We start with bad news …………….
Today in most areas of the country tens of millions of parents will take the most precious things in their lives – their children – and turn them over to the government to be educated. This can’t be good.
I really don’t know what’s worse: The widespread intellectual blindness that seems to affect virtually all parents at this time of year; or the continued inability of government-operated schools to do even a mediocre job of educating young children.
No, I’m not going to go through my entire repertoire on education today. Just some random thoughts to start the day’s school year.
->Smaller classes do not constitute school reform. Smaller classes only mean more union teachers. There is no data out there which proves that smaller classes means better learning.
->Similarly, spending more money does not guarantee an improvement in the educational product. Some of the schools that perform the best spend the least.
->There is no law, natural or otherwise, which says children cannot learn in a classroom with wheels. Building classrooms does not mean you’re building minds.
->As that Harvard sponsored study pointed out; the best way to improve the quality of education is to reduce the power of teacher’s unions. Nothing has been done to reduce the power of teacher’s unions. In fact, it has recently been shown that teacher’s unions were virtually in control of the Democratic Party in the 2000 elections.
->Most parents celebrate the first day of school not because their children are embarking on a grand learning experience, but because the children are out of their hair.
->They aren’t “public” schools. They are GOVERNMENT schools.
They are operated by and for the benefit of government, and the people who work there are government employees. The teachers, in their representative capacity, can more accurately be referred to as government agents.
->You can expect Christian schools to teach that you can’t have too much Christianity. Catholic schools will extol the virtues of Catholicism. Jewish schools will instill a pride in Judaism in their students. Similarly, you cannot reasonably expect a government school to teach children of the dangers of too much government. Government schools will teach children that government is wonderful.
->The most dangerous word used by kids in our government schools is the word “popular.”
->Those girls wandering the halls of their high schools with the bare bellies and skin-hugging tops? They don’t think that oral sex is sex. They learned this from Bill Clinton. It’s not a bad time to be a guy in high school.
->Teacher’s schools are the academic slums of most colleges and universities. As a group, undergraduates majoring in education have the lowest SAT scores, and education graduate students have the lowest GRE scores.
->Grade inflation is rampant. Georgia teachers will jump through their own nether-regions to make sure their students qualify for a Hope Scholarship. A “B” means virtually nothing.
->Two-thirds of black and Hispanic government school fourth grade students can’t read. There is no indication of a reversal of this trend any time soon. How in the hell did they get to the fourth grade if they can’t read?
->There is no greater empty boast than the bumper sticker that reads “My child is an honor student at the Such-and-such Elementary School.”
->The teacher’s unions single-handedly defeated Bush’s initiative to include a modest voucher plan in his education bill. There is no concept more frightening to union teachers than “school choice.”
Black parents are the largest identifiable group in support of school vouchers. Yet the Democratic Party is adamant in its opposition to vouchers? The reason is simple. Democrats don't have to earn the votes of blacks. They do have to earn the votes and support of teacher's unions.
->A University of Maryland study shows that 25% of home schooled students are one or more grades ahead of their peers in government schools.
->Home schooled students outperform government school students at every grade level. They also regularly dominate national contests such as spelling, geography and science contests.
->It is easier to get a parent to attend a Tupperware Party than it is to get them to attend a parent-teacher conference at school.
Teacher’s have virtually lost all ability to discipline unruly students. Government education would accomplish much more if unruly students could be simply kicked to the curb.
But ---- never mind me. Just put your kids on the bus, or into their new Cameros, and send them off to your friendly government reeducation camp for yet another year of baby sitting and indoctrination. Hey, it's not really your problem anyway, is it?
Today in most areas of the country tens of millions of parents will take the most precious things in their lives – their children – and turn them over to the government to be educated. This can’t be good.
I really don’t know what’s worse: The widespread intellectual blindness that seems to affect virtually all parents at this time of year; or the continued inability of government-operated schools to do even a mediocre job of educating young children.
No, I’m not going to go through my entire repertoire on education today. Just some random thoughts to start the day’s school year.
->Smaller classes do not constitute school reform. Smaller classes only mean more union teachers. There is no data out there which proves that smaller classes means better learning.
->Similarly, spending more money does not guarantee an improvement in the educational product. Some of the schools that perform the best spend the least.
->There is no law, natural or otherwise, which says children cannot learn in a classroom with wheels. Building classrooms does not mean you’re building minds.
->As that Harvard sponsored study pointed out; the best way to improve the quality of education is to reduce the power of teacher’s unions. Nothing has been done to reduce the power of teacher’s unions. In fact, it has recently been shown that teacher’s unions were virtually in control of the Democratic Party in the 2000 elections.
->Most parents celebrate the first day of school not because their children are embarking on a grand learning experience, but because the children are out of their hair.
->They aren’t “public” schools. They are GOVERNMENT schools.
They are operated by and for the benefit of government, and the people who work there are government employees. The teachers, in their representative capacity, can more accurately be referred to as government agents.
->You can expect Christian schools to teach that you can’t have too much Christianity. Catholic schools will extol the virtues of Catholicism. Jewish schools will instill a pride in Judaism in their students. Similarly, you cannot reasonably expect a government school to teach children of the dangers of too much government. Government schools will teach children that government is wonderful.
->The most dangerous word used by kids in our government schools is the word “popular.”
->Those girls wandering the halls of their high schools with the bare bellies and skin-hugging tops? They don’t think that oral sex is sex. They learned this from Bill Clinton. It’s not a bad time to be a guy in high school.
->Teacher’s schools are the academic slums of most colleges and universities. As a group, undergraduates majoring in education have the lowest SAT scores, and education graduate students have the lowest GRE scores.
->Grade inflation is rampant. Georgia teachers will jump through their own nether-regions to make sure their students qualify for a Hope Scholarship. A “B” means virtually nothing.
->Two-thirds of black and Hispanic government school fourth grade students can’t read. There is no indication of a reversal of this trend any time soon. How in the hell did they get to the fourth grade if they can’t read?
->There is no greater empty boast than the bumper sticker that reads “My child is an honor student at the Such-and-such Elementary School.”
->The teacher’s unions single-handedly defeated Bush’s initiative to include a modest voucher plan in his education bill. There is no concept more frightening to union teachers than “school choice.”
Black parents are the largest identifiable group in support of school vouchers. Yet the Democratic Party is adamant in its opposition to vouchers? The reason is simple. Democrats don't have to earn the votes of blacks. They do have to earn the votes and support of teacher's unions.
->A University of Maryland study shows that 25% of home schooled students are one or more grades ahead of their peers in government schools.
->Home schooled students outperform government school students at every grade level. They also regularly dominate national contests such as spelling, geography and science contests.
->It is easier to get a parent to attend a Tupperware Party than it is to get them to attend a parent-teacher conference at school.
Teacher’s have virtually lost all ability to discipline unruly students. Government education would accomplish much more if unruly students could be simply kicked to the curb.
But ---- never mind me. Just put your kids on the bus, or into their new Cameros, and send them off to your friendly government reeducation camp for yet another year of baby sitting and indoctrination. Hey, it's not really your problem anyway, is it?
