Set Our Teachers FREE!

I was perusing educational issues on the internet when I came across an interesting blog site, LifeDev.net.

The article that caught my attention was titled “American Kiddies Are Getting Dumber” and starts with the author stating “Don’t shoot the messenger.” He then lists statements from a teacher friend explaining that his students are not able to perform basic intellectual tasks. The author feels part of the problem is the fast pace of our society that does not allow time for reflection.

I personally believe that students are as smart as they’ve ever been, but that their brainpower is being wasted by a lack of training and development.

The post itself is very short, but like many controversial topics, the comments are well worth reading and agreeing or disagreeing with. Such is the case here.

What I would like to share with you are my responses to a couple of comments. I do not have permission to use the commentors names, so I will simply share MY responses.

To the commentor who said:

“My mom teaches a gifted 4th grade science class in Texas, and she says that whenever she goes beyond the curriculum (meaning she’s already taught the stuff in the lesson plan and wants to teach kids topics outside it), her supervisor always says something like “Don’t waste your time on that, because that won’t be included in standardized tests.”

I replied:

“Our schools are ranked 24th among developed countries (and we sent our BEST students to compete). Our schools are the laughingstock of the globe. Our graduation rates average 25-50% in larger cities. And of that one-in-two graduation rate, many of those graduates cannot read adequately or perform basic math functions. Graduation rates of 70% are considered ACCEPTABLE across the country, and those figures are inflated!

It’s time for a complete reform of our public educational system. Education deficits are now becoming a matter of national security. The situation is desperate!”

BUT, one commentor stated some things that I simply had to respond to. A Summary:

“America has a long history of anti-education, while the elite receive the best education and run the country. Education leads to the devil. Our education system has issues, but so do all. We are not a homogeneous society here. Values range from culture and community across our nation. If you take our best schools and compare them with other nations, our students perform the best in the world. So stop seeing the system as a whole, it just isn’t. Education is a community based system, so if there are problems, look to the community.”

“. . . if you want the schools to change then take an active role in the community. We cannot change the system, because education is not one system. You have to attack it at the local level, which is where control comes from in the first place. If you don’t like that we teach to the test, which is connected to our funding, talk to the politicians that you voted into office. I think it’s unfair to blame the education system for the problems with education. Education begins at home, with a focus from the parents and the neighbourhood you live in.”

“. . .cannot expect this in a public school, because it is public. You want an exceptional eduction, where students learn to fight for an education, then try private school.”

Needless to say, while I agree that we need much more active involvement by parents and concerned citizens, I have a different viewpoint regarding our national education system as a whole.

When you read my response, you’ll see why I started this post with pictures of luxury items and a luxury lifestyle.

MY RESPONSE:

“I just have to mention that No Child Left Behind is NOT community-based. The problem starts at the top.

And the only way we will eliminate an elitist educational system is to demand change.

Teachers have been taking the blame for school failures for too long. But, to say that national change will only occur community-by-community is not only unrealistic, it is a sure-fire recipe for disaster.

If I live in an exclusive area (which I have) and attend an expensive private school (which I did) that MAY allow me to be well-educated (or have access to better drugs) but it does NOT stop the uneducated, violent and angry drop-out from across the city or country from entering my safe little haven and violating my “serene existence”.

One way or another, we will pay if we do not improve education nationally. Either we will be forced to build more jails, more security systems and higher walls, or we will forfeit our actual lives.

The time is coming when the ‘have nots’ will range farther and farther afield to scavenge or take by force from the ‘haves’.

I’m old enough to have seen the spread of crime from major urban areas into bedroom communities, then into tiny rural areas. There are no more ’safe enclaves’, and we can blame the growth of ignorance.”

We need to wake up to the fact that the disasters occurring in our public schools MUST be turned around, or we will have complete havoc. How can anyone be unaware of the relationship between ignorance and a rise in crime? We are losing more and more children every year to ignorance NOT stupidity.

Our public school system can be completely revamped NATIONALLY and COMMUNITY to COMMUNITY. We need a good plan at the top and federal, state and local governments supporting the change.

Read “Set Our Teachers FREE! A Plan to Save Public Education” by Don Kingsland and you will see, as many others have that “The Kingsland Plan is based on common sense, workable solutions that can be implemented quickly. WE CAN DO IT!

Brennan

Filed under: Education Reform