Home of Today's Common Sense

Published Brwonsville Herald 12/14/2004
When I checked my Web site in preparation for this column I noted, as you would expect, that taxes, education and taxes and education were the issues most read. Though not very surprising it is heartening to see that those issues are read and re-read more than twice as often as any other. Most folks are truly interested in seeing their children have more opportunities for education and the benefits that can result.
I submit that striving for better education is the one thing that we all can agree on; the problems begin however, with differing views in how the education is accomplished.
On one side, we are told that there is a crisis in education and only more tax money will solve it, on another we need alternatives to the present system so as to provide a choice and competition to the system to encourage accountability. Some blame the teachers for holding low expectations of certain groups of students, having a lack of ability to motivate students or worse; and others blame the parents for lack of interest and support in the educational process. I have often blamed the school administration for not adequately maintaining a good learning atmosphere. There may be some truth in all of these things but that is not the primary problem.
I also do not agree that a shortage of money is in any way a shortcoming in the educational system and in fact the large sums involved may be something that precipitates some of the problems.
More over, I find it difficult to accept that there is really a crisis in education, some young folks are doing better in some subjects than others, some excel in math and science others in languages and the arts, still others in vocational trades. Not everyone has the particular talents to excel in all areas. That is what I see in our school system.
From observing the education of my own young people and their acquaintances over the last two decades, I can conclude that the information is being made available to the students and that students are being motivated to excellence both in the public facilities and the parochial ones. We only need look at the scholarships awarded and the successes reported in the paper to see the results. As to the results of private vs. public schools, I know personally of several instances where one member from the same family went to public schools and the another went to a private school and the one that went to BISD went on to college and success the other went briefly to college if at all, but developed a specific talent and also went on to success.
What changed since the 1960’s when I graduated high school?
I think the culture changed, especially the perspective in how we look at our selves, and others.
In the last forty years there has been a loss of accountability for our life’s choices. We have become a world of victims rather than individuals that are responsible for the results of the choices we made. In many instances when someone at any age is corrected for poor performance or unacceptable behavior by an authority figure, the first attempt is to attack the messenger! The person in authority is corrupt, performs worse etc are the claims. Often there is no attempt to accept that there is a problem and try to fix it, only that the accusation however true is unfairly made or the accuser is worse. To see a multitude of evidence of this, just look at the news any day or the general trend of our political campaigns. Can we expect less of our youth!
In school there is little expectation of a consequence for bad behavior. The system tries to “understand” the circumstances, not just accept that a bad choice was made and that corrective action is needed. When I was making a choice at school, I had to consider the results, would I pass the course, would I get to stay after school and not go to extracurricular activity and worse “Would my mom and dad find out?” I was never hit as a child by my parents but knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that if I made a bad enough choice “some negative motivation” would indeed take place.
That expectation of accountability seems to be lost today. I have personally heard of teachers being threatened, cursed and worse without any action being taken by the principal and when it is it often is reversed at the administrative levels. Some students are frequently tardy with no action even attempted, when in class are disruptive or refuse to participate with no result. It is even a policy that when a student chooses to do no work a grade of 50 will be assigned so there will be no bad feelings.
While accountability will not solve all the educational problems, it would be a nice start.

I can be reached by e-mail at fred@the-drews.net .