An Inconvenient Spoof: Part 1
The latest posting by Voice For School Choice (VSC) is very disturbing and deserves a response from the State Superintendent of Education:
Contrary to statements made by Jim Rex (source), schools in low income areas are receiving thousands of dollars MORE per student, despite a sustained failure to properly educate the children attending them. The current funding system actually works to reward failure and reinforce socio-economic gaps.
This is an ugly indictment not only of Mr. Rex’s credibility, but that of the entire school structure. Clearly, The Spy is no fan of “the system,” but this and other revelations and analyses (including my own) are beginning to drill through the hard, protective shell that has insulated those responsible for educating South Carolina’s children.
In fact, Mr. Rex is not the only one who needs to respond. How about the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)? Oh, wait, the NAESP isn’t in it for the kids:
The mission of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) is to lead in the advocacy and support for elementary and middle level principals and other education leaders in their commitment to all children.
Their focus is “advocacy and support for elementary and middle level principals and other education leaders…”
OK, then the American Federation of Teachers:
The mission of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, is to improve the lives of our members and their families, to give voice to their legitimate professional, economic and social aspirations, to strengthen the institutions in which we work, to improve the quality of the services we provide, to bring together all members to assist and support one another and to promote democracy, human rights and freedom in our union, in our nation and throughout the world.
Wait… what? “…to bring together all members to assist and support one another and to promote democracy, human rights and freedom in our union, in our nation and throughout the world.”
Never mind, then. The AFT is far too busy saving the world to care about poor kids in South Carolina.
And, of course, there’s the National Education Association. SURELY, given the Comintern’s passion for children and their education, it must be concerned about malfeasance and misappropriation:
NEA also believes every child in America, regardless of family income or place of residence, deserves a quality education. In pursuing its mission, NEA has determined that we will focus the energy and resources of our 3.2 million members on improving the quality of teaching, increasing student achievement and making schools safer, better places to learn.
Join me now as we hold hands – and our breath – waiting for the NEA to make demands for accountability by state or local administrators. The NEA has this thing about raising taxes with the assertion – and, after all, they ARE educators so they MUST know – that “Every $1 invested in pre-school education provides an economic return of $7.” In that case, the districts cited in VSC’s post must be wonders of the economic universe!
Jim Rex’s Inconvenient Spoof is but the latest attempt to hide the ugly troof… truth … about South Carolina’s schools. It isn’t lack of money, it’s the people that spend it.
In “An Inconvenient Spoof: Part 2,” [coming soon] a painful question to ask.
UPDATE:
Twice today, someone from the American Federation of Teachers read this post.
Will they comment?
The situation you find in South Carolina is not unique to that state. The novel, The Twilight’s Last Gleaming On Public Education discusses the potential, challenges, and obstacles that currently litter the public education landscape in America. It possesses many of the elements commonly found in just about every school system throughout the United States. You may view a portion of this intriguing, socially relevant, and enlightening story online by contacting the publisher at http://www.Xlibris.com, clicking on their Bookstore link, then Searching by title. Check it out for youself. Discuss it with your friends. Can you identify with the characters and situations presented? Do you find the proposed solutions practical for your school system? How can you help?
Spy…once again you are on target. What I find disturbing is that our education system is driven by “achievement testing” and “No Child Left Untested” legislation.
The problem in achievement is that there are no GOALS (read HARD TARGETS) that children can aim to achieve. Instead, there are vacuous “education” goals with no hard targets, such as “reading, writing and arithmetic.”
What happened to the basic education those of us in the over-50 generation received? The GOALS were watered down with feel good education. The education establishment became enamored with protecting a child’s fragile ego rather than with EDUCATING our children. The education establishment would rather that Johnny felt good about himself at the expense of his vocabulary and math skills.
The fix is simple but not easily attained. Simply reestablish education goals like we had before the liberal education technocrats took over. Then have teachers enforce the targets. That’s the hard part. Our current crop of teachers grew up in the feel good system and they have no concept of facing a goal, working towards it, and achieving it.
One thing’s for sure… the politicians won’t help us. Seems like it’s time for a change.