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July 20, 2005

More on our Public Schools

Last week, Michelle Malkin linked to the NEA's website. It listed all the different things they discussed and voted on during their annual meeting. I also wrote rather briefly about it here.

I had a couple of commenters who defended the NEA and one in particular stated that he believes that teaching only reading, writing and arithmetic would not prepare today's children for tomorrow's world. One in particular really dislikes the No Child Left Behind act.

Now, I'm not a teacher. I have relatives who have been teachers, and a brother-in-law who is a teacher and friends who are or have been teachers. But, you know, I still have a strong interest in education. Why? Because I am a parent and a citizen. It is in my best interest that all American children learn to read English, write English and understand Math. These kids are our future leaders.

I should probably add that I believe science and history are also very important, but kids cannot understand either until they get the math and the reading down. And we cannot know if they understand it until they get the writing down.

Too many kids have never diagrammed a sentence. Too many children do not know basic grammar rules. Too many kids can't figure out how to divide a pie.

To prepare children for a grown-up life, we should be teaching them these skills first so they can present themselves well to future employers and others.

All American kids need to understand and read and write in English. I am all for teaching foreign languages (not second languages, NEA!) like French, German, Spanish, Japanese and Latin! But again, until a child can understand proper English, it will be very difficult to learn a different tongue.

To encourage children to speak in a language other than English is to limit their future to living and working in a ghetto where only that language is spoken.

As for children with special needs - special needs children need special education if they are unable to learn in a classroom with non-disabled children. I grew up in St. Louis County. The county had a fabulous Special Education District. People from all over the country with disabled children would beg their companies to transfer them to St. Louis so they could get the benefits of the special school district.

Someone, somewhere, decided that only 'mainstreaming' special needs kids must be accomplished in all cases. I truly believe that a special needs kid in a normal classroom is great - for the normal kids - because they learn that children who are disabled are still kids, and great kids.

But, I saw a young boy with Down's Syndrome in my son's 5th grade class disrupt the entire class by screaming and throwing tantrums that would take precious time out of class. Perhaps he would have been better served if he had a lower teacher to student ration - but in a normal classroom, there is no way a teacher can devote all of his or her time to a child who needs constant attention unless he or she completely neglects the education of the other kids.

Another thing - History - back when I was in High School, I had to take American History and study the Constitution and even the Missouri State Constitution before I could graduate - that was a state law back then.

In many public schools, American History these days makes all kinds of value judgements about white Americans. We are all eviiiiilllll. Even those of us whose families did not show up on these shores until 20+ years after the end of the Civil War.

Let's teach complete American History. In fact, let's teach complete World History - but tell the truth, people - don't downplay the role that Western Man has played in science, art, medicine and Democracy.

Well, I need to hit the hay now. I might continue with this tomorrow, or not!!

Posted by Beth at July 20, 2005 12:01 AM