Public education as it has been practiced in the United States for decades is facing an existential crisis. How it responds will strengthen its hand, or accelerate the privatization of education.
How can a man continually be so right, so well-meaning, and yet so wrong?
I sometimes see you as the Democratic Party in a microcosm.
Hence, today's column. Exhibit 857.3:
The continuing ideal that this is due to "Trump" or the "Trump Administration" as if they exist in a vacuum - and if somehow, we just remove him or them, that takes care of the problem. This is NOT the works of one man, or even those he has appointed.
As you initially allude, it was and is the actions of the Republican Party. And all who support it. Which sadly, in the last election turned out to be a slight majority in the electorate. Why not just say it, rather than continuing this fantasy in the name of comity?
And that is the point. There never seem to be no redlines. No limit to where you won't try to see the silver lining, explain that they all do it. there is no right and wrong, only equivalency.
You mean well, but it's like watching a guy who sees someone molest his daughter, and rather than reacting and immediately stopping the man - wants to talk about it:
"Hey man, that's wrong."
"But I can see where you'd find her attractive." "And yes, that dress does show her figure well." "You're right, it is dangerous out here at night when men are drinking." "These things happen." "I see this as an opportunity for growth." "Call me, we'll have a podcast about it."
Never happened to me, but I'd suspect that as she's finishing up her statement and rape kit processing in the local hospital; that might not be the response of outrage she was looking for from those who promised to protect her......
Reminds me of Nancy Pelosi posing in kente cloth after a man gets choked to death, or Chuck Schumer reading a press release like a doctoral thesis when the Constitution is being systemically overthrown. Cardboard signs at the State of the Union? C'mon, man.
So can we quit pretending this is the problem of one addled and malicious old man who, I suspect, only has a 50/50 chance of even spelling education correctly, much less caring about it?
When we know it has been a systemic activity to impede public education standardization along with all other national metrics, because it is much easier for the strong and motivated to overcome 50 weakened states rather than one national government.
Whether it be in the environment, energy policy, corruption law, zoning, or, in this case, public education, this has proven true.
Now, to the solutions proposed.
To the general ideas:
Lack of federal oversight is a positive? A given without proof. Now, I'll grant you, federal oversight can be burdensome. I see it a lot like Churchill did democracy. It's the worst system out there. Except for all of the others.
You overlook the causes of federal oversight in this field and others. Food and drug oversight after people dying due to abuse. Trust acts due to monopolistic abuses. Environmental protections due to citizen exposures. OSHA, Miranda Warnings, CFPB, none of these things happen without national standards. Which again, is why one group of people are looking to tear them down.
And the same with education. Stopping segregation in schools. Title 9 protections. Access for those with disabilities. Are there opportunities for improvement? Sure. But you don't just blithely throw the baby out with the bath water.
Overall comparison to other countries? Agreed. Room for improvement. But it looks like what they've done is a methodical, scientific application of standards. Not just turn their back and hope it works out. Our nation's motto is "E pluribus, unum" not the other way around.
Now to the specific recommendations:
Yeah, I'm gonna go after that first one hard. "These children" are the problem? Are you sure they aren't the symptom as much as the problem? Now, you're there, I'm not. But at one time, I was there. Not as the teacher, but as the problem.
And I'll admit, the Sun's travelled a good distance around the Milky Way since that time occurred. But my experience of high school was not exactly what I would call positive. In that we had a race riot that made national news our first month in. Where the principal locked himself in his office, and Coach George "Killer" Miller was the one who stood alone between all of the black and white students and prevented more violence.
That's what courage looks like, a man that stands and says "enough".
And even after that, dull as I was, I could understand the purpose was not to educate us, but to keep us. Warehoused. Happily passed along as long as we didn't cause trouble. I had a friend, currently a Captain in the Fire Department. He did a social experiment. In that, when he was in school, he duly worked on his assignments. but he never did a single day of homework, or any assignment outside of school. Just to see if he could get by with it. He passed, he graduated.
Now granted, that child you speak of may have other issues. Housing insecurity, hunger, abuse, addiction, lead poisoning, medical disability. Hell, maybe he's just an ass. Republicans gotta come from somewhere, right?
But I also see a distinct move in our society to medicate, control, criminalize children. Children are the ultimate bullshit detectors. And it seems to me that too often in our society, especially schools - we want to delegate dealing with them. Call the cops, have a cop there 24/7. Get rid of "these" children. Put them where they belong.
There may be a time when that is in fact the case. As it is with medication needs, prison, whatever. '
But it damn sure worries me when that's the first thing we think of, as happened here, instead of the last.....
"Getting these children out of traditional classes and into environments where their needs can be addressed is critical."
