Submitted by Gene B. Geldziler, Feb 25, 2007 13:27

That article was very interesting. But my thing is simply this; education doesn't need vouchers, or teachers raises based on students performance, or new magical learning programs or any other nonsense these so call "SELF PROFESSED EDUCATORS" come up with! These people are just ducking the fact and are truly afraid to state what the real problem is. The problem as I see it is simple. All the system has to do is bring back discipline, stop social promotions, stop reward no matter what and make students and parents responsible for their actions!

As I've said in the past many times, teachers don't tell surgeons how to perform their operations, they don't tell mechanics how to fix their cars, they don't tell plumbers how to fix their plumbing problems, they don't tell lawyers how to try their cases, they don't tell construction workers how to erect their buildings and they don't tell parents how to raise their children. However, everyone tells the teacher how to teach and do their job!!!

Today, teachers are thrown into a classroom with their hands tied behind their backs. They can't point a finger, raise their voice, or look crooked at a student. G-D forbid they try to discipline or maintain order in their classroom, they're brought up on charges by the students, parents and DYFS! Does the system back up their teachers, hell no it throws them to the dogs! On the other hand, students can refuse to do their work, curse the teacher out, disrupt the learning process in any way they so choose, attack the teacher and other students physically, and they're rewarded for their behavior! Yet, when that disruptive student doesn't come away with an education and steals the opportunity away from other students, it's always the teachers fault! Isn't it funny how the teacher gets blamed for all of societies ills.

As a soldier in Vietnam, I saw mud floor classrooms in Hamlets filled with students of all ages, sharing a couple of pieces of paper and a couple of pencils, yet each student was learning. Why, because there was discipline and order! A student didn't dare tell the teacher, " I don't have to listen to you, you're not my father/mother". The student didn't dare, verbally or physically, attack the teacher. The teacher was well respected. Students and parents alike knew that education was the only way up and out to a better life. There was no "POLITICALLY CORRECT" crap going on over there! No Politicians pretending they cared about the students education when, in actuality, they only put on a show for the public in order to get their votes and keep their jobs!

I was a product of the Newark School System, as a student and later as a teacher and if memory serves me correctly, that system (up until 1962 or so) sent more students to colleges then any other system in the country! We even had people from other states visiting our Newark Schools to see what made us tick. What happened to that Newark System? What happened was the " HIPPY MOVEMENT" drenched in "LIBERALISM". You remember the free love, free speech, you can't tell me what to do movement of the Sixties!!! That was the writing on the wall and that attitude still persists to this day. Unfortunately, it was and is the downfall of our educational system.

In brief, bring back my version of "DARE", ( DISCIPLINE, ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPONSIBILITY IN EDUCATION ) and watch the educational levels of our students soar!!

Sorry I rambled on. It's just that there is so much garbage regulating our educational systems that I could go on forever! I apologize for my tirade.

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