Brushfire of Freedom
Ram Rants
It used to be “Reading, ‘Riting, and ‘Rithmatic...”, yet efforts to change curriculum, modifications in school programs, and special assignments that align more with political positions than personal growth are overtaking traditional and necessary subjects in today’s public schools.
From the Washington Post dated July 19th, 2007, “The Montgomery County Board of Education recently approved Montgomery's new lessons on sexual orientation for all middle and high schools beginning in the fall. Two 45-minute lessons will introduce homosexuality and gender identity in health courses in grades 8 and 10, along with a 10th-grade lesson and instructional DVD on the correct use of a condom.” Sen. Barack Obama, D. Ill has stated he supports “age-appropriate” sex education for children in kindergarten. He is now President of the United States. Most of us have heard of the controversy involving Boulder, Colorado High Schools and the special program where an unidentified individual in a speaker's panel stated he would, “...encourage you to have sex, and I'm going to encourage you to use drugs appropriately.” These are just a few examples of a shift that has slowly taken place in our public schools. We’ve moved from teaching our children the basics of academics to teaching them how to use tools normally reserved for (usually) law-abiding adults. The question stands starkly in relief; is it more important for a five-year-old to know how to read or how to use a rubber? What about a 10-year-old?
The shift in curriculum is unquestionable. We can see substantial indications in national and global studies that demonstrate how our children are slipping in key areas of academia. There is significant evidence that this shift has impacted the ability of today’s youth to complete the basic educational requirements. As an example, a 2001 article in Scientific American indicates that US students suffer when compared to students in other countries in Science and Math. A 2006 study by the American Institute for Research indicated that only 30% of US students entering college had the needed math skills to advance their education. Should this be attributed to reduced spending on education, a common villain in this scenario? It is difficult to make that correlation, since spending on education has increased every year, particularly since the creation of the US Department of Education in 1980. When you consider that America is aging, and thus fewer students will be in schools, and we have an expanding base of funding and a dwindling demand for funds (reduced student population), it is clear we are not short of funding. This basic analysis would debunk the assumption that additional funding is needed to improve the standing of our students in the global arena.
The fact remains that there is a limited amount of time that our children are in school. If you subtract the number of summer days off, teacher work days, extra days off during the school year for holidays, breaks, and other matters, your average US student is in school approximately 180 days each year. For those of you who’ve had a recent public school education, that is less than half the calendar year. If you calculate the average school day at six hours, that means only (carry the four) 1080 hours of classroom time for our students each year, or an average of 14,040 hours for their education from kindergarten to grade 12. Compared to the number of hours we watch TV on average (about 16,607.5 based on 3.5 hours per day), and it is clear we are fighting for the minds of our kids. So why would we abuse this valuable time to teach our children about rubbers, reefer, and rehab?
In addition to the loss of educational prowess in key academic areas (math, science, etc.) we see the dollars spent on education going more toward the social experiments supported by leftists and less toward traditional extracurricular activities such as athletics, music, and campus clubs. One of the more public indications of this impact the the VH1 “Save the Music” program, focused on providing funds and materials to support dwindling music programs in American schools. The fact that this program has existed since 1997 is an indication of the extent of the impact of funds shifted from music programs to something else. Noting the expansion of sex education programs, it is clear at least to where some of the funds have been reallocated.
It should be clear that with a limited amount of time to reach our kids, we should be very selective about what we put into that timeframe. If we expect our children to be able to meet (or hopefully exceed) the performance levels of students in other parts of the world, we may want to consider using the time for education in key areas, such as the basics of reading, writing, and math. These basic educational skills are required across other subjects, such as science, political science, government studies, research and many, many others. Without the backbone of academics, the students can not succeed in other ares, or in new fields yet discovered.
So what can be done? How can we shift our schools back toward teaching subjects our students need to succeed in the expanding global economy? How can we get our kids ready to compete? There are several things that you as a parent, or as a concerned citizen can do. The first, as always, is to get involved. Participate in the school board process, perhaps even run for a position. If you want to have an impact, you have to go to the point of influence, which at this time is the government. This is not always how it has been. In years past, the local community has been the driving force behind the curriculum in the schools. This has changed since the creation of the US Department of Education. Remember, these are your tax dollars being spent to educate your children, you have the right to have influence in how the money is spent. Ask questions around the allocation of funds within the schools. Determine what percentage is spent on administration, how much is spent on various portions of the curriculum, and what curriculum is being reviewed and considered for future school years.
You should remember that these are “public” schools. That means they belong to you, not some disinterested bureaucrat in some distant city. The tax dollars that pay for teachers, books, and facilities come from your pocket. You should work with your local representatives, and with other parents, to ensure your money is spent the way you desire. You may want to consider an academic portfolio that contains subjects more appropriate for academic pursuits, and leave the rubbers, reefer, and rehab up to parents.
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