My Thoughts Always: The State of Education

The more I homeschool the more I begin to have views that may not be those of the party I'm affiliated with.   First, let me explain,  I recall being in third grade.  I sat in class with my brown hair and brown eyes.  I had a teacher with blond hair and blue eyes.  You must be saying to yourself, 'What does this have to do with education?'  It has everything to do with education, racism, maybe even an evil military regime.

You see,  My teacher told my class that those with blond hair and blue eyes were the first humans.  She stated that they are "pure."  She was so vehement about it, that I believed her.  She was a public school teacher in Cleveland, OH.  I went on through life believing this lie my teacher told me.  I'm sure the unions probably made sure she had  a hefty salary even then and she was not worth the money.  If anything she made me hate school.

This isn't just a white on white issue, it's a white on black issue as well.  My husband, who is white, tells me stories of a teacher who singled him out to make sure the other students knew he was white and she was black.  Placing his arm side by side of another student who is black.  It always made him uncomfortable and I'm sure it was to put him in his place.  Here is my argument, he is not old enough to remember African Americans getting hung for whistling at white women, I'm not even old enough to know about it.  It took me joining a community service organization to learn that bit.   Yet, my husband was discriminated against because he was white.  He dropped out of school.

My family moved to West Virginia.  In WV I had a wonderful history teacher, I learned so much more than I ever did in a Cleveland school.  I  can't recall a single thing I learned in Cleveland, even my reading level in fifth grade was at a second grade level.  This WV history teacher made me remember the lessons, made me love history.  It was during one of these lessons we were discussing World War II and Nazi Germany.

He mentioned Hitler and the holocaust and a "pure" race with blond hair and blue eyes.  He immediately had my attention because I recall this teacher saying something like this in a context that would perhaps boost her own ego.  That day, I went home with the knowledge that my third grade teacher was a Nazi.  I went home with the knowledge that, at that point, no one knew where we come from or what we may have looked like.  I learned that my teacher was not worth her salary.

My history teacher, on the other hand was worth more than he got.  Teachers don't get paid as much in WV and the teachers are better.  They don't toss the racism garbage that I saw in Cleveland.  They cared about their jobs and voted against a strike so we could graduate on time.  I have huge respect for WV teachers, at least the ones in very small communities and the ones who aren't so ancient, that they only see one way.

Therefore, I begin to think, Unions are a joke and allow bad teachers to be overpaid.  They protect teachers from firing, even the bad ones who should not be teaching children.  I think the school boards aren't much better.

Something I've noticed as a homeschooler, after our school work is done, my son goes to his computer and learns computer language on his own.  I'm beginning to think that if he is allowed to just be without the state requirements he will choose his own profession as a child as long as I give him the space to learn on his own.  He is determined to create an ipod app and I do believe he will.  I wouldn't be surprised if he starts hanging out with Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerburg.
.
Even Sugata Mitra Supports my theory.  If you leave a child alone, they will learn.  What he has done is he has placed a computer in a wall.  There are no teachers the children learn on their own.  He's done the same experiment in classrooms.  If you have the time, I recommend watching the video.



What does this mean?  It means we learn on our own.  It means our children have the same capability.  It means a child run education works and a government education doesn't.  It means, not to sound superior, those of us who pulled our kids from school, those of us who began homeschooling from the beginning, are right.

It only makes sense.  I remember being bored to death over my teachers.  When my friends talked though, it was the most interesting thing in the world even if they reiterated what the teacher said.  It was only the teachers that took the time to be my "friend" that I respected and remembered lessons from.  Most teachers, for the record, end the day and it's done.  Report to child services without talking to the child and on and on it goes.  It does not work.  Some of it just builds more resentment and more disrespect.

Those of us who are the same party affiliation as myself,  this does not mean I want to ban social services.  It does mean I think it needs to be revamped.  It means, those of us who have food stamps need classes from someone like the coupon mom.  It also means that in areas that have poor dirt, help should be given to make that dirt useful to grow an edible garden.  Gardening classes should be given to help maintain these gardens.  Rain barrels should be given to those who can't afford to purchase one to avoid the waste of water that would come from city water.  Budgeting classes should be a requirement for those of us who receive assistance. 

I truly could go on and on about the things I think should be done.  Most people who are in that greedy little category think those of us who are low income are lazy.  Sure, there are some, most just don't know what to do and that leads to depression and illegal activity.  Just saying there are better ways.  The problem is politicians can be bought.