"Don't Leave Educating Our Children to the Government"
Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe has written an excellent column on public education.
Among his comments: "...why should children be locked into a one-size-fits-all, government-knows-best model of education?
"Nobody would want the government to run 90 percent of the nation's entertainment industry. Nobody thinks that 90 percent of all housing should be owned by the state. Yet the government's control of 90 percent of the nation's schools leaves most Americans strangely unconcerned."
More: "In a society founded on political and economic liberty, government schools have no place. Free men and women do not entrust to the state the molding of their children's minds and character. As we wouldn't trust the state to feed our kids, or to clothe them, or to get them to bed on time, neither should we trust the state to teach them."
Last March I linked to another of Jacoby's columns calling for "the separation of school and state." I agree with this philosophy 100 percent, but I'm afraid most Americans are too lethargic and accepting of the status quo to want to take more personal responsibility for their children's education. I've personally seen far too many instances of parents who won't bother to rock the boat at their local school, even when the boat is in serious need of rocking; that type of parent probably finds it easier simply to be told where to send their child for school and be done with it.
I'd love to be proven wrong.
Friday Update: Another blogger had an interesting exchange with Jeff Jacoby regarding the column.
posted by Laura @ 3:44 PM
2 Comments:
Heh, heh...You know better than to get me started on this subject. As a public school teacher it is my opinion that school is nothing short of child abuse.
Here is a good one: My school is in danger of going into program improvement for failing to meet NCLB goals for Average Yearly Progress. It seems that we are hitting our goals in every subgroup except one: special ed students. Amazingly, special ed students are expected to hit the "proficient" level at the same percentage rate as everybody else. What part of special ed do they not understand!
Oh, and get this: by 2013 EVERYBODY (as in 100% of the students) is supposed to be hitting the proficient goal!
A little aside: a friend of mine didn't get a position in our schools soon after she called No Child Left Behind, No Mexican left Behind. I am a lot more careful than that.
Hey there, good to see you here!
What a sad commentary, all the way around. I value your input from "the front lines." Bless you for doing your best to help the kids in your school. It sounds like it's a very tough line of work.
Best wishes,
Laura
Post a Comment
<< Home