U.S. Education -- Much Room for Improvement!
Eliminating federal involvement in K–12 education is one of my top domestic priorities for education. The Constitution offers no provision for federal meddling in education. Ron Paul says:
"It is hard to think of a function less suited to a centralized, bureaucratic approach than education. The very idea that a group of legislators and bureaucrats in D.C. can design a curriculum capable of meeting the needs of every American schoolchild is ludicrous."
As the federal government has exerted more control over education, what has happened? I don't need to tell you because you know. "The deteriorating performance of our schools as federal control over the classroom has grown shows the folly of giving Washington more power over American education." Do you really want an American bureaucrat determining the education your child receives.
When were the children of your favorite last politician, from state offices to the White houses so pleased with the system they created that they insisted that their children realized the benefits? Actually, that's Washington-speak for saying, "hey, they won't send their kids to those schools." Doesn't that tell it all?
Ron Paul is my second favorite political hero after Alan Keyes. Paul has been thinking about solutions all his life. He is not right on all issues but he is right on most. He suggests that a constitutionalist president looking for ways to improve the lives of children should demand that Congress cut the federal education bureaucracy.
And, that's just a down payment on eventually returning 100 percent of the education dollars back to parents. In other words, Paul says and I say eliminate the US Department of Education and send them all back for remedial training. Put parents back in charge of their children's education. Parents can do a much better job than Washington?
Education is critical in a democracy. It is also critical in a dictatorship as the despot wishes to control the thoughts of the population begin with the young. So, watch indoctrination direct from Washington. I assure you I do not like 'mmm mmm mmmm' Barack Hussein Obama' being sung in grade schools as much as I do not like the idea that "Adolf Hitler is our savior, our hero" as was sung by the Hitler Youth. At least nobody is singing about Biden. Tell me why Obama put the government in charge of College Loans. Is it so government can influence the curriculum. There are many bads signs.
There's the story of the old guy walking by and he sees something on the ground that intrigues him. He says, "Looks like it.!" He picks it up and says "Feels like it!" He takes a whiff and he says, "Smells like it!' Then he takes just a little taste, makes a bad face, puts it back on the ground and says, ""Tastes like it! --- boy am I glad I did not step in it.! If it looks like it, it probably is it and Obama gave us a lot of that for eight years, and none of it smelled good. Biden is now piling it on. Whew!
Education, without indoctrination is the ONLY thing that breaks the cycle of poverty that traps kids into a life of low wages, followed by single parenthood. Lack of education likewise robs them of their future. We spend more than any nation yet we lag far behind in terms of results. Students at every level from K to 12 are outperformed by students in other industrialized nations. What happened to our education system? Why does Obama want more control when federal control has failed the schools and our education system miserably. Why did Obama's kids not go to public school? Tells you all you need to know.
Along with the dumbing down of our kids, look at the colleges and universities (yes, I was part of the problem there as a college professor) where semi-socialist grading has been on the front-burner for some time -- far too long. Professors who do not go along with the high grade giveaways, get poor student evaluations and therefore never get tenure or they get fired. That, ladies and gentlemen means they are fired after six years so that the school can keep its accreditation. Why is accreditation not based on results? By the way, my department chairman's student evaluations were almost perfect. Mine were bot so bad but I had some that were not good at all as my student grades were not all A's. The University was crawling with liberals that cared nothing about students and learning. After seven years, when i ran for Congress in 2010, Marywood University eliminated my position.
When we cut to the chase it says that professors who do not give lots and lots and lots of A's get fired. Students have no real incentive to apply themselves when the fix is in. Now, with Obama in charge of the funding for all of higher education (passed in the Obamacare Reconciliation by all Democrats) and the Department of Education is undermining our youth with a weak core curriculum and Obama songs, the future looks like a world in which Americans will not be able to compete. Don't you want to ask yourself -- is this by plan?
