A back-post

Written last Friday...

While having dinner with Rita tonight, I thought once more about how we could improve the educational system in America. While this might seem like it is an everyday topic for me, it isn’t. Maybe every other day. ☺

Yes, I do think about this frequently. And more often than not, I am stymied quickly. I can’t get past a few things: the apathy that seems to be so common in urban students today (for as much as I can guess about other populations, they still would be merely guesses), the dysfunction of the administration (both on the district and school level), and my never-answered question of “How and WHY the bleep did we get here?!”

The apathy I can take a stab at: Students face a difficult and unstable home life. In contrast, they see only the wealth that the media portrays for them—the ever-popular ball player from the ‘hood, the young model making it via the graces of Tyra, the movie star, the singer/songwriter, the rapper. While these role models can have a positive influence on the student’s life, it does not afford the student with a realistic portrayal of life. There is no middle ground—either you are fabulously wealthy and famous or you lead an insignificant life that is hard beyond belief. The middle ground, which could be represented to the student by the teachers and the school administration, is not glamorous enough to make an impression on them. They are defeated at every turn and haven’t been given enough skills to make lemon juice, let alone lemonade. They look at something and if it doesn’t take five seconds to complete, they throw their hands up. Or rather, cuss and shout and carry on until someone give them the answer or tells them that they’re off the hook and don’t have to do it.

The dysfunction of the administration, well, I have no clue about that one. I know that there are some people who are doing their jobs and doing them well, but there are others who are so burnt out and so ineffective and so…well, dumb, that I can’t fathom what is keeping them there. The district office seems to be getting its act together, but it is a slow process and very political. Who knows what goes on in the minds of certain of my own school’s administrative staff.

Finally, the never-answered question will (more than likely) remain never answered. None of explanations seem complete enough or seem to justify the results in any way. How could we as a people let our education system get so bad as to seem practically irretrievable? I like to think that people are basically good, but to let the future of the world and our progeny, our blood, the people who will be taking care of us when we are old…that seems horrible beyond belief.