Picture this.
Every day students are going to public schools, many of which resemble those in a third world country. They are very old, run-down and extremely overcrowded. In the absence of proper ventilation, students get a daily unhealthy dose of exposure to hazardous and toxic materials, some of which are known to cause serious health problems, like mold and asbestos. Something else that’s just as noticeable is a shortage in school supplies including essential equipment and labs. Something that is not noticeable at all is a shortage of qualified teachers.
The sight of students yawning and/or having their heads down on their desks, is not uncommon, especially in high school where the signs of heavy stress are particularly prevalent. The reason? Some students come to school stoned, as a way of coping with the extreme pressure and frustration, while others are simply sleep deprived as a result of constant stress due to excessive homework.
Survey after survey conducted by various school districts around the country reveal that students feel the school environment was negative, stressful, boring and unrewarding. They also revealed that many of the students (especially high school students) are sleep deprived, overworked (due to a lack of balance between work and play) and engaged in substance abuse such as drugs.
If that’s not scary enough, the seeds for eating disorders are planted at an early age when students are exposed to junk food through vending machines and the school’s cafeteria, which offers a menu that is largely deficient in nutritional value. In fact, it’s a recipe for disaster potentially causing health problems from obesity to diabetes. The health risk becomes even greater given the alarming nurses shortage (especially in California) as reported by the media.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg How about drugs, violence and sexual molestations by peers and teachers, which have reached epidemic proportions on campus? Is there a reason why schools allow these activities to continue?
It’s hard to imagine that students in the richest nation on earth are still using a curriculum that is outdated (dumbs down the kids), lacking in relevance to the real world and which doesn’t incorporate modern technology. All this in the face of an increasingly competitive and technologically-driven global economy.
And did I mention the violations of students and parents’ rights, and the noncompliance with educational codes, and School Board policies? Instead, fear and intimidation tactics, including retaliatory and discriminatory practices, are used by some school officials as a way of discouraging parents from challenging questionable practices that harm their kids and violate their rights. It’s an effective weapon of choice used to keep the status quo of no accountability. In fact, school districts around the country are now providing special training for their teachers and administrators on how to “deal effectively with pushy parents who are too much involved in the educational process of their kids”(as reported in the media). In other words, they want to keep the status quo of no accountability and continued mediocrity. Obviously, such a bureaucratic culture of “we’re protecting our own,”invariably leads to abuse of power. And since absolute power corrupts absolutely, no system, particularly no bureaucracy, could ever produce results unless people are held accountable for their actions.
Simply put, public schools continue to fail to prepare our kids for success in college, the work force and in life, with meaningful life skills. Despite spending more money on education than any other country in the world, the United States ranks 26th out of 28th in international test scores. Obviously money is not the issue. Public education has become a big business and a cash cow, too politicized to do what’s in the best interest of the children, driven by money, and the desire to keep the status quo of no accountability.
Is it any wonder that students view school as a complete waste of time, a suppressive, boring and dangerous place which robs them of their freedom to pursue their own interests?
Is it any wonder that in a one-size-fits-all approach to education, in which the focus is on memorizing and not learning, quantity and not quality, the brightest students (our future leaders and problem solvers) are frustrated because they are not challenged on their own level and are left behind?
Is it any wonder that in a school climate driven by doing what’s politically correct vs. doing what is right, many parents are outraged to find that their children who have special needs simply will fall between the cracks?
Is it any wonder that many of the students (even from areas with the best demographics) can’t meet the minimum entrance requirement for college, and those who do get accepted must take remedial classes in English and Math because their high schools failed to prepare them adequately?
Is it any wonder that in a system where students aren’t expected to think (just memorize), they aren’t taught“critical thinking” skills?
Given the fact that public schools are fast becoming the schools of the poor and a breeding ground for violence and drugs, is it any wonder why we have an increase in social ills (for which society will have to pay)?
Given the tremendous waste of billions of taxpayers dollars which are spent on education (but not in the classroom) and increasing lawsuits against school districts for failing to fulfill their responsibilities, is it any wonder why schools have a budget crisis?
Given a system which does not reward performing teachers (since both good and bad teachers get paid the same regardless of their performance), and good teachers are not allowed to have the freedom to innovate to improve student achievement, is it any wonder why there is a teacher’s shortage?
Perhaps this explains the phenomenon of America being “A Nation of Drop Outs” (one in three public high school students won’t graduate, and half of all drop outs ages 16-24 are unemployed according to Time Magazine - April 2006).
Copyright © 2006, Geela
Author of “The American Dream”
