Ever since I wrote a column about that feel-icky documentary about America’s new charter-school fetish, Waiting for “Superman,” I’ve received lots of e-mails from people who are pissed off enough to complain, but—not surprising—not necessarily pissed off enough to do something about it.
Here’s a sample:
Your defense of American schools is ridiculous. We should be educating our kids like they do it in other parts of the world, like Japan. —A.J.
Yeah, Japan really kicks ass. They send their kids to school 10 hours a day, six days a week, and they turn out robots. Teaching by rote turns out people who live by rote. Plus, you’ve got kids over there killing themselves because they don’t get into the right high school or college.
Plus, when’s the last time somebody from Japan actually invented something? Not refined or polished or re-packaged, but invented? How ’bout never? I think that’s a reflection of their educational system, as well as ours.
And what about all of you people back in the 1980s who claimed that Japan was going to pass us by as the leading economic power in the world? You whiffed on that one worse than when Leland Stanford swung and missed while trying to drive the Golden Spike at Promontory Point, Utah. (I learned that fact in public school.)
Those same people who touted Japan are now ooh-ing all over China, but that’s not going to happen, either. China is just Japan writ large: a billion people, and not one original idea. Their government sucks; their music sucks; and their basketball team sucks. Fifty years from now, the mess that is India will have zoomed past China in just about everything.
Tom, data shows that, overall, charter schools are better than public schools. —B.D.
No, data don’t. And if you think that should be “data doesn’t,” well …
The right wing’s oft-quoted “study” by Caroline Hoxby has been discredited, and more serious and unbiased studies show that bad charter schools outnumber good ones by a margin of 2-to-1 or greater.
For those of you who struggle with statistics, that doesn’t mean that all charter schools are bad. Just most of them.
It’s not surprising that so many people are home-schooling their kids. —S.S.
It’s surprising to me, because home schooling is dumb. It’s dumb like smoking dope is dumb. Some people who smoke dope think it opens their minds and, at the very worst, it’s harmless. Well, it’s not.
I know a whole lot of smart people, and I can’t think of one who could teach a kid at home everything he/she would learn at a school. I’m pretty smart, and I don’t think I could do it. Like everybody else, I have gaps in my knowledge. For example, I don’t know much about art (or, as I’m certain other people would add, fashion or nutrition). Yet, home-schooling is being attempted by people who are not as smart as I (if you think that should be “not as smart as me,” well … ). It’s scary.
I pay a lot of taxes, and I think I should be able to use some of that money (in the form of vouchers) to help send my child to private school. —E.F.
You do realize that, according to that logic, because you pay various transportation taxes, the government should help buy you a new car.
My kids are stuck in bad TUSD schools, and I fear for their future. —Z.R.
I e-mailed back and forth with this guy, who seemed genuinely concerned about the Tucson Unified School District, but then he gave some screwy answers. He told me that he was afraid that his daughter, who is in middle school, isn’t learning anything in any of her classes. I asked if he had gone to sit in on the classes and see what’s happening (or not happening, as the case may be).
He responded, “I can’t do that. I have to work.”
You can’t take one day off to visit your daughter’s school?
“No, I use all my vacation days during the summer and (over the holidays).”
Well, what are her teachers’ names?
“I don’t know.” (He didn’t attend the open house.)
He also didn’t know all six classes his daughter is taking, nor did he know the name of the school’s vice principal in charge of curriculum. But he did know the name of her club soccer coach. Some people would consider that a start, I guess.
Another e-mailer had similar concerns about TUSD. I asked her why she didn’t take her concerns to the school board. She said she didn’t know where or when the school board met, and when asked, could not name even one person on the board. That’s not acceptable.
There are some hard—but, at the same time, pretty basic—truths in life. One of them is that if a kid grows up with parents who appreciate education and who reinforce that value on a daily basis, that kid is going to learn, no matter what school he/she attends. It’s heartbreakingly simple and delineates the difference between reasons and excuses, will and can’t, success and failure.
This article appears in Dec 9-15, 2010.
“China is just Japan writ large: a billion people, and not one original idea. Their government sucks; their music sucks; and their basketball team sucks.”
“I’m pretty smart, and I don’t think I could do it. Like everybody else, I have gaps in my knowledge.”
Anyone else see a correlation between these two excerpts from the column?
I have three words for you, Tom: Ham boning machine. Japan needs no further contribution to the world of invention than that.
But in all seriousness, consider these fine Japanese inventions: methamphetamine, Cup Noodles, Hitachi Magic Wand, and Sonic the Hedgehog. Now look me in the eye and claim that Japan never invented anything worthwhile. Go ahead. You know where to find me (under a bridge, grinding my teeth to powder and waiting for my noodles to finish cooking in the sun).
