[aeon]

Originally posted by PornoDoggy@Jan 6 2005, 02:16 PM
If you are ignorant enough to believe that the problems of the public schools - particularly urban public schools - have been caused by liberals, teacher's unions full of liberals, liberal dominiation of the teachers unions full of liberals, removing Gawdamitey from the classroom (done by liberals, btw), or any other "soundbyte" description - then you aren't worth bothering with.

The historical problems of urban public education are closely tied to race, and any attempt to understand them without taking into consideration things like patterns of urban sprawl and white flight, housing and employment discriminiation, etc., is impossible.

The overall attitude of many on the right toward public educaiton were shaped in the days of the Warren court, when they took god out of the classroom and put the niggers in. Add onto that the current "thinking" of neo-cons, where this should all be in the hands of the private sector, and you see what a fucking mess you've got.

The problems with public education in general come from both the left and the right. From the left, the idea that it is more important that Johnny or Janey "feel good" about themselves than that they can read is absurd.

First thing I would do if I was running a school system is fire everybody with an advanced degree in Education, particularly above the primary level.

You want to teach science? Better have a fucking degree in science. Want to teach math? Math degree required. Want to teach English? Better know more about Mehlville than you do about Montessori.

You want Johnny to learn about Creationism, the virgin birth, the teachings of Buddah, Mohammed, Jesus, Moses, or any other myth? Send him to a private school or get him into [insert sabbath here] school.

As an active parent in the schools of all three of my kids, I can say one thing about schools - regardless of whether you are liberal or conservative, radical or reactionary, if you can't take time off work or away from the television or away from the club or away from the bar to see what the fuck your kid is doing in school - your kid didn't fail that class - YOU DID.

And for the record - affirmative action, properly applied, does not now nor has it ever enabled permanent retention of an incompetent in any position. It has, of course, provided OPPORTUNITIES for people who might not otherwise have gotten them. Inferring otherwise is a result of ignorance - either the forgivable ignorance based on lack of knowledge, or the other kind.

Good christ...you're a long winded fucker aren't you?

That's the problem with you dumpy old liberals...you never can figure out when you're preaching to the choir.

BTW, race is a misnomer. Morphological characteristics aren't found in tandem regardless of ethnic identity. Poor “white” schools are just as bad as poor “black or brown” schools whether it be urban or rural. Delineating problems to the “racial” issue is the easy way out and the feel good method of dealing with a problem.