Educational Crisis

You hear politicians talking all the time about how we need to improve education in America. Naturally, we hear a lot of ranting about failing schools, but not many solutions as to how to fix the problem. Bush had a solution that was at least a start, but all we hear from Democrats about his school voucher program and accountability measures are complaints. (that follows just about every republican initiative --scream about how wrong the Bush plan is and complain about the problem, but don't offer up any of your own ideas on how to fix anything.)

I'm all for the voucher program. Competition breeds success. If schools are failing, the students will move away and they'll lose funding. After speaking with several teachers, though, the accountability measures need some improvement. Factors such as backgrounds of students (are they all immigrants that go into the classroom with lower English skills than their native American counterparts? etc.) should also be taken into consideration. Students/teachers should be measured on students' improvement through the year, not merely whether they are reading, etc. at the appropriate grade level at the end of the year. As it stands now, school districts in disadvanged areas are hurt worse by the measures. But Bush had the right idea with the accountability tests, advocating minor tweaks would better serve students than screaming that the plan is bad overall.

I also believe there's no room for union rules when it comes to educating our children. Teaching is one of the most important job in this country and their pay should reflect this to attract more qualified, diverse staff. If I'm doing a lousy job and not getting my work done, I will be fired. Why are teachers held to different standards? On the flip side, if teachers are doing a great job and putting in the extra effort, there's no reason they shouldn't be able to make a 6-figure salary. It should be based on merit, not tenure.

But the worst crisis in our schools is this liberal indocrination teachers are trying to inflict on America's children. We all knew it was happening on college campuses, but it has also extended to our public school system.

In a recent example, students at Overland High School in the Denver, Colorado area had a Bush bashing protest in support of one of their teachers on leave pending an investigation of inappropriate conduct in the classroom. Is it any wonder after their GEOGRAPHY teacher made these anti-Bush, anti-capitalism, anti-American statements in class?

Sean Allen, a 16-year-old sophomore in the class, caught his teacher, Jay Bennish, on tape making the following statements:

-described capitalism as a system "at odds with human rights."
-said there were "eerie similarities" between what Bush said during his Jan. 28 State of the Union address and "things that Adolf Hitler used to say."
-The United States was "probably the single most violent nation on planet Earth,"

We're a capitalist democratic republic that gives more aid and charity to countries around the world and has frankly saved more country's butts than any other nation out there, and this is what this teacher is preaching to his students??? Yes, this is a lot more frightening to me than any other education problem we have.

Perhaps if he focused more on his subject matter and less on spewing his own communist leaning, American hating views to his students, they might get better test scores and learn a little bit more about geography...

At Parsippany High School (I believe in Maryland) - Seniors were given the opportunity to try President Bush for "crimes against civilian populations" and "inhumane treatment of prisoners." Students argue both sides in front of a five teacher "international court of justice."

Can you imagine this happening during any other war? How about during the civil war? Abe Lincoln had his oppenents in the north, including members of the press, arrested and jailed! Or during WWII, putting FDR on trial. He had Japanese Americans interred in camps. This wasn't a trial about whether or not we did the right thing going into Iraq, this was a trial accusing our president of crimes against humanity! It's outrageous. The worst left wing kooks are running our public schools. Scary, folks.

If we let this behavior by teachers in our public schools continue it won't be long before these kids grow up and vote in a socialist government like all the liberals dream of. Get ready for a stagnant economy, high unemployment, poor medial services.... basically get ready for us to become France, part deux. (But don't worry, at least all of the other countries out there will like us better!)