Just read an article about the United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
The former CEO of Chicago's public schools, apparently tried his best to rescue the crumbling system with of all things (gasp!) accountability. Although short on specifics, the article details his approach of natural selection to weed out underperforming (PC speak for "shitty") schools. Not a popular choice with teacher's unions--who despite professing valuation of students' education, continue to openly sabotage even the smallest whiff of reform--the strategy is vaguely reminiscent of ermm...the free market.
I should quit my day job and become an oracle: Duncan--heavy on rhetoric and light on action--a mid-forties, attractive, glorified Chicago bureaucrat, Harvard grad (sound familiar yet?) will fail to deliver on 90% of his promises.
I'll be honest, I have a grudge against public (K-12) education. I had numerous excellent teachers in the small town I grew up in; I will always remember those that changed my life for the better: Jeff Sandquist (my choir teacher), Mary Wilkerson (my AP Calc teacher), Mrs. Hammond (my chemistry teacher), Mrs. Ewing (my American Lit teacher). I was more fortunate than inner city Chicago kids.
But most of my time from the age of 5 to 18 was wasted by ineffective, incompetent, uninspired, and uninspiring lifers. These are the parasites that make up the bulk of teachers' unions.
As of late I have recessed from a rabid fascination with politics and public policy. It makes my blood boil to think about how the faux distinct Republidemocrats are flushing my beloved country down the toilet with their imperialism and grandiose redistribution of wealth.
My instinct is to play the violin as Rome burns, but something is amiss.
I finally put my finger on it. From far away, the farce called America provides better entertainment than RuPaul's Drag Race. Close up, it's too grotesque to watch.
[Edit: Thank god for Iowa?! I never thought I would say that.]
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2 comments:
I can't agree with you more...
I totally appreciate the education I received in the PLACE THAT MUST NOT BE NAMED, but the system in some of these inner cities is totally pathetic.
I've sat and listened to an unprofessional teacher try to explain to a 7 year old student's mother why the child was given a C in art. When I heard the words come out of the teacher's mouth, I was astonished.
Not only did she lack any knowledge in grammar, her speech was so sassy, sloppy, and slurred, I couldn't understand a fucking word she was saying. The teacher's main complaint of the child: She can't follow directions.
Maybe she can't understand you...
I think that there's too many people choosing to teach as a last resort or something to do to pay the bills, as oppose to having a real passion for it.
My two cents...
You forgot Ms. Dickinson on your inspiring teachers honor roll.
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