Yikes. Maybe we should ask ourselves why traditional classrooms are places where their needs are not being met.
Marty, Marty, Marty.
How can a man continually be so right, so well-meaning, and yet so wrong?
I sometimes see you as the Democratic Party in a microcosm.
Hence, today's column. Exhibit 857.3:
The continuing ideal that this is due to "Trump" or the "Trump Administration" as if they exist in a vacuum - and if somehow, we just remove him or them, that takes care of the problem. This is NOT the works of one man, or even those he has appointed.
As you initially allude, it was and is the actions of the Republican Party. And all who support it. Which sadly, in the last election turned out to be a slight majority in the electorate. Why not just say it, rather than continuing this fantasy in the name of comity?
And that is the point. There never seem to be no redlines. No limit to where you won't try to see the silver lining, explain that they all do it. there is no right and wrong, only equivalency.
You mean well, but it's like watching a guy who sees someone molest his daughter, and rather than reacting and immediately stopping the man - wants to talk about it:
"Hey man, that's wrong."
"But I can see where you'd find her attractive." "And yes, that dress does show her figure well." "You're right, it is dangerous out here at night when men are drinking." "These things happen." "I see this as an opportunity for growth." "Call me, we'll have a podcast about it."
Never happened to me, but I'd suspect that as she's finishing up her statement and rape kit processing in the local hospital; that might not be the response of outrage she was looking for from those who promised to protect her......
Reminds me of Nancy Pelosi posing in kente cloth after a man gets choked to death, or Chuck Schumer reading a press release like a doctoral thesis when the Constitution is being systemically overthrown. Cardboard signs at the State of the Union? C'mon, man.
So can we quit pretending this is the problem of one addled and malicious old man who, I suspect, only has a 50/50 chance of even spelling education correctly, much less caring about it?
When we know it has been a systemic activity to impede public education standardization along with all other national metrics, because it is much easier for the strong and motivated to overcome 50 weakened states rather than one national government.
Whether it be in the environment, energy policy, corruption law, zoning, or, in this case, public education, this has proven true.
Now, to the solutions proposed.
To the general ideas:
Lack of federal oversight is a positive? A given without proof. Now, I'll grant you, federal oversight can be burdensome. I see it a lot like Churchill did democracy. It's the worst system out there. Except for all of the others.
You overlook the causes of federal oversight in this field and others. Food and drug oversight after people dying due to abuse. Trust acts due to monopolistic abuses. Environmental protections due to citizen exposures. OSHA, Miranda Warnings, CFPB, none of these things happen without national standards. Which again, is why one group of people are looking to tear them down.
And the same with education. Stopping segregation in schools. Title 9 protections. Access for those with disabilities. Are there opportunities for improvement? Sure. But you don't just blithely throw the baby out with the bath water.
Overall comparison to other countries? Agreed. Room for improvement. But it looks like what they've done is a methodical, scientific application of standards. Not just turn their back and hope it works out. Our nation's motto is "E pluribus, unum" not the other way around.
Now to the specific recommendations:
Yeah, I'm gonna go after that first one hard. "These children" are the problem? Are you sure they aren't the symptom as much as the problem? Now, you're there, I'm not. But at one time, I was there. Not as the teacher, but as the problem.
And I'll admit, the Sun's travelled a good distance around the Milky Way since that time occurred. But my experience of high school was not exactly what I would call positive. In that we had a race riot that made national news our first month in. Where the principal locked himself in his office, and Coach George "Killer" Miller was the one who stood alone between all of the black and white students and prevented more violence.
That's what courage looks like, a man that stands and says "enough".
And even after that, dull as I was, I could understand the purpose was not to educate us, but to keep us. Warehoused. Happily passed along as long as we didn't cause trouble. I had a friend, currently a Captain in the Fire Department. He did a social experiment. In that, when he was in school, he duly worked on his assignments. but he never did a single day of homework, or any assignment outside of school. Just to see if he could get by with it. He passed, he graduated.
Now granted, that child you speak of may have other issues. Housing insecurity, hunger, abuse, addiction, lead poisoning, medical disability. Hell, maybe he's just an ass. Republicans gotta come from somewhere, right?
But I also see a distinct move in our society to medicate, control, criminalize children. Children are the ultimate bullshit detectors. And it seems to me that too often in our society, especially schools - we want to delegate dealing with them. Call the cops, have a cop there 24/7. Get rid of "these" children. Put them where they belong.
There may be a time when that is in fact the case. As it is with medication needs, prison, whatever. '
But it damn sure worries me when that's the first thing we think of, as happened here, instead of the last.....
Moving on.