Comments

Sep. 13, 2007 - I Disagree

Posted by Anonymous

As an *involved* public school mom, I find no basis for Mr. Turtel's sweeping generalizations. My boys, ages 9 and 11, have been students at four different elementary schools (we've moved for hubby's work) in two different states, and we've not seen the dilapidated schools, failed programs, or illiterate students to which Mr. Turtel refers. My children are bright, articulate, and enthusiastic - products of the public education system.

I wholeheartedly believe families have the right to educate their children without government involvement, and even feel like maybe families who homeschool shouldn't pay taxes to support a service they're not utilizing. However, parents like me are not doing their children a disservice by taking advantage of a "free" eduation, and we don't love our children less or care less about their educations, simply because we choose to use public schools rather than homeschool.

Could the failure of public schools reside with the families and students themselves? As I mentioned, I am involved in my children's education - I volunteer in their classrooms, I read the information they bring home in their backpacks, I speak face-to-face with their instructors, and I know their friends. We work on homework together at home, and discuss concepts and ideas. I am involved in their educations.

Isn't it possible that the students who aren't flourishing in public schools aren't learning because it's socially unacceptable? Couldn't parents' and peers' obvious lack of interest fuel the students' lack of desire to succeed? After all, schools can give students the tools, but administrators and teachers cannot force students to learn.

As for dilapidated facilities, I've never once seen a run-down school in any of the school districts where my children have been students. As with the parents and students possibly being the reason for the lack of learning, couldn't the community also be responsible for the run-down schools? If a community as a whole doesn't place value on an education, and doesn't teach its children to treat schools with respect (i.e., graffiti, ruined text books, etc.), shouldn't they be held accountable for damaged/worn out/broken schools?

Yes, there are problem schools and school districts, but the problem isn't with the schools themselves, but with the parents and communities.Once families and community members begin to realize the value of an education, and that they, themselves, are the cause of their society's ills, maybe they'll do something about it. Until then, we are left with "experts" and "analysts" all claiming that public schools don't work. They do, so long as parents are involved, really care about their children, and don't just send their children away for 6 hours each day and assume they have no further obligation. The two-income, over-worked, over-stressed parents who have no time for their children are the problem. Learning is a life-long process, and those who believe education takes place only in a school are the ones harming our children, not the schools and teachers and adminstrators.

Parents are the key to their children's success. Public schools are merely a tool to accomplish that.

- Happy Public School Mom

Sep. 13, 2007 - Hi Happy Homeschool Mom

Posted by HSBCompanyBlog

I'm glad you stopped by and left your thoughts. You are right on in that parents involvement is key to their children's success. It is among the top reasons that parents homeschool. If however that was all there was to it, then those who have pulled their children out of public school would still be there. They were involved, did everything just as you say you are doing, but still the system was failing their children.

Absolutely many parents do fail to take an active role in their children's education. Some by choice, others have bought into ideas and agendas propagated by the schools themselves that families must be separated, ages segregated, and students socialized. (One definition of socialization is: to place under public ownership or control. This is the definition that fits public schools.) The first set of parents are guilty of neglect, the second set believe they are doing what is best for their children because they have been duped by the system. It is the system that has caused the community to believe that they should leave it alone, not the community abandoning the system.

While there have been teachers who have begged to have parents more involved there are also entire school districts who have done everything to keep parents out. Those parents who have tried to be more involved have had the door slammed in their face and were told condescendingly to go home and let the "experts" deal with their children. I personally experienced this with my special needs son when he had reached school age.

Schools and the system they are under are faulty tools. It takes twice as much effort for parents and good teachers to use them to get a finished product. Parents are tired of dumping more money into the empty promises made by the system and waiting for the rest of the community to wake up and step forward.

As for the condition of the buildings, many are quite new and I have seen many others that need to be condemned. However that really wasn't the point of Mr. Turtel's article. My own reference to plumbing and wiring was in reference to the internal workings of the system.

Joel Turtel has done a complete study of the Public school system, and is the author of the book Public Schools, Public Menace. He does know what he is talking about. Perhaps another good read for you would be Bradley Heath's, Millstones and Stumbling Blocks. Bradley outlines the history of public education and what drives it.

Tia Linschied
Senior Editor of HSB

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