In the school districts that support K to 12, have our tax dollars been channeled to the cronies, relatives, and supporters of corrupt politicians, rather than to education itself? Why do we have substandard schools with high paid teachers? Why is it that the high school dropout rate nationwide is at 33% and worse in big cities? Why are employers reporting that the fresh high school graduates they hire, regardless of their grades are typically just fair to poor in basic writing, reading, and math skills? Why are good university professors like those of us that were once at Marywood University wondering why many students who came to us, who were otherwise intelligent, did not know how to think critically or write in complete sentences?
We pay huge taxes and yet we taxpayers and our children are not served by the best of the best. Our school boards have accepted that equalizing politically correct notion that children should not compete because somebody then has to lose. Teachers are pressured to give little Johnny an A, even though little Johnny still cannot read the room number on the classroom on the last day of class. The objective has become that everybody gets an A in every course. In this scenario good students are not challenged to try to get a real A. Worse than that, they do not learn as they should, and not even more than a generation later America suffers from not producing the best of the best as in days past.
The school boards do not want students to feel bad so for twelve years, they don't give them the basics needed to get a job. This does not help Americans trying to better themselves. It has really been a disservice to our youth for some time now. By the time these kids get to College, they continue to expect A's, and that is another problem. Even small countries around the world now show greater achievement than Americans, and we think we can solve the problem with money! To whom should we give the cash?
We spend enough money so that our education system ought to be perfect. So what is wrong? Perhaps teachers are selected based on who they know rather than what they know? Can we even find out if the bottom of the barrel teachers can pass achievement tests their students are asked to pass? If not, why not? Can we even get rid of the bottom part of the barrel? Surely if you are going to teach something, you first should understand the subject matter yourself. If it could be solved with money it would already be solved.
Having said that, I am surely for good education provided by competent teachers who believe in excellence. "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." -- quote attributed to both Andy McIntyre and Derek Bok.
We are all responsible but there was little we could do in the past. This phenomenon seemed to sneak up on us. Yet, we--all of us, have permitted the dumbing down of our children compared to the rest of the world. This will bring our great country to her knees. I believe there is still time to stop it. Education should not be free of accountability.
While we profess that no child should be left behind, we must figure out how to put that notion into practice with some reality. We need accountability for where these taxes are being spent because our children will be left behind as they are not being taught to compete in the global economy. We must hold our schools and our teachers accountable.
Parents, are the key voice needed to assure the best education in our communities. Unfortunately, once parents vote in the local school board, the educators, and / or the local leaders, they often abdicate their responsibilities and let the PTA take a back seat to local politics. It's time to get involved in a big way. Accountability needs to rule the day.
Most of us just entering our senior citizen years probably did not pay attention back in the 1980's, when our public schools were run and paid for by each state. Back then, local school districts controlled the curriculum, teachers' wages, retention, and school schedules. There was no anti-American critical race theory on the curriculum. Then, as if to create a perfect Obama state as we experience today, the big hand of the Federal Government reached into the states to extend its power over our lives in education.
Was this part of the plan overall and was Barack Obama and now Joe Biden and Matt Cartwright the open progressives in our government. Is this the culmination of the plan. I think they showed their cards a little early on Obamacare but after six years of delays we can even get this back on course. But, it won't necessarily be easy.
It is ironic that the takeover of student education funding was in the health bill. Quite frankly, it does make me sick. How about you?
The Bureaucrats and the equalizers created the Department of Education and all of a sudden came standardized testing and lots of other things that appeared innocuous. Parents, teachers, and administrators complain that the current system sends our education tax dollars to Washington where just a portion of that money is returned to us conditionally. Nobody could have done such a poor job with our children's education if they intended to do so.
Georgia's roughly 46% drop-out rate is but one indicator that their system statewide is not functioning. Other states are worse. Pennsylvania had been at 18%. Federal control is definitely not the answer. Please say you understand that in spades. It is the problem. Whatever the Feds touch turns sour. Control needs to be returned to the people at the state and local level.
I promise to vote to eliminate the Department of Education when you send me to Congress. Our kids are smart and they can be as productive as the system that we create for them. Let's start building that system. Let's also let the best be the best, and let's call them the best. What's wrong with a little truth. Maybe it would be really good for America. I surely think so!