| What's wrong with today's teachers? It's a well known | | | | against the "rugged individualism" this country strives |
| fact that academic performance is suffering in | | | | toward if kids were told they don't always need to be |
| American society. National standardized testing reveals | | | | the center of attention? Besides, if it weren't for |
| increasingly poor performance in reading | | | | managing the increasingly combative, disruptive and |
| comprehension, mathematics, science and every other | | | | apathetic behavior we've worked so hard to teach our |
| area of academics for grades K through 12. So what | | | | children by example, what we be paying teachers for |
| exactly is it about teachers today that has resulted in | | | | in the first place? |
| the dumbing down of American children? | | | | And just because budget cutbacks decried by the |
| How could these collective individuals allow the | | | | same taxpayers who refuse to pay more for their |
| educational system to get so far out of hand? After | | | | own children's education result in overwhelming class |
| all, teachers have a union. Surely that means they | | | | sizes, that's still no excuse for our education system's |
| must wield substantial power over the local, state and | | | | poor performance. If anything, learning environments |
| federal bureaucratic management of our children's | | | | where kids get less individual attention serve to |
| education, right? All we ever hear about is how | | | | prepare them for the modern state of parenthood, |
| teachers are paid less and less every year and forced | | | | right? |
| to do more with a dwindling budget. What about poor | | | | Yes, it's obvious…the blame lies squarely on the |
| parents who are expected to show an active interest | | | | shoulders of teachers. Why blame our society's |
| in their children's future? Isn't it enough that they sired | | | | overwhelming attitude of pride toward being |
| the children and drop them off at the mall or provide a | | | | uninterested in math and science? Why blame unruly |
| television set for entertainment? I mean, | | | | children who aren't getting any attention, guidance or |
| really…given the choice between expecting and | | | | discipline at home? Why blame salaries that are barely |
| demanding more of our kids academically and | | | | enough to live on and education budgets that pale in |
| encouraging them to participate in athletics, who | | | | comparison to the amount of money spent on waging |
| wouldn't choose football and cheerleading? | | | | pointless, fruitless wars that devastate the lives of |
| Thankfully, not everyone is complacent with the | | | | countless innocent civilians abroad? Everyone knows |
| current state of affairs. A quick look at educationally | | | | that people living outside of American shores don't |
| related news from around the country shows several | | | | matter anyway, right? |
| stories featuring parents suing schools because their | | | | Yes, we could examine the aforementioned, but that |
| children misbehave, are reprimanded for wearing | | | | might force us to examine ourselves, how we live, |
| inappropriate clothing that goes against school policy or | | | | how we vote and why we've lost all sense of |
| refuse to follow rules designed to keep kids collectively | | | | personal accountability and responsibility. Why do that |
| focused on the task at hand. It sure is comforting to | | | | when we can do things the American |
| know that parents like these are teaching their kids | | | | way…let's just continue to blame teachers. |
| what's really important in life. After all, wouldn't it go | | | | |