blame for their poor academic performance to the implicit racism of school assignment - Hence they, and the pathologies they bring with them, are now attending a school near you.

Thought you made enough money that you didn't have to deal with the problems of the inner city? Bought a house in a good neighborhood, in the hope of insulating your children from the problems of the ghetto? Guess again - Those problems are sitting at the desk next to your child.

It would be better if children could attend their own neighborhood schools, and we could concentrate and optimize resources, like social workers, on the children that need them. But here, as in many places, that is not politically possible. So children like mine attend private school, or home school, while children of parents who cannot afford private education suffer. As long as we export the problems of society to every school in America, we'll need someone there to deal with them.

"But, absent radical action on the part of society to compel people to be better parents"

LD, This is the usual refrain handed down by those who are running education today. Have you ever asked which of the bad policies you mentioned that the parents initiated?

These people are talking about my parents and yours. NOT "those" parents. It is NOT the parents who are running the school systems and classrooms. It is the most highly educated people in the world. Even IF parents are strict disciplinarians at "home", what do you think the children "learn" at schools where a common comment upon returning from the principal's office is, "I just recieved my twelfth 'last' chance."

Nah, the problem is NOT "parents", but those who run public education. And, it IS DELIBERATE. Check out the critiques of this book. World Net Daily is also selling it. Peace and love, George.