No fault "education"
The public education system is in crisis and not just in the poorest neighborhoods. This is a report from the front lines.
I was stuck in traffic today, what I thought was a typical Thursday. The time is 1:45 p.m. Kids are streaming home from the local High School at the end of what apparently is a typical school day. Now that I am retired and since I live near a middle school as well as have the opportunity to get out during the day I notice this seems to be more of a trend. Shortened or completely cancelled school days are becoming more and more frequent. What with teachers conferences and other reasons it seems like educating students is just something that gets in the way of teachers and administrators wishing to do something, anything else.
This is just one small manifestation or symptom if you will of public schools in crisis. Public education is now an oxymoron. The system has degenerated into a no fault petri dish in which any strain of bacillus can grown unchecked. All the major parties whether they be teachers, administrators, or parents absolve themselves of responsibility of managing the conduct of and educational challenges issued to students. How else to explain the jaw dropping indifference of two mothers of school age children appearing on the O'Reilly Factor who found no fault with school administrators in Indianapolis who took no action other than to actively cover up the fact that two 6th Grade students had sex in a classroom? With parents and administrators like this perhaps it is a blessing that kids today have fewer hours they have to spend in classrooms allegedly "getting an education".
At least parents who are actually concerned with the quality of their children's education (as well as their physical well being) have a choice. And it's not a choice limited to just the wealthy (i.e. pay taxes for public schools and also pay tuition at a private school). I see that several parents exercise that choice when I notice them playing with or riding bicycle with their school age children during school hours around town. That choice of course is home schooling. It is a testament to how bad things have become when despite paying for the travesty that is public education and tuning out the endless blather of politicians swearing things will get better and waving the promise of vouchers in front of them parents are pulling their children out of public schools and are taking on the challenge of educating them in an "old school" way. Back in the day when America was made up of primarily rural families, home schooling was typical and not the novelty it is today.
If given their way, so called educational experts would eliminate this choice, this home schooling. Why? Because they could lose their jobs if a viable alternative to public education was offered. Not that they don't try. As with the wish to unionize all workers, the socialists of the world would also unionize all students by forcing them to attend their public schools. These same forces have already been quite successful in unionizing most institutions of higher learning. At least schooling in most socialized states both past and present was provided at little if any charge. Universities, colleges, and of course public elementary through high schools are supported either directly through tax revenues or exorbitantly high fees. What a country. Your children get indoctrinated and you get to pay through the nose for it.
One last irony. The local fire department close to me has a sign in front of it designating it as a child safe area. What this means is that children who feel they are in danger can come to the firehouse for protection anytime day or night. It's a safe bet that this same sign will not be posted in front of any local public school anytime soon.
I was stuck in traffic today, what I thought was a typical Thursday. The time is 1:45 p.m. Kids are streaming home from the local High School at the end of what apparently is a typical school day. Now that I am retired and since I live near a middle school as well as have the opportunity to get out during the day I notice this seems to be more of a trend. Shortened or completely cancelled school days are becoming more and more frequent. What with teachers conferences and other reasons it seems like educating students is just something that gets in the way of teachers and administrators wishing to do something, anything else.
This is just one small manifestation or symptom if you will of public schools in crisis. Public education is now an oxymoron. The system has degenerated into a no fault petri dish in which any strain of bacillus can grown unchecked. All the major parties whether they be teachers, administrators, or parents absolve themselves of responsibility of managing the conduct of and educational challenges issued to students. How else to explain the jaw dropping indifference of two mothers of school age children appearing on the O'Reilly Factor who found no fault with school administrators in Indianapolis who took no action other than to actively cover up the fact that two 6th Grade students had sex in a classroom? With parents and administrators like this perhaps it is a blessing that kids today have fewer hours they have to spend in classrooms allegedly "getting an education".
At least parents who are actually concerned with the quality of their children's education (as well as their physical well being) have a choice. And it's not a choice limited to just the wealthy (i.e. pay taxes for public schools and also pay tuition at a private school). I see that several parents exercise that choice when I notice them playing with or riding bicycle with their school age children during school hours around town. That choice of course is home schooling. It is a testament to how bad things have become when despite paying for the travesty that is public education and tuning out the endless blather of politicians swearing things will get better and waving the promise of vouchers in front of them parents are pulling their children out of public schools and are taking on the challenge of educating them in an "old school" way. Back in the day when America was made up of primarily rural families, home schooling was typical and not the novelty it is today.
If given their way, so called educational experts would eliminate this choice, this home schooling. Why? Because they could lose their jobs if a viable alternative to public education was offered. Not that they don't try. As with the wish to unionize all workers, the socialists of the world would also unionize all students by forcing them to attend their public schools. These same forces have already been quite successful in unionizing most institutions of higher learning. At least schooling in most socialized states both past and present was provided at little if any charge. Universities, colleges, and of course public elementary through high schools are supported either directly through tax revenues or exorbitantly high fees. What a country. Your children get indoctrinated and you get to pay through the nose for it.
One last irony. The local fire department close to me has a sign in front of it designating it as a child safe area. What this means is that children who feel they are in danger can come to the firehouse for protection anytime day or night. It's a safe bet that this same sign will not be posted in front of any local public school anytime soon.
posted by tovarich at 2:58 PM
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