Another Couple of Lost Generations

   

     In talking with someone about the election a few weeks ago, she mentioned the people of this country made her question the educational system in the country, along with its educators.  I was too tired and disheartened by the direction of the election to defend my profession at the time, but today I fear I must.  Sorry, it wasn’t the educators, but yes it was the educational system.  I didn't want this blog to involve politics, but I fear I have no choice today.  I am sick with grief because I am afraid this is the last election I will ever care about.

     The orchestration and manipulation of our youth, and now our young adults; (of voting age) began in 2000 with the election of George W., but it was only exacerbated with President Obama and Arne Duncan’s system of teacher evaluations, based on test scores.  Bush’s No Child Left Behind created a climate in which teachers taught TO the test in order to keep their jobs, or to stop from being publicly ridiculed in staff meetings for having the lowest test scores. Now please think of what you would do if your job were dependent on one day, in the life, of a child, and his or her test scores, on that ONE day.  Teaching to the test, a test, which only scores Math and Reading, means schools have to set new priorities in scheduling.  When the very existence of a school depends on test scores, districts make ridiculous decisions like requiring four hours a day, every day, of Reading and Math.  In those four hours, students are taught a “Standardized” scripted curriculum, which excludes Science and Social Studies, and mandates how to teach and exactly what to teach with no time for teacher autonomy or professional experience to make an impact.  In a six hour day where Lunch, recess, Music and PE are required, that doesn’t leave much for Social Studies or Science; the two very subjects where culture, tolerance, government, constitutions, questioning, Scientific principles and reasoning, are taught, usually. 

     I am going to say, “I told you so,” because I did.  After Bush was elected, and enacted his educational policies, I knew we would be entering a new dark age in which we would be raising a generation of mindless, children; ignorant and intolerant of other cultures, who would not know where Europe was located, let alone, Iraq or Afghanistan.   I warned my colleagues, and anyone who would listen, in 2000, of this very situation today.  These individuals have no idea of the mistakes cultures and societies have made in the past, which means they are doomed to repeat them.  I did not want Obama to be President when he ran against Hillary because I knew his “Basketball buddy’s” educational policies would continue this plague of ignorance.  Obama left everything to Arne and devoted his time to a health care system with so many Republican earmarks it shouldn’t be called Obama Care, but Republicans Don’t Care or The Lower Middle Class will pay for all your Care.   So please don’t blame the educators because we have no power.  We don’t even have a voice in our local district education boards, or our federal education department.  Arne Duncan was never an educator, neither was my state’s secretary of education.  Now Trump wants to appoint Ben Carson as Secretary of Education.  So you can kiss the next four plus years in education, goodbye.  We are in a climate where a church pastor can pressure a school about what to teach in the public school. 

     If you know history, you know targeting the youth and limiting their education, is one of the first steps of establishing power and keeping it.  It’s also one of the best ways to infiltrate a society before anyone even knows what happened.  So please don’t blame the educators.  Blame yourselves.