An open letter to the public shool system

I know there are people within the public school system that visit this board. This is a letter I have written which shows my concerns with the current public school system.

Dear public school system,

You have failed at doing what you are supposed to do. Your teaching methods are faulty. When kids go to school they are overwhelmed with unecessary information that is false and they shouldn't be taught. They should be taught correct information. When I am a parent I don't want my kids being taught this misinformation and this neoconservative ideology. I want them to be taught history from all perspectives and all ideologies. When I was in school I learned that communism doesn't work. I learned that it works on paper but it doesn't work in practice but I wasn't taught what communism was, and, what principles lies behind it. I was just taught the US American view of it. I know that's because I go to American schools so that's what I am taught in my country but I would like for opposing views on Communism and other ideologies to be taught to kids at a younger age.

You teach children about war in nearly every subject. You teach about how war can be used in math. You teach about war in history yet you don't tell students the mistakes that are often made throughout history. You just tell students the reason for some wars but not the reasons for war itself. You portray all people who start wars as raving madman lunatics when they are actually quite intelligent and they know what they are doing. You teach about wars yet you leave out anything about the Rotschild and the Rockefellers in your and the Federal Reserve in your lessons. You need to tell students the truth. Stop it with this lying. Do you think they believe you're telling the truth to them?

When you teach science people lose interest in science because they don't recognize its significance. Most science in school is unscientific and simplifications of the truth. Most real science can be found in scientific journals or in books. You're dumbing people down by teaching them false information and you teach principles of Newtonian physics as fact when it was Newtonian physics that lead to Quantum Theory. You don't teach students how time travel is possible, and, you don't teach students enough scientific theory.

When it comes to English most of the stuff you teach in English is best left to a performance arts class. How is theater related to learning to read? If a student in an English class from grade 9-12 picks up a book I bet they wouldn't be able to read it because they're forced to read archaic books that have old English in them.

And last but not least, please, teach students to have realistic expectations and a good imagination. You fail at teaching students job skills and that's why they don't get jobs right away. It's because they don't know how to use the skills they have.

Sincerly,
Frankidealist35

I found this article, written in 02 that gives a bit of insight.
How Did We Get A Federal Curriculum
The problem is that the gov. is deciding what is being taught. Perhaps it is their goal to dumb everyone down. To teach them not how to think for themselves. To not question authority. It seems that schools nowadays spend more time teaching and enforcing rules than they do academics.

As a parent, I know that it is up to me to teach the important things.

reply to post by TeeJay


I agree. Why do you think they're doing it?

Is it intentionally, is there some hidden agenda, or, do they just not realize the flaws of the system and don't want to change it?

I'd like to know what you're basing this open letter on? You say that you don't have children yourself, so how do you know what is going on in schools?
Are you basing these comments on one schools performance and painting all schools with the same brush?
Are you basing your observations of when you were at school?

reply to post by Chadwickus


I am in school right now . I'm in college. I like to read conspiracy theories about education and I am starting to notice some of the truth in those theories more and more.

I just think that we shouldn't be dumbing people down until they get to college. I think we should just teach students the truth about things, not white lies about history, or false economic theory or simplifications of the scientific method. I think that since we fail to teach those things that teachers unintentionally dumb students down. Since we dumb them down so much in primary schools I think that's why they are overwhelmed by college and that's why they drop out in their first year.

As for what I'm basing my comments on, I'm basing my comments on all the observations I've made from all the schools I've been to, and, not just one, not in one grade or some other grade, but I'm talking about how they dumb people down in all ages in all grades up until college.

[edit on 19-11-2008 by Frankidealist35]

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Ah fair enough, I think part of the problem with public schools is funding, they have to make do with what the government gives them and compete for the attendance of the best teachers and students.

Also telling kids about all the bad things in the world at such a young age isn't going to set them up for adulthood very well, there is a possibility of giving them too much information too soon and making them jaded with the world before even really getting into it.

reply to post by Chadwickus


I see what you're saying but I think that at least we need to tell younger people in primary education some of the truth. I think the way they are taught history is horrible. They aren't taught English all that well. I just think that they need to be taught school with a bit of realism in their education.

Now, this is going back a ways- well into the last century (I just LOVE saying that!). I remember doing history homework and having my dad read the textbook and saying "That's not right, I was THERE and it didn't happen that way." History is written and re-written so many times, everyone should have the understanding that they are reading second-hand hearsay at best.

