Home of Today's Common Sense

Published – Brownsville Herald January 14, 2007

Sometimes when attempting to solve all the problems of the world with “Common Sense” from this column, the ideas just jump onto the page, and this is one of those times.
Last Sunday, in this very space was a column titled “Where are today’s heroes?” by Marco Gonzalez.
Mr. Gonzalez’s passionate essay gave several examples of teachers who demonstrated extraordinary courage and made a difference. Although the difference, in some cases only found the proverbial fifteen minutes of fame in the media, they will live on in their communities and in the hearts of the students that were privileged to have been in those teachers’ classes.
He pointed out the personal funds that teachers spend on student necessities but what really caught my eye was the acts of nurturing and support that are part of the teachers’ day. Some of these things, which in today’s world of unthinking paranoia and litigational greed, could have placed that teacher at serious risk, and is becoming rare. To me it is just the picture of dedication and will certainly reassure some of our most vulnerable students more than a 50 on a test never taken would.
As a five year old kindergartner at  in my home town, I was participating in the school fall play of “Jack and The Beanstalk”. My part was that of a bean growing up by jumping in unison with all the other little beans. Later in the play when the giant threatened “Jack” I became fearful and reached the verge of crying. Miss Brooks, my teacher gave me a quick little hug that just let me know everything was OK and “Jack” wouldn’t be hurt. Now, well more than 50 years later, that kindness is still clear in my mind and among the most cherished memories that I have. She is to this day one of my heroes, right up there with “Buffalo Bob”, “Bobby Benson of the B bar B”, “The Cisco Kid”,  “Hopalong Cassidy” and the great “Maurice –The Rocket- Richard”.
Another such hero is an English teacher, Kathy Raines who has on a number of occasions had her comments published in the Brownsville Herald.
I often disagree with her political views but her essay entitled “Give teachers more respect, not money” was timely and focused on one of today’s key education issues, the overemphasis on teaching solely to pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test.
I believe that the focus, to “train someone” only to provide a right answer to a specific test is not education; but is in fact interfering with it.
The goal may properly be a “right answer” but it is more important that a person know how “that right answer” is arrived at. The student must learn how to think! 
Language arts provide the basis on which to learn to think and the reading of literature where you see examples of how others have experienced problems (fictional or real) and dealt with them.
Language, communicating (writing and speaking), reading, music, and art are just as important as math and science in learning.
The lack of regard for the genuine concern that our “teacher heroes” have, prompts many of them to retire as early as possible and find other jobs. There is a rapidly growing shortage in experienced educators. Our extraordinarily good economy creates many opportunities for the dedicated professional willing to work as hard as our teachers do, for a much better income.
Many teachers are passionately dedicated to education and want little else than to be allowed to prepare our kids to be successful people.
Right now that isn’t happening, our local board insults teachers by saying they were given a raise when in reality, when the extra work and time required are computed, they are actually receiving an hourly rate less than they received before. The federal government, in its quest to control, has succeeded in bribing the state authorities with the riches of “education assistance” to teach how they are told to teach – not educate. This largess finds it way to the local establishments in the form of criteria developed in the name of satisfying state mandates that can never be achieved so the bribes will become bigger.
The net result is that it seems that children that can think and write, excellent well thought out essays, in middle school seem to loose some of that skill by 12^th grade.
Fortunately, some young folks do rise to the top and learn to think and communicate effectively. I suspect that this is due largely to the secret efforts of the teacher heroes in class or in extracurricular events like the UIL competitions. To get an idea of the health of our educational system I religiously read the “kid speak “ feature in the “educational section” in the Wednesday’s edition Xtra.
Most of the works just define the issue and express an emotional interest in it. Occasionally, some of that interest and concern is based on a perception of informational that is not necessarily factual but what is thought to be common knowledge in the mainstream.
However, In answering the week’s question, some students demonstrate an understanding of the issue and are able to offer a solution or judgment.
One such one example appeared on January 3. Alice Cantu, an eighth grader at Vela Middle School in response to a question relating to “the dedication to a noble cause” wrote: “I would dedicate my life to keeping the Fine Arts programs alive in our schools and communities. When kids are involved in choir, band, dance, and art, they can learn how to have fun and do things they love. Kids express themselves and they learn things like respect responsibility and loyalty  and also how to work in a group. One thing that I believe Fine Arts programs do help kids out of trouble”.
Alice, I do as well!
This just proves that our teachers’ dedication has successes, in spite of the long hours and inadequate support.
As Ms Raines asserted, we must certainly treat our teacher heroes with respect but I also think we should pay them more.
Reducing the numbers of superfluous administrators could provide a stipend to reimburse the expenditures for student supplies; and should our board trustees follow the Strayhorn Report suggestions and reduce the administrator numbers to a reasonable level, they might be able to provide a real raise without increasing their work requirements or reducing health insurance coverage.
 

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