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Lesson Plans


privatizing schools

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
San D Hasselman (kprs)
Tue, 28 Dec 1999 09:46:12 -0500

Before I am willing to be taken over by the likes of Bill Gates, I would
like
to say that our educational problem is cultural, and 'local'. In other
words
each community needs to look into itself and ask itself why it is so
willing to
sit back and complain, but not get involved in their local schools....I
think
that if Margaret Meade were alive and took the challenge of looking at
our
society and it's effect on the schools she would definitely take note on
how we
have become a 'do it quick, do it easy, and do it for $' society, with
no time
for simple dinner conversations, checking our children's homework,
attending
school plays, taking accountability and responsibility for anything
anymore,
and definitely "grade" oriented without the acknowledgement that school
is more
than grades. I happen to teach in a community that by and large cares
about
their schools but consistantly votes the school budget down. Our local
board
meetings are a three ring circus with the same vocal 5 people out to
disrupt
the meetings for their private agendas, while the mundane but important
details
get short shrift. I can not imagine teaching in a school system that is

plagued with violence, crime, poverty,hunger, lack of funds and
comfort. Even
in the comfort of my suburbian lifestyle, my heart goes out to kids
whose
fathers have lost their jobs, whose mothers are alchoholics, whose
brothers
have died from suicides. We then expect those kids to score well on
SAT's and
not bring the school's averages down, when they can barely get out of
bed in
the morning to make it to school. We have become an educational elitest
society
with false parameters (did YOU take SAT prep course growing up? I know I

didn't...there was no such thing). Learning for learning sake, and the
love for
learning has been replaced with grades, SAT scores, getting into
prestigious
schools (and by the way, has anyone done a study to show LONG these
students
STAY at the school once they get in?). Ask a highschool student what
they want
to do in the future, and they usually say "MAKE MONEY".....(no one wants
to
make a difference or change the world anymore)....

And why shouldn't they say that? They can't name a social worker,
teacher,
minister, child care worker, elder care person, hospice worker that they

admire,,,but they sure can name Bill Gates.

San D

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  • Reply: Artemis420: "Re: privatizing schools"