GUEST POST from Don: Public Schools, part III

PUBLIC SCHOOLS part 2

So, the underlying issue has to do with TRUST. How far can we trust public schools to educate kids and prepare them for their futures? ANSWER: NOT AS FAR AS WE COULD THROW THEM. Nothing seems to be off-limits in public schools, except education. A middle school in Texas had students playing a “seducing hooker” game (yup! Just what it sounds like!) and it had no redeemable educational value which could not be taught with Rock/Paper/Scissors.

When the public school system matured between 1900 and 1950, most children were completing 8th grade or beyond. The percentage of illiteracy in the general population rapidly declined. Poverty as a result of illiteracy also declined. The result for black communities, especially in the South, was nothing short of astounding!!! However, in the last 50 years public schools have lost their way and are making little effort to find their way home. Every race (and gender) is losing ground, but black communities are again the big losers in public education as they are saddled with the majority of those who are illiterate at age 19. As a result, we need to seriously evaluate new ways to educate those we love and those neighborhoods we claim to care about.

New York state is preparing to lower its minimum test scores for student proficiency in math and English by 8% to “deal” with the problem caused by COVID. Sadly, New York state is also the “cause” of the learning problem because they banned in-person schooling for a year plus. So, instead of upping the teaching, they are lowering the grading, which is backward thinking. Again, they are failing to equip those in their care. I will tell you this, not one employer will take pity on those kids when they cannot perform well as adults.

On another issue, which we will not discuss here, is the debate about school lunches. The USDA wants to take chocolate milk away. In response, “Most people don’t know how healthy school meals are,” said Ms. Pratt-Heavner. Did you see that? The school meal professional probably does not know she used the incorrect word to communicate her meaning. Where is an English teacher when she needs one? A meal is not healthy, it is “healthful.” You can have a “healthy” cow which exercises on a treadmill daily and has great check-ups, but you can’t have a healthy meal (even if you are eating the meat from that well-toned cow). A “healthful” meal is one that is nutritionally balanced. It is like saying, “The sun comes up every morning.” Yah! Lots of people say that, but it isn’t true. What is true is that the place where you live on the earth turns toward the sun every morning. Junior high school science should have taught you that the sun doesn’t circle the earth, but the moon does. The moon can come “up,” but not the sun. I believe English and science are important. They should be taught.

Last week we mentioned that one hopeful path is to establish a national independent school which would focus on education only and be responsive to the concerns of parents (like student safety or protecting parental rights).

Today I will continue to enumerate ways in which such a system would automatically out-perform public schools:

2) It will TEACH the things which schools MUST teach. No graduating student will be clueless how to read “The brown house is at the end of the street.”

3) It should have BOTH online and in-person learning (each student spends 2 days per week on-site in a classroom, some Tuesday/Wednesday and others Thursday/Friday). Thus, the buildings and staff are employed for twice the students as similarly-sized public school buildings.

4) Student-paced Learning. One problem of public schools is that learning follows a slow, but plodding curriculum which retards smart students and overwhelms students with learning problems. This Independent School, on the other hand, would allow work to be done at each student’s personal pace … allowing some students to progress more than one year of learning in a single year and others to take more than one year to “get it.” Unlike public schools which keep pushing students into the next grade even when they have not understood the material they should have learned, an independent school would NOT move a student beyond their understanding. (No moving up a grade just because the child spent 180 days in class.)

5) It bears repetition: Unlike public schools it will require each student to be proficient in the current learning segment BEFORE moving on to the next. (Proficient = grade of C+ or better.) No student will move to 4th grade, module C if he/she has not successfully completed 4th grade, module B. (It will produce no 19 year old “graduates” who still cannot add or subtract.)

6) It should prepare each student for the realities of their futures. Those going on to college should be prepared for that. Those going into the trades should have preparatory experiences for that.  All students should be taught how to deal with finances, household management, or whatever they will NEED to survive as functional adults.  (No worthless “participation awards” and no non-educational agendas.)

7) It would definitely cost far less.  Public schools are top-heavy on administration and property;  in the last 10 years only 1 out of every 5 new staff positions have been filled by teachers.  In this new school system, since each student will only be on campus twice a week (after 3rd grade), the buildings do not need to be as expansive, parking lots as large, or on-site staffing as great.  Note:  Only ½ the students would be on-campus at a time.  Mondays could be used for teacher seminars, student club meetings (band, art), and study assistance along with ½ a day of online learning.  The savings from these 3 areas would reduce costs tremendously.  

8) It would encourage parental involvement.  First, all on-campus classes can be live-streamed (for parents or sick students) with a parent-specific password.  Second, parents could be  permitted, by appointment, to physically observe up to 2 classes per year.  After sitting in, they would return to the office and be encouraged to ask questions or give comments to school personnel.  (Other restrictions may apply…like no physical or verbal interaction during the class.)  Third, when the tuition is coming directly out of a parent’s pocket, not from nebulous government sources, involvement is more likely.  Fourth, parents should be encouraged to be investors in the business so they can see and direct how finances are used.

9) Buildings will be designed for better security.  All students and staff enter only through the main entrance and pass-keys must be used.  During class hours the ONLY accessible entrance will be into the OFFICE waiting room (not some wide hallway).  Visitors will be checked in and escorted at all times.  

10) Parents and/or students who refuse to respect teachers, students, and/or other parents will be encouraged to return to public schools.   If an individual chooses to be “common” rather than “exceptional” then there is obviously another system available.  

I’ve seen schools like this (50-100 students) which are extremely effective.  They often have 16 year-olds ready for college or the trades by the time they have a driver’s license.  Those students excel at college, too.  The teachers are well-paid (mostly because the money is not siphoned off to benefit unions, mega-buildings, and bloated administrations).  These schools do not waste time or resources promoting political or social agendas.  They have ONE JOB:  Teach and train students to be competent in school subjects that have primary importance as they move into their adult role in society  (Students can read, write, do math, and understand the significance of history).  So, they do their #1 JOB exceedingly well.  What is really interesting…These private schools accomplish that in fewer hours and fewer days.  School starts around 8:30 and ends about 2:00.  They have about 150 days of classroom/online instruction per year.  A second interesting fact is that teachers in these schools report a higher job satisfaction than their public school counterparts.  

Is this “new” way what you want for OUR kids?

I do, too!!!

Copyright 2023 Donald Whelpley

[PLEASE NOTE that Don is always open to discussing the thoughts and opinions he shares here and welcomes comments as shared in the comment section. He doesn’t use other social media platforms, and I do, and won’t see whatever you’d like to share with him elsewhere. ~ Sherry]

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