December 03, 2007

Unhindered: Education

During a conversation, Curtis and I agreed that about every federal and state system has it's problems. The judicial system is corrupt, the corrections system is broken, the healthcare system is FUBAR, etc. But, to me, the education system is the easiest to modify because public schools have to deal with their clients and their clients' families. Plus, the people who work for the system (especially teachers) care about the students and usually have the desire to help children learn. (In contrast, criminal lawyers and judges don't want to really help lawbreakers and alleged lawbreakers by solving the long-term problems that lead to crime because then a whole buncha 'em will be out of jobs. Self-interest trumps helping others almost every time.)

Anyway, the public school system has its problems. The idea that individual children have different learning styles and speeds has become matter-of-fact in the last decade, but there are still standardized tests. The system not only teaches the "3 R's" but it teaches conformity: you stand in line to get food, you follow orders and rules, you must read at a sixth-grade level in sixth grade. Exceptional students' growth is stunted so that the "slow learners" can catch up to the "norm." Individualism is stifled and students are only given limited freedom of expression (try using "fuck" in a seventh-grade poetry assignment).

How do we fix this? Parents need to get involved. I was lucky, as I had both my parents and a counselor on my team who demanded those IEP meetings with my teachers and school admins to adapt my schools' educational requirements to fit my needs.

Parents should also take on the responsibility of aiding their children in their learning. This can be as simple as making sure they eat healthy meals three times a day and making sure their kids do their homework every night. If your child is struggling, you as a parent should do your best to help, whether it means supervising supplemental work to help your kid catch up if he is behind in class or arranging tutors or counseling sessions. And please (I am speaking from personal experience here) listen if your kid says that she doesn't want to go to school and find out the reason; there may be actual problems, and your child's safety and mental/emotional health should be the priority for a parent.

Teachers also influence children's experiences. Most teachers care about their students and want to encourage learning; you may be surprised at how many of your kid's teachers would be happy to meet you for a few minutes and discuss your child's strengths and weaknesses. Some teachers are also unsatisfied by the public education system, but they are more constrained in what they can do about it. Most do what they can to encourage learning by being funny and engaging; I'm sure everyone reading this has had at least one great teacher. For me (and Brian, too) one of the best was my high school English teacher Mr. Andres. He was the kind of teacher who bent the rules (he wouldn't snitch if I came back from lunch with a Jack in the Box value meal, even though it was officially a "closed campus"), cracked you up with his bad dancing, and still made you learn. He would deviate from official course materials, but his unconventional assignments (e.g. write the first few scenes of a screenplay) would put your skills into practice.

Okay, I could rant for more time, but I'm almost out. The comments box sits empty most of the time, so here's my homework assignment for you all: tell me a bit about your experience in school. Favorite teacher, hated faculty, alternative education, your opinions on "No Child Left Behind"... whatever.

Have a good couple weeks, everybody!

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