“I know a whole lot of smart people, and I can’t think of one who could teach a kid at home everything he/she would learn at a school. I’m pretty smart, and I don’t think I could do it. Like everybody else, I have gaps in my knowledge. For example, I don’t know much about art (or, as I’m certain other people would add, fashion or nutrition). Yet, home-schooling is being attempted by people who are not as smart as I (if you think that should be “not as smart as me,” well … ). It’s scary.”
This “dumb” woman homeschooled her two children, both of whom tested into Pima Community College at the age of 13 and are on track to receive a bachelor’s degree. They are both well rounded academically and can carry intelligent, polite conversations with people of all ages.
No, I didn’t know everything necessary to teach my kids all that they needed to learn in preparation for college . Nor do I know of any teacher with that qualification. Books are the best way to fill knowledge gaps, all one needs is a library card. Trips to museums, art lessons, music lessons, camps and lectures at the University also helped. It isn’t about what you know, it is about knowing how to find the information. My main goals in educating my children are that they be able to read well, research thoroughly, think critically, and express themselves well through speech, writing and visual interpretation. With those skills learning becomes a life long practice.
Sorry Tom. Must disagree with you (although I’m mildly afraid of doing so, since I suspect you will only hold little nitpicking grammar mistakes against me).
I homeschool my children, and have done so for eleven years. My oldest, whom I pulled from school when he was 7, is now at Pima. He describes the kids he’s met there as being a mix: some are well educated, some not so much. The one commonality: they are all products of the public school system.
It’s undeniable that public schooling produces mixed results. I can’t help it. It teaches to the middle and only to the middle. This is fine for those kids who are average. The ones who need help, or need a challenge, or just want to try things in a different way CAN. When one method isn’t working, there are other options. Homeschooling. Unschooling. Correspondence classes. “Free” schools. Charter schools. Magnet schools. Hallelujah!
Yes. We all have gaps in our knowledge,and that includes school teachers. No one person or system can teach a child 100% of what he “needs” to know. Fortunately, none of us exist in a vacuum. The question is not about gaps but about a willingness to seek out help and other resources when needed.
I will continue to be thankful for choices in education and not allow negative (and rather pompous I must say) opinions such as yours to cast any doubt on those choices. Stubbornly refusing to consider alternatives is “dumb.”
I caught a mistake… that settles it. I’ve just handed you proof that all homeschooled kids are doomed :/
Danehy-1
Homeschoolers-0
(the previous post by me should read “It can’t help it” rather than “I can help it.”)
“…if a kid grows up with parents who appreciate education and who reinforce that value on a daily basis, that kid is going to learn, no matter what school he/she attends.”
True. Including home school, charter school or no school.
Self education and self direction will take a person further than external control. If parents need a babysitter, then K-12 schools are a free option. Otherwise, knowledge and learning are all around, much of it free for the taking. Parents don’t need to know every factoid in order to give their children every learning opportunity. That’s what libraries, tutors, college, online resources and independent classes are for in addition to independent study and exploration.
Parents should facilitate their child’s learning, in whatever manner works best for that child.
As the article states:
“if a kid grows up with parents who appreciate education and who reinforce that value on a daily basis, that kid is going to learn, no matter what school he/she attends”
I would guess you can’t get more daily basis or appreciate education more than someone who does it every day; (i.e. the homeschooling parent) it really is simple to drop your kid off at a TUSD school and then complain about what happens or doesn’t happen there. It takes determination, caring, planning and thought to decide to keep your kids home and teach them yourself. I am sure you aren’t “dumb” enough to think that people who homeschool tackle all subjects alone? There are online classes, tutors, co-op classes and other homeschoolers who share expertice to ensure that these children get ALL they need.
Fundamentally I agree with your statement about parents actually caring about and being involved in their childs education; but I really don’t get your need to “diss” homeschool parents; these parents are the ones that really care.
B.D. wrote: “Tom, data shows that, overall, charter schools are better than public schools.”
Tom responded: “For those who struggle with statistics, that doesn’t mean all charter schools are bad. Just most of them.”
For those who struggle with definitions–which is apparently both parties involved here–charter schools ARE public schools.
Homeschooling is a legal educational alternative. If having my children at home in a safe environment where I know they are happy, learning and being valued for who they are is dumb – I am as dumb as can be and proud of it!
Thank you for your comments. It shows what we know, that while there are problems in education today, the truth is that our children are well educated (ever tried to math homework with the average h.s. junior?), esp. since we educate all children that come to our doors. After 30 years in education, teaching K-grad. school, I can honestly say I have seen powerful and purposeful education going on in many, many classrooms. Thanks.
Sooooooo…this outcome is oaky-doaky with Tom?
“Nearly 1 in 4 fails military exam” http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101221/ap_on_…
“…23 percent of recent high school graduates don’t get the minimum score needed on the enlistment test to join any branch of the military. Questions are often basic, such as: ‘If 2 plus x equals 4, what is the value of x?'”
Yes, the problem is complex, and the fault falls to the following: the students, the students’ family, the culture, the schools, the teachers and the teachers’ unions. Excusing any of them of their culpability is farcical.