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From the Other Side of the Edge…..
It’s not the
Teachers who are Failing, ….nor the Kids, …nor the School Buildings
either
By Joe Facinoli
“It’s the ‘Culture’, …Stupid !”
…as James Carville might have said to Bill Clinton, during some past
election campaign, when no one, then, before, nor since, was paying
nearly enough attention to the continuing failures happening with the
education of our American children.
What was Einstein’s definition of insanity?
“Doing the same (stupid) thing, over and over again, yet somehow
expecting different results.”
We throw billions and billions of dollars at our school systems every
year. And stand behind high podiums during each election
season, decrying the terrible decline of the once proud American
education system.
But what happens?
Nothing. Year after year, …nothing.
Well, …actually less than nothing.
In a recent “report card” from an august academic body, which performed
a large, and long term study, our sweet little school age darlings,
from the good ol’ U.S. of A. school systems, …didn’t do so
well.
In fact, they (the students and the systems) should probably all be
grounded, for a month or more, ….and maybe for life !!
In the “Third International Mathematics and Science Study”, the U.S.
finished near the bottom of the long list of countries who
participated, …in both math and science, and on almost every grade
level.
This study, involving over a half million students, from 41 countries,
was analyzed by many global experts in the field, throughout a lengthy
period.
In the math category, the U.S. high school seniors finished 19th,
…behind Slovenia, Hungary, Lithuania, and New
Zealand. Middle schoolers finished 28th, behind even
more of these “big time” nations, and just ahead of Lativa, Cyprus, and
Portugal.
I don’t remember a lot of Nobel Math Prize winners, from any of those
places, ….but nevertheless, we were looking up at all of
them.
In science, we did a little better. But at 16th for
seniors, and 17th for middle school, you can bet that it wasn’t exactly
“standing room only”, at any of the local Science Fairs, for the last
few years.
And here’s the even “better” news. Only 20% (that’s
one out of every five) of U.S. high school 12th graders, were graded as
being “proficient”, in either math or science.
20% !!!!! You’d think that more
kids than that, could have guessed their way to a better score than
this! Blindfolded !!
But no, …we worry more about what they wear to school, …and what they
eat for lunch, …and whether they are treated fairly on the playground,
..than what it is they are learning, and should be taking with them,
…academically.
“It’s the culture, …Stupid !” And
that’s so unfortunate.
Bad, poor, or non-existent family values, at home and in the
neighborhoods, before these kids even get to school, usually do them
in.
Not enough fathers, nor even “father figures” involved, particularly in
the inner cities, and even more especially among African
Americans.
Tough to have a focus on an education, when one’s family couldn’t care
less, and when all close influences are pointed in, …let’s just say,
…some other direction.
We don’t, and often refuse to, recognize the root core and cause of the
problems in our rapidly declining Education System.
It starts at home. Or in the lack of a home, …or
“homelike” atmosphere.
We have a large (too large) and growing group of people, mostly men, in
this country, who think that marriage, and/or fatherhood, is not
important, or of no consequence.
How wrong they are.
The lack of a father in a child’s home causes everything this absence
touches (or more accurately, doesn’t touch) to be less, and really,
with far too many kids, is the genesis for most of their
struggles.
And for some, it gives them no chance.
Lives of indifference, …and of irresponsibility (gathered from their
“model”), starts right here.
And a life of drugs, crime, and incarceration, as well as lifelong
social, academic, and income inequality, …are soon to
follow.
This is a nationwide problem. It’s hooked to
poverty, but not necessarily race.
Nationally, one in three children grow up in a home without a father
present.
Among blacks, …one in two.
In DC, our nation’s capital, with the brightest lights shining upon it,
…only one in four, among African American families.
But in many southern states, in most urban areas, and even in Vermont,
more and more “families”, of all races and ethnicities, are now
fatherless.
That adds up to over 15 million kids, with no Dads to give them
direction, influence, and support.
Exceptions are: affluent white families, most Asians, and
Hispanics.
“It’s the culture…..”
In our study, quoted above, it should be noted that in each category,
and on each level, the same four countries led the way.
You could probably guess, but they are: Singapore,
Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong. Knock me over with a
feather.
Which begs the question: Why do we continue to listen
to the bombasts in DC, and the pols in our State’s capitals, when it
comes to educational plans and ideas, …instead of someone, anyone, from
one or more of these highly successful countries and nationalities ????
But no, …we have to dumb everything down, to the dumbest, slowest
student, so that he or she won’t feel “left behind”, or criticized for
not keeping up (God forbid).
Instead of doing it the other way, and honoring high academic
achievers, and pushing the others upward, throughout peer
motivation.
And frankly, there’s really not much education going on anyway, with
all the social engineering, daily social work, and basic maintenance of
those who do show up, and take up space in these
buildings.
We spend almost $30K a year, per student, to make everyone turn out the
same, like robots regurgitating the prescribed litanies and perfect
prose.
Achieving is seen as a social and emotional negative, to those who
can’t, or don’t, …and not as any kind of model, for others to aspire
to, or fashion themselves after.
Today’s students are forced to study all the socially conscious
subjects, like “Earth Science”, or “Life Science”, instead of physics,
chemistry, or higher math.
Those might prove too difficult for little Johnny, or sensitive miss
Susie.
Common Core is now the rage, and the federal mandate.
It’s supposed to be the “universal shoe size”, which fits, and will
better serve, all comers.
Or so the feds tell us. But in reality, it’s dumbing
down, …at its finest, …and worst.
Our Education System has cultural problems, but they do not stem from
inside it.
They are instead, stacked against it, …before the first dollar is
spent, the first book is opened, …and the first page is turned
to.
There is no insistence now, for getting an education, a la Dr. Ben
Carson’s mother, in his touching and now famous life story.
People have to want it. They have to participate,
they have to study, and they have to work at it. Or
be shown how to do these things, ….before the first school door is
entered.
It doesn’t come in a weekly “entitlement” check, …and it can’t be
pulled form a government issued assistance card. It
has to come from within, …or from within one’s own family.
Teachers must be given more support, too, and not just more student
money thrown at them, with no accountability for how they use it, …on
what, and how well.
Teacher’s salaries need to be doubled, at least, but tenure must be
eliminated, along with teachers’ unions, which protect the
unworthy.
Yearly evaluations should bring high merits, and more money, to the
good teachers, while the bad ones should be fired
immediately.
And by all means, less government structure, policy, and
dictates.
Foremost, however, we must improve family structure, values, and
participation. Then we will see a marked improvement,
not only in our children’s education, and in their learning as a
priority, but our society will also benefit, …as a greater
whole.
Life is tough, and you have to be prepared.
Education is not a luxury, …it’s a life
necessity.
We need to listen more to those who know something about making this
happen, …and cast out those who are self-serving, and do
not.
And we, as individuals and as a society, need to make better choices
and decisions, about those whom we influence the most.
It’s about the children, and “…it’s about the culture,
…Stupid.”
Joe Facinoli
-Joe can be reached at: joefacinoli@gmail.com
--Intelligent Response Requested !!
© Copyright 2014, Joe Facinoli
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