| "If I had to choose, I'd rather the state | | | | mercy of psychological conditioning and |
| feed and clothe my children than let it | | | | peer-group therapy. The curriculum is |
| educate them." -- Iowa grain dealer, Max | | | | designed as a feel-good exercise, not a |
| Belz. | | | | learning path. The children know they are |
| | | | being cheated. The parents are being conned. |
| "School security" is an oxymoron. Despite | | | | |
| what school officials might say, no one is | | | | 7. Drug-Free Zone? The schools recommend |
| safe in public schools. I'm not talking about | | | | Ritalin and other mind-altering drugs to kids |
| mad shooters. The primary attack on children | | | | who are anxious, stressed and bored, even for |
| comes from within the schools, not from | | | | the very young. Who would call that a safe |
| outside, and it is constant. It comes from | | | | practice? The drug companies are on an |
| the poorly educated staff, the boring | | | | aggressive program to "diagnose" children's |
| classes, the academic mediocrity, the | | | | "disabilities" in order to sell their wares |
| distrust, the coercion, the bullying, the | | | | on a national scale. If the schools will drug |
| unfair rules and restrictions. Together, | | | | our children for behavior, what won't they do |
| those create the culture, the climate of | | | | to them? |
| frustration and anger. In turn, that causes | | | | |
| some people to commit the violence -- often | | | | 8. Integrity? Honor? Virtue? No chance. The |
| extreme. Public school makes everyone its | | | | system's culture is corrupt, dishonest and |
| victim. Consider the following: | | | | self-serving. The employees constantly seek |
| | | | "respect" and yet, they are the ones who do |
| 1. Violence is an ever-present possibility. | | | | not respect either the children or their |
| Bullying is a natural result when humans are | | | | parents. They are the ones who start the |
| trapped against their wills. Anyone serious | | | | school wars, by violating the wishes of |
| about doing harm cannot not be stopped. Also, | | | | parents for their children. |
| the more schools become armed fortresses, the | | | | |
| less educational they are. | | | | 9. Financial responsibility? Accountability? |
| | | | Not a chance. Management by crisis is the |
| 2. Civil rights? In public schools, there are | | | | norm. Waste is the rule. The system uses |
| none, either for children or their parents. | | | | every trick to take more money from taxpayers |
| Federal District Judge Melinda Harmon ruled, | | | | in order to enlarge itself. For example, |
| "When you drop your kids off at Public | | | | smaller classes means more hiring, not better |
| School, you lose your civil rights." | | | | instruction. |
| | | | |
| 3. Freedom from coercion? Are you kidding? | | | | 10. Local control? There's no such thing. |
| Coercion is the bread and butter of | | | | Public school is a state and federal system. |
| government school. We hear from some school | | | | The local school board and the administrators |
| employees that schools are "democratic," and | | | | are puppets of the legislature, the |
| yet any teacher or parent will tell you from | | | | bureaucracy and the teachers' union. There is |
| experience that they are petty and | | | | no autonomy. There is no accountability. |
| dictatorial. | | | | |
| | | | There is no safety of any kind in public |
| 4. Freedom from verbal assault? Sorry. | | | | schools for children or their families. What |
| Taunting and harassment are part of public | | | | permeates the schools in fact is insecurity |
| school's pecking order -- the result of | | | | and fear. The problem is government control. |
| forcing people together into ugly impersonal, | | | | The answer is local control, possibly by |
| insensitive institutions. | | | | establishing a "charter district." That would |
| | | | eliminate the teacher union and burdensome |
| 5. Academic security? Ha! Look at the records | | | | state mandates. Let anyone who can teach |
| of any state. Only about thirty percent of | | | | apply. Let teachers and parents control what |
| students are even at grade level according to | | | | goes on and most of the corruption would end. |
| state standardized tests. There are no goals | | | | Where there's no compulsion there's no |
| or academic standards whatsoever. The basic | | | | resistance. Where there's no coercion, |
| skills are virtually ignored. Dumbing down | | | | there's no rage, and contentment increases. |
| appears to be the guiding principle. | | | | Happy, free and responsible people don't harm |
| | | | each other. |
| 6. Emotional safety? Students are at the | | | | |