20/20 show: Stupid America
Jan. 14, 2006 at 1:03 PM
Homeschooling
I managed to muster up the energy to watch the whole 20/20 episode Stupid in America: How we cheat our kids. Here's some things from my notes: Favorite quote came from Kevin Chavous of the Center for Education Reform. He said, "America doesn't know what it doesn't know." And that's exactly the way many in our government want it to stay. The perfect dependency class.
Public School Police: The most amazing moment came when the parents voluntarily let officials in from the California school district in to see if the children actually lived there. What on earth are they thinking when they let them in their bedrooms?
Choice seems to be the solution: Parents have a choice. They are choosing to have the government take their money and their children. While it doesn't seem as though we can do much about taking of the money, I don't understand why these parents are waiting for the government to give them school choice. No education is better for a lot of the children shown here. Can the parents do much worse?
Kipp Academy: They showed the school that I blogged about in Poster Children for the State. No surprises there.
Belgium Education: They really made our school children look bad. But then so did Jay Leno so I can't fault them too much. The NEA could learn from the administrators there about competition and monopolies.
Union Leaders in New York: Their meetings looked more like a student pep rally. I laughed out loud when the leader (missed her name) said that those who criticize the union don't care about the children. And I'm assuming that's why she consented to working an extra 10 minutes a day in their new contract. Because she cares so much more. As Stossel is fond of saying, "Give me a break!"
Homeschooling: Disappointed they didn't include that segment.
John Stossel said at the end he's hoping to start a debate on public education. I hope he does. His forum has been active. The comments predictable. Here's one poster "correcting" the errors of Mr. Stossel and showing his bias toward the religious right. And of course, we are to believe the NEA has no bias of its own. Yeah right.
One commentor blamed the parents and wanted to rename the show "Stupid Parents in America." He said, "What we need is for someone to stand up and broadcast a show about stupid parents in America!!!!!
And just where did these "stupid parents" get their education?????????
For an interesting discussion on this issue see my post at Spunky Homeschool at Blogger. Note: it looks the same as this blog.
1 Comments and Trackbacks
posted by Kristal on Jan. 16, 2006 at 2:17 AM
I watched this also!! I was so agrivated becaue I would NEVER allow anyone even if they call themselves police (school or not) into my childs room!! And for them to sit there and whine, my question to them is "WHY DONT YOU HOMESCHOOL" they would rather sit back and complain and do APSOLUTLY NOTHING, NOT EVEN START WORKING WITH THEIR CHILD AFTER SCHOOL!! YES our schools are bad here, but you can do something completly different HOMESCHOOL. I thought they should add in all the violence, but noticed nothing was mentioned.