There is no place to start and no end in sight. The problems within the schools of this country have become an epidemic and one in which the solutions are all too readily available. Everybody and their grandmothers have a new method for every subject. We have seen a deterioration in the quality and quantity of knowledge acquired since the '50's. We now have more experts involved than ever before. Each has a solution. Every solution is more complex than the last. None work.

Why?

We have parents who spend no time with their kids. We have teachers who have no ability to teach. It is a science, but to be effective, a teacher must turn the science into art. We have more requirements of administrators (and teachers) to document minute details of everything to satisfy certification boards and funding agencies. We have children who are talented, intelligent, and lost, within a system that gears itself to the lowest common denominator. We have more categories and boxes available to explain every child who is a problem, educationally or behaviorally. Once categorized, we no longer have to worry if they don't do well because now we have a reason, an excuse.

How did we get here? I have a few ideas and some of them have to do with my generation. Tonight, I'm too tired to get into the whole mess and it really doesn't matter unless we are willing to simplify the entire system. Find admin folks willing to fend off the bureaucracy until we can rein them in. Hire teachers who love to teach, have a passion for teaching, and are demonstrably good at it. Quit throwing money into useless technologies and "pablum" methods that are not needed by outstanding teachers. We have "Cargo Cult" education.

During the second World War we established bases on islands where the native population had never seen any of our "modern" things. during our stay on these islands the natives became used to the goods and wonderful things the cargo planes brought in. Then we left and the islanders were sad because the fine things no longer arrived. So they went to the airstrip and made bamboo radios with vine cords and coconut headsets. They lit little fires where the landing lights had been. They did everything as best they could to emulate what the Americans had done, but the planes didn't land. Everyday they worked harder and harder adding more homemade things to make it look better. The planes didn't land and their cargo did not arrive. They continued this futile pursuit for many years. They became known as the "Cargo Cult." This is where the educational system is now.

Screw it........Ya' know folks, there ain't nothin' gonna' happen is there? We're going to have more tests for kids to pass to prove they are at the proper grade level and teachers are going to teach to those tests. We'll look better on paper and kids get less.

Christ I'm tired..............

Spaw