As far as the Math being taught in our schools now, I have one daughter in college who spends a half hour on a homework problem. She will work and work at it and be so frustrated she almost screams! I have another daughter three years younger who is currently in the same high school the first was, and she will walk up, take one look and do the problem in her head in seconds. There is a large amount of inherent capability that has to be taken into account here.

Not to mention, how many of us REALLY paid all that much attention to what was being taught in high school history? Most students are only there because they have to be, and only pay as much attention as they have to also.

I believe the information is there, but you have to want to learn to be taught!

Public "Shool" system, eh? Sorry.....I couldn't resist.

I was actually training to be a high school teacher for most of my college career. I took a minor in education, but I decided that high school was not the right environment for me. Nevertheless, this was not because I feel the US public school system is broken. As a matter of fact, I have seen many signs of improvement over the past few years. I believe the next generation of teachers will really turn things around.

Serious talk about public school reform began in the 1980s, but it often takes about a generation or so for anything to really get done. In the meantime, things look grim and fractured. Part of the problem is a lack of funding and public faith due in part to the antiquated methods of the previous generations of public school teaching. But many reforms can be implemented without a significant rise in cost. Reorganization of the standard school schedule is one part of the solution.

As to pedagogy and ideology, I believe you will see many changes in the next 10-20 years from the models we have had in the past. With the invigoration of public schooling will come a fresh, young, dedicated group of teachers willing and able to try more flexible, personalized methods of teaching and combine that with a content knowledge based out of reliable information. If I decided to teach history at a public high school, my perspective would be very different from those of the older teachers that I had growing up. History is taught very differently at the college level than it was when many of these older teachers were earning their degrees. Things are a lot more radical and open-minded now.

True, we often face a cramped curriculum that focuses on the basics for the sake of standardized testing. This is a flaw in the current system. We need to focus on mastery-based education, and do away with the NCLB nonsense. But I think we will get there, and I have seen many positive changes in the American school system. I am optimistic about the future.

Originally posted by Frankidealist35I agree. Why do you think they're doing it?

Is it intentionally, is there some hidden agenda, or, do they just not realize the flaws of the system and don't want to change it?

As far as the Gov's role in the school system, I think that they are trying to produce a bunch of obedient citizens, and I do think that it is intentional. I don't blame the teachers. Not all of them anyway. They have a curriculum that they have to follow. Some teachers are by the book, and thats it. No more, no less. Then there are teachers who do more. They discuss things with an open mind, and they encourage thought. They not only teach whats in the book, they encourage you to figure things out, to ask questions, and to pay attention. Some even encourage you to follow your dreams. For these teachers, I am thankful. I wish that this was a qualification instead of a bonus.

By the way, for you to notice and question what you have been and are being taught. ~Good For You~ Alot of people that I know just believe everything that they are taught or told. They don't question it. These people scare me.

[edit on 19-11-2008 by TeeJay]

reply to post by Frankidealist35

When it comes to English most of the stuff you teach in English is best left to a performance arts class. How is theater related to learning to read? If a student in an English class from grade 9-12 picks up a book I bet they wouldn't be able to read it because they're forced to read archaic books that have old English in them.

I have something that I think you should add in regard to English - the amount of time that is wasted teaching students to diagram sentences is crazy. There is no reason why they need to know how to do this. I hated doing it when I was in school and now I'm having to help my children do it for their English classes. I think I would rather clean a toilet than diagram a sentence - and knowing how to diagram a sentence doesn't do anything to help you avoid having to clean toilets as a profession!

Jemison

reply to post by Jemison


Why don't these so called professional teachers stress upon these children's parents that they should teach their kids how to read outside of school? I learned how to read outside of school before I learned to read in school. Reading is fun, but, reading archaic texts is BORING.

reply to post by CrowServo


I don't know if it has to do with the people who are in power, but, I'm hoping that since Democrats usually care more about education that they'll put more of a focus on teaching people useful information. I hope Obama stays true to his message of wanting people to go on the quest for knowledge. I like the idea of that.

And about people taking in everything they're told I think they do that because it's one of their defense mechanisms. They just want to survive and they can't take the truth so they deny the reality of the fact that what they learn in school is different from what is actually going on in the world.

I'm not putting all my faith into Obama, or the Democrats, but I hope to see a change in the way that the education system is handled, and, I hope the Democrats remain true to their promises to bring better education. That would be a good thing.