Schools, Redux

A couple of good things in the newspapers today and, as usual, some very misguiding stuff. First, the good....

One letter-to-the-editor suggested giving the new state tests to teachers and administrators. If they don't pass, let them retry. If they still fail, get rid of them. Amen! It's about time someone recognized that many of these people belong nowhere near classrooms. And, it will be just desserts for them, too. These were the same cowards (I'm giving them some credit, however just or unjust, for not being stupid in thinking the MEAPs were good things) who refused to stand up for what was best for education. Serves them right now to pay a price for messing up education even more.

Second, Thomas Sowell suggested the "unsayable." He wrote "too many students go to college." Again, Amen! He gives good reasons. Yet our governor and school administrators proceed with "Everybody goes to college!" Sowell suggests those who have this idea "aren't thinking." Well, no kidding. He cites lack of discipline, lack of preparedness, lack of interest among students. He talks about how classes have been diluted for the serious students. He doesn't mention grade inflation, for both the students and the nonstudents. I see it every day I grade papers or try to hold a seminar.

It's too bad that not enough people care to take these stories to heart. They still think those who run the schools actually know what real education is about.

The Free Press is one of them. It suggests cutting state aid for failing school districts is a bad idea, that they are the ones who need it. The Freep, despite my constant reminders, seems to think money spent on education is "for the kids." I did ask the editor to have reporters look into the salaries of school superintendents and other administrators that are higher than the governor's (although she doesn't deserve it) and the Vice President's (neither does this particular one). I asked how the editors of the FP could justify more money for a school district that compensated its superintendent with a package costing more than $500,000 annually--yes, sports fans, more than half a mill a year. No answer, as I expected.

Also, the other day, it was revealed, but not by our vigilant tribunes, the media (newspapers and television/radio), that state test scores are actually lower than they appear, that more students actually failed the tests or failed to me the lowest expectations because the bar was lowered. So, students actually did worse than their scores indicate. How typically dishonest, lacking in integrity for the schools to do this!

Perhaps many don't believe me. All I ask is not to take any administrator's word (nor that of most teachers), but to investigate. Maybe you will decide I'm wrong--that's what American is all about, differences of opinion. But, I don't think an honest investigation will show that.