- I've resisted writing this letter for such a long time
now, but today was the last straw.
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- While I was out shopping today, I happened to run into
and recognize a school teacher from the high school I attended back in
1986 -1990. We made some small talk and catching up on how I was doing,
she was doing, her son I attended school with at the time and so on.
-
- One thing led to another until she mentioned how wonderful
it was to see how well I had grown up, how dynamic my personality was and
how succesful I am doing currently. The compliments were appreciated, however,
I wish it was where we could have ended the conversation and parted ways.
Instead it was followed up with, "You have no idea how bad the school
system has gotten since you've graduated." That piqued my curiosity
obviously, with me being such a long time Rense listener and a pursuer
of truth. I replied back, "My wife is a school teacher...please I
know...go ahead tell me."
-
- What she told me next I WAS NOT ready for. The school
system where she works is a typical model public school with a cross-section
of roughly 15% lower/35% lower-middle/45% middle/ 5% upper-middle class
student base in New Jersey. The ethinicty mix is typically 80% caucasian/7.5%
african-american/7.5% Asian/5% other. In other words, it's mostly white
middle class kids. I feel I have to outline these statistics as for what
I am going to tell you I want it to be received without any sense of bias
or malicious intent towards any one group of people. There is a problem
in ALL the school systems in America, and this one simply demonstrates
it across the board regardless of socioeconomic standing or ethnicity.
-
- The first story this woman proceeded to tell me was how
the school year ended and there were notifications posted in all of the
school teachers mailboxes in regards to final year grading. It was stated
that if any student received all F's in 3 of the 4 marking periods, including
an F for the mid-year exam, that as long as one of those marking periods
were a C+ or better that they were to go ahead and pass that student on
to the next year, without having to go to summer school or otherwise. "WHOA!
Please tell me you are kidding...right?" She kept total eye contact
with me as she shook her head side to side. "I kid you not..."
and added, "Do you know they tested the 12th grade class on how to
write out an envelope for mailing and most of the kids DID NOT KNOW WHERE
TO PUT THE ADDRESSS AND STAMP?" I wanted to laugh, you know, that
laugh at first where you are really saying, "You have to be kidding"
which is then followed by, "please tell me you are kidding" then
finally, "YOU ARE KIDDING?!"
-
- But wait, it gets better. No, Not really. Check this
out. There was an incident with a student who came to the school and was
what you would call a problem child. I might catch hell for making such
a comment from all the PC people out there, but as anyone who ever went
to school knows, there is ALWAYS that one kid that everyone knows is bad
news. Well, this one student was just that and it got so bad, beyond any
disciplinary steps they could enforce on him, he was transferred to another
school within the county. Then another, and then finally back to her school
where the problems first started. She made sure to add that this kid also
already had a significant police record at a young age, but he had one
thing going for him, he excelled at a sport that the school supported.
And before anyone reads into that statement, I assure you it was not football,
basketball or baseball. (trying to protect myself, the teacher, the identity
of the school and the student right now).
-
- This 'student', and I use the word loosely, was given
an "average grade" by one particular teacher. The man had a career
of over 30+ years with this school system, very involved and loved his
work and was a man of the highest integrity. The father of this kid had
a problem with the grade and made a big deal of it, to which the superintendant
and principal, instead of backing a solid teacher with an EXCELLENT reputation,
cowtowed to this man and defended his 'less than spectacular' son by giving
the teacher an ultimatum. "Either you raise the student's grade or
you are going to have problems when you come back from winter break."
In fact, he was told he would be released.
-
- Well, regardless of whether it could have been greived
and won by him, the teacher was devestated, that they would take the side
of someone whose character was not even questionable, but simply wrong
and in turn, they destroyed not only the integrity of the school, but destroyed
a man's heart who really loved what he was doing and what he thought was
right. He held his ground, refused to change the grade and left. Sad as
it is, I suspect at that point the school did what it wanted and changed
the grade anyway and they lost a great man in the process.
-
- Jeff, I would not have believed the story and thought
it a bit exaggerated if I have had not dealt with this same exact situation
the past 5 years in knowing my wife. She has been through the school system
and has told me first hand, accounts of how bad it was as well. Her current
situation consists of because of the fact that she is still another year
away from tenure herself, she has been forced to have to perform the same
'duties'. It's really viewed this way sadly by the teachers and school
system equally.
