Good Education Demands That We Put First Things First



Posted: Saturday, April 16, 2011

by John Waddey
firstcenturychristian

Twice in my life I have come across abandoned homes that had been allowed to fall into ruin because of a family feud. In both cases, the owners died without a will and the heirs could not agree how to divide the estate. All parties, being stubborn and intractable, the houses were left abandoned while they glared at each other. In time, wind, water, rodents and termites took control and brought the houses down. One house was a working family’s cottage. The other was the home of a successful business person. In the end, everybody concerned lost something of value. Herein I see a parable that describes the plight of public education in America.

We have school facilities and we have teachers and students. We have revenue to fund our schools. Those who are stubbornly quarreling over control of our schools include the Federal Government’s Department of Education, State Departments of Education, local school boards, Law-makers who control school funding, producers of text-books, Teachers’ Unions, professional education bureaucrats and an assortment of education activists groups, each of which thinks it knows best how to educate kids.

While these various interest groups strive to make their influence dominant, or to protect their personal interests, the students, for whom the schools exist, continue to receive an inferior education. In some cases, almost no education at all. Those in this last category spend their twelve years and are still functionally illiterate. Can the house called Public Education, be salvaged?

We need to be reminded that school properties exist for one reason, to provide a place to educate boys and girls. Teachers are employed for one primary reason, to impart vital knowledge and life-skills to their students. Administrators are employed to make sure the students are getting a meaningful education which is their right as citizens. Public funds for schools are first of all for student education, rather than a reservoir of money to quarrel over.

The hierarchy of education should be students first, teachers second, administrators third and all the rest last. In fact some of them should not be allowed at the table.

To reach the point where we will once again be providing genuine, meaningful education for our students, we need clarify our thoughts about employing teachers. We cannot afford those who teach only because they are incompetent or incapable for other fields of work. Those who seek teaching posts only because they need an income will never serve our students well. We need men and women whose vocation or calling in life is teaching. They love working with children. They see themselves as skilled workmen who are bestowing a valuable benefit on their students, society and our nation. Only then will Education’s house flourish. It will be respected and honored by all. Pride will be seen in every teacher and pupil as they mature into productive citizens whose lives will bless all about them. With Little Orphan Annie we can hope that "Tomorrow, the sun will come out tomorrow."
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