The federal government and the state governors are going to cure ignorance. It was announced yesterday that the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers have developed new national K-12 educational standards for English/language and mathematics. President Obama believes this is the key to improving the nation’s schools. All states except Alaska and Texas agreed to participate.
I may not be politically correct, but I feel parents have to take some responsibility for their children’s academic development. In some families, this may be a problem because the parents are more illiterate than their children. How many children have parents who are school dropouts content to exist on welfare and food stamps? These people do not even qualify for unemployment benefits because they have never worked! How many parents pursue their own interests and allow computers, television, and video games to entertain their children? Could this be a reason our society is dealing not only with illiteracy but also with a serious problem of childhood obesity? I doubt that childhood obesity refers to fat fingers that need remote controls, video game controls, or computer keyboards for exercise equipment!
My concern is that the proposed national education standards may lower what is already in place to accommodate less achieving students. Education should be a challenge for all students of any intelligence level; otherwise, we are breeding a nation of morons. The mastery of basic mathematics and the ability to read, write, and speak correctly are skills necessary to function in society. It would be refreshing to hear teenagers speak sentences without using “like” and “you know” and college and professional athletes speak English rather than ebonic gibberish. Maybe teachers should concentrate on readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic and grade students on their actual work rather than give bonus points for bringing items to stock the classroom supply closet or for attending sports events. Education is the responsibility of both parents and teachers.
I may not be politically correct, but I feel parents have to take some responsibility for their children’s academic development. In some families, this may be a problem because the parents are more illiterate than their children. How many children have parents who are school dropouts content to exist on welfare and food stamps? These people do not even qualify for unemployment benefits because they have never worked! How many parents pursue their own interests and allow computers, television, and video games to entertain their children? Could this be a reason our society is dealing not only with illiteracy but also with a serious problem of childhood obesity? I doubt that childhood obesity refers to fat fingers that need remote controls, video game controls, or computer keyboards for exercise equipment!
My concern is that the proposed national education standards may lower what is already in place to accommodate less achieving students. Education should be a challenge for all students of any intelligence level; otherwise, we are breeding a nation of morons. The mastery of basic mathematics and the ability to read, write, and speak correctly are skills necessary to function in society. It would be refreshing to hear teenagers speak sentences without using “like” and “you know” and college and professional athletes speak English rather than ebonic gibberish. Maybe teachers should concentrate on readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic and grade students on their actual work rather than give bonus points for bringing items to stock the classroom supply closet or for attending sports events. Education is the responsibility of both parents and teachers.
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