-
- In my wife's situation, she told me matter of factly,
that every kid in her class gets either an A or B. I said, "No, come
on..." (I'm not naive, just in awe). And sadly, I had to agree with
her as part of a two income family. "Do WHATEVER you have to do to
keep your job and get your tenure. This is not Mr. Holland's Opus or Dangerous
Minds w/ Michelle Pfieffer here," I told her. And the only reason
I could reside with that conclussion is that I truly feel that there should
be a deeper and more concerned involvement on the part of the parents not
the teachers. That is, they should be OUTRAGED at what is going on with
their children's education and they are not.
-
- And she too has been challenged in her first two years
of this new school system in the threatening form of a letter which was
defending a 5th grade student's right to use a 'profanity' word in their
presentation. Whereas my wife's point was simply to explain to the parent
in a letter that the word could have been omitted and the same thoughts
expressed through different, more appropriate wording, the father actually
defended their child, stated that their child's 1st amendment rights were
being violated by challenging him and that she should apologize to the
child as well for making him 'feel bad' about what he wrote or implied
he had done wrong. Oh, and if I might add, this father is a lawyer and
the school system is one where there are only upper-middle class or better.
So what does that tell you here?
-
- We have seen, in months past, those parents that would
defend their children in the disgusting and demoralizing acts of hazing
while supplying them with alcohol and stating that because they attended
the event it was somehow 'supervised', "PPPLEASE, GIVE ME A BREAK!"
-
- We've also seen parents that will fail to take an active
role in their children's homework and worse, have not even taken the time
to teach them the basic fundamentals of social behaviors, manners, diplomacy
and other skills needed for getting along with people in a society. The
one's that really get me burned up are the ones who support their child
receiving a trophy for coming in last, a trophy which is the same size,
shape and mold of the 1st place trophy. Can anyone say 1984 here? Can anyone
say Gattica? I think the nursury rhyme for the 21st century should be something
along the lines of "Samey-same, nicey-nice, take your pill and don't
think twice..." (while playing pattycake of course, but oh wait, there
is slapping hands in that game, and if you miss hands, it could be seen
as an aggressive behavior, so that's out).
-
- I bit my tongue and have promised my wife I would not
comment on this but today WAS the last straw. I think I was obscure enough
with my references to keep everyone involved safe. But if I might add one
more comment please. My wife and I are expecting a child soon. I am equally
excited and still fear for the child's future and the world I consciously
bring them into.
-
- For the record, they will learn manners, they will learn
respect for themselves and others, they will be informed and have the free
will to make choices only after demonstrating they know what they are choosing.
They will learn monosyllabic words like 'dog' or 'train' or 'car' and not
'dog-ee' or 'choo-choo' or 'vroom-vroom'. Why in the hell would you take
a brand new human being in this world and fill them full of crap they are
going to have to unlearn and relearn the correct word for later anyway?
-
- My parents taught me right from wrong and you know what,
my dad even used the belt on me ONLY 1 TIME! As much as I don't believe
in corporal punishment, let me tell you something. The first time I got
the belt it was for throwing rocks at cars near the side of the road, I
was 7 and a stupid thing that popped in my head one day something kids
can and will sometimes do. Well, let me tell you, after that 1 time, I
never threw another rock at another car again, nor a house, or window or
anything. Am I advocating anything extreme here, corporal punishment even,
no, not at all, but if I may close with one last thought.
-
- I am not trying to be extreme here or rigid, I just want
to get the pedulum to swing back towards a time of common sense shared
by many. My kids will be able to play and do everything other kids do,
sans milk or asparatame at the very least, but they will have the opportunity
to do so none the less. I am not giving up on society, not yet.
-
- I am going to stick to my guns and find others who have
common sense and morality and help bring it back. We have to give the kids
a future. We have to shape the world today so that there is a viable tommorrow.
I had to share with your listeners as I am SURE there are other teachers
and parents that can add many personal experiences to this letter in return.
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- Thank you for having such a forum where the protection
of free speech and decency still exists...
-
- Sincerely, Anonymous for the time being
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