In our great “land of the free and home of the brave” we are committing educational suicide on the installment plan.
Witness the recent national report that reveals only 20 percent of fourth graders, 17 percent of eighth graders and shamefully, only 12 percent of twelfth graders achieved their grade level proficiency in history. Disastrous consequences will enviably result unless these frightening statistics are reversed.
How have we reached this point in our Republic? In my opinion, from the school board to the chalkboard there has been an ever increasing emphasis on Process at the expense of Content. The Process of maintaining discipline consumes an inordinate amount of each school day. Ask any teacher or administrator and they will candidly tell you if there was more discipline in the student’s house there would be less of a challenge in the school house. The Process of tip-toeing-through the political correctness mine field has caused school systems to continually look over their shoulder to avoid litigation, upsetting this or that special interest group, or jeopardizing funding or accreditation. The Process of preparing students for THE Test has severely reduced teacher/student subject matter interaction. The Process of complying with a mountainous list of federal requirements, often unfunded, drains resources and energy that impacts both the quality and quantity of meaningful, life preparation instruction.
If we have a family member or close friend in the ICU of a hospital, we closely monitor the quality of care they receive. I do not think it is an over statement to say our public educational system is on life support. Patrons must demand from the White House, the state house, and the local school house that we free our prepared, professional teachers to make teaching of subject matter Content a national and local priority. To fail to do this will result in an entire generation of hamburger-flipping Americans. We can, and must, teach Content!
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