We always want the quick fix.
On Monday my wife had the TV on as I was getting dressed. There was a story being presented about a law suit being pressed against the L.A. Unified School District involving teacher tenure and seniority policies. I just caught the general sense of it but I could tell that it was just another political smoke and mirror show. These people want to look like they are doing something while they ignore the real problem.
Although the teachers have a share in the failure of education, blaming the teachers is like blaming the auto workers of the 70's for the loss of market share to the Japanese. You can’t make high quality machinery with pot metal parts. The workers on the line did not design the product or choose the materials that went into them. It is like blaming the soldiers under McClellan at the beginning of the Civil War for making no progress. It is like blaming an unmilked cow when the udder runs dry. There is an old saying, “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”
The problem is not really the teachers. The problem is not really the text books. The problem is not lack of funds. The problem is in voters who continue to elect the same types of people to school boards, legislatures and chief executives. The problem is you people that continue to vote the same way and expect different results. The problem is you people who think there is some magic elixir to substitute for hard work and discipline.
Education needs radical reform. In California we need to start by throwing out the Education Code and doing away with compulsory education. Nation wide we need to impeach activist judges, return federal funds and turn the responsibility for educating children over to local parents. A basic philosophical change is needed. We need to put the responsibility to learn on the children. If they don’t want to accept that duty, fine, let them go play on their smart phones. Get them out of the class and into menial jobs if they insist on eating. There will be plenty who want to get ahead in life. Someday they will wake up and be hungry enough to put in the effort to get ahead.
I have no problem with providing public schools. Education should be available, but not required. I am not sure it should be as “free” as it is. We tend to want other people to pay for what we get.
I am a public school teacher. I am lined up at the public trough, sucking down your tax money. It is no more hypocritical that being a teetotaler and eating in restaurants that serve booze. At the same time I have never voted for a tax that increases funds for education. We home schooled our children. I am a squeaky wheel at faculty meetings. They get tired of hearing that the emperor has no clothes.
To paraphrase Marie Antoinette, “Then let them go naked.”
homo unius libri
Like most things in America, I don't ever expect education to improve. I think the Lord will come back first, be it sooner or much later.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the Declaration of Independence I am reminded that Jefferson, at least, thought it would take violence to achieve reform and preserve freedom. The problem that history teaches is that most revolutions produce a tyranny worse than the one they fought. Ours was the exception because of the unique set of leaders we had. I don't see those kind of leaders today.
DeleteBut people had the same despair before the Wesley revival, so hand in there. Education is symptom of the disease.
Grace and peace.