We were all talking shop; a couple of Canadian teachers, and even an American one from Pennsylvania. Even the non teachers had a lot to say. This went on for a while. Out of nowhere Rose just snapped and let us all have it.
I'll do my best to relate it...here goes:
The problem with the education system is that it doesn't stand for anything anymore. You all talk about the values you have to teach, but they are "so random", as the kids say! Each school seems to create some bizarre acrostic poem where each letter stands for a "Character Value". Hillcrest: Honesty - Integrity - Loyalty - Leadership - Caring - Responsibility...etc. It is bullshit! (yes she swore) So by that logic if a school has a shorter name it would have less values, or a school with a longer name would adhere to so many more values. Parents should be putting their kids in schools with longer names. In Ottawa don't send your kids to Bell!
She took a breath:
My God - why don't schools stand for education? These days, by the sounds of it, you teachers can't even give a kid a zero, or a failure. What a bureaucratic mess. You even have teachers who do give zeroes getting fired for having integrity. I thought that was one of the beloved Character Values! This must really confuse the kids.
She started to lose a little steam, but added this:
And the drug pushers, and troubled kids don't even get help. They just wind up back in class pushing their drugs, or skipping, and being late to class every day.
She concluded:
You can't have a system where every one's values get the same respect. What if the values conflict? Not everyone can be right. What a mess.
She caught herself, and realized that we were all looking at her. She added: "I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm talking about."
Rose picked up her kids and ran out to Bruce Fish's truck.
14 comments:
Rose was wrong. She knew exactly what she was talking about. We've got to quit using schools to indoctrinate the kids with political and social agendas and stick to doing what they were created to do, teach reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic. Let's let the parents teach values.
What "happy girl" said.
Parents need to take their kids education seriously, and intervene when the socialist psychobabble seeps into the curriculum. Teach my kids what an adverb and a denominator is, but leave the social engineering to Mom and Dad.
Poot
Well said, Rose!
amen.
what a fascinating share!
thanks for the thinkfest
and wrapped so thick
in grace:)
-Jennifer
I hate how teachers are pushed to the limits. They deserve so much more. I get sad hearing the war stories of my teacher friends. But what to do? Where to start? I have no idea except to show support, gratitude, and respect. Teachers are heroes. Or at least they can be :)
i believe in living in the grey. i find very few things in life that are black and white...and yet, the school system is so swirling in grey that no one has a good footing. yes. everyone's grasping at ideals, none of them consistant. I so, so agree with Rose.
i love the feeling of someone letting it all go.
as one who has rehearsed my fair share of rants through the years, without ever having the guts to let it fly, i loved being able to experience it vicariously through Rose...
*Laughing*....Right on, Rose. Amen. Blessings, Ollie.
Go, Rose. When listeners talk, talkers listen.
Amen Rose....thank you Ollie for sharing this with us. Hope all is well for you. :-)
yay rose! you rock my world! please give her a hug on behalf of myself, and my husband (a math teacher who's so frustrated with the lack of education in schools these days)... i've missed you and your clan, ollie... sorry i've been so absent, but glad to be back.
I'm trying to think of values that conflict but deserve equal respect. So far I can't. So far you're right!
You're definitely right re the acrostics!
Rose has wisdom...
Anna :o]
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