Who is in Charge?

Pop Quiz

What American educator said: “No school can work well for children if parents and teachers do not act in partnership on behalf of the children’s best interests.”?

What philosopher said: “A child educated only at school is an uneducated child.”?

What philosopher said: “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”?

What American writer said: “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”?

What President said: “Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.”?

Answers at the end of the post.

American public education is on life support and is in such a state of disarray that euthanasia may be the only solution. AOC graduated from Boston University with a degree and a double major, economics and international relations, WITH HONORS! And yet she can’t tell the difference between Milton Keynes and John Maynard Friedman. She moved seamlessly from the campus quad to a bar tending gig where she could put into practice what she learned in those disciplines…making change and serving drinks such as Singapore Slings and White Russians. Jasmine Crockett, Rashida Tlaib and Adam Schiff for brains all managed to secure Juris Doctor Degrees.

We are watching a large number of “students” who are matriculated at American colleges and universities that inexplicably enjoy long-standing reputations as institutions of higher learning. Mental institutions they may be but there is very little mental activity taking place. They love Hamas and hate the Jews and they chant “From the river to the sea” without being able to identify either the river or the sea.

One of these undergraduate “students” at Columbia University who is part of the ongoing anti-Israel/Jewish protest describes her academic program as: Researching “theories of the imagination and poetry as interpreted through a Marxian lens in order to update and purpose an alternative to historicist critiques of the Romantic imagination.” Were this a doctoral thesis the faculty reviewers would be overwhelmed by the Pseudobulbar Affect. Extra credit if you can diagram that sentence. It is easy to imagine (and not Romantically) that this benighted fool might end up on the faculty at some accredited college.

These are the end products of a failed system. It is time to repurpose our our public school system.

A Conflict of Visions (with apologies to Thomas Sowell)

The education establishment and the teacher’s unions operate under a policy that specifically opposes the right of parents to participate in the education of their children. In 2021 Terry McAuliffe, gubernatorial candidate in Virginia, said: “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.” Missing is the required modifier, “their children”. It is not uncommon for school officials to claim that the students are “their children” also when they argue against parental involvement in the education process. V.I. Lenin, leader of the international Comintern, said “Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.”

But it is the role of parents to initiate the education experience of their children. In fact, it is their principle role. They should not defer to the educational establishment. They should reject any suggestion that school is basically a day care operation.

The Role of the Parent(S)

Parents should begin the education process as soon as their children become aware of the world around them.

Communication: Introduce them to books and reading as early as possible. Talk with them often. Reading and oral communication are the basic building blocks of the education process. Discussions when the family is gathered must be encouraged.

Curiosity: Instill a desire to learn and to ask questions. Teach them to ask questions when they go to school and make sure the teachers reward such curiosity. Intellectual curiosity will enrich their entire lives. Visit the classrooms at their school to ensure the students are encouraged to think independently, that they are learning how to think, not what to think.

Respect: Children should learn to respect their heritage and have gratitude for all that has been done to make their lives better.

Establish moral guidelines: The Golden Rule should be the basis of any interaction with the world. A respect for truth and civil discourse must be encouraged. Ensure that the schools do not undermine these moral precepts by supporting moral equivalence.

Limit access to cell phones and social media. Know what your children are watching on TV…there are a vast array of educational programs that are available. Discourage social media and IA apps that short circuit the capacity to cogitate.

The Role of Public Education

When your child is placed in the hands of the educational establishment you will, for thirteen years, be involved in a tug-of-war over the heart and mind of your student.

For those who attended school prior to 1990 you will be surprised at the state of intellectual discipline in public schools. Students are discouraged from challenging the teacher on any subject matter. Your humble scribe spoke at a local high school and one of the students approached his science teacher to ask if I could speak to her class about climate change. The idea was rejected because “the issue is not open to discussion”. According to this closed minded pedagogue anthropogenic climate change is an immutable truth and there will be no dissent.

The counter balance is reflected in the following true story: A 7th grade teacher polled her class about global warming and all but one pupil dutifully agreed that it was real and that it was caused by humans. There was, however, one student who disagreed. The teacher scheduled a debate, to take place two days hence, between the lone heretic and two of the best students from among the marionettes. The pariah, armed with five documents, made his case and, to the amazement of the teacher, a new vote found there were now eight dissenters. They had been exposed to the other side of the story for the first time.

A recent high school graduate offered up the following observation: “We are taught from kindergarten through 12th grade to listen to the teacher, memorize material, take a test on that material, and move on. Students aren’t encouraged to express their own ideas.” The teacher has a powerful motivational tool…the ability to flunk any student. This student further noted that: “Students are trained to accept everything their teacher says as fact” and there is “no discussion or debate.” This is the state of “education” from coast to coast.

The school establishment must be made to understand that they are responsible to their “customers”, i.e. the students and their parents. As such they must teach:

Critical thinking not critical theory; communication skills, written and oral; intellectual curiosity and a respect for our history, our people and the accomplishments of all who went before them.

The correct meaning of commonly misused words such as: Nazi, fascist, capitalism, white supremacy, anti-Semitism, systemic racism, equity, gender, accountability and bootstrap.

They must not indoctrinate their students with their personal and political opinions. They must make the curricula available to the parents of each student on the first day of school with the direction that the material be delivered to the parents of each pupil. They should encourage active participation of the parents in the process, including an open invitation to visit the classroom at any time.

MEI: Merit, Excellence and Intelligence must replace DEI: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

You thought life was difficult and then you passed through the birth canal and found out how easy you had it.

Answers to the pop quiz:

What American educator said: “No school can work well for children if parents and teachers do not act in partnership on behalf of the children’s best interests.”? Dorothy Cohen

What philosopher said: “A child educated only at school is an uneducated child.”? George Santayana

What philosopher said: “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”? Xunxi

What American writer said: “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”? William Arthur Ward

What President said: “Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.”? Abraham Lincoln who never went to high school so Randi Weingarten never got her hooks into him