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Schools K-12 / Pay Attention

"A Nation At Risk"

An essay by this name was written in 1983. Unfortunately, I've forgotten who wrote it. It accurately described what was then happening in our nation's K-12 schools and went on to predict the inevitable result. 30 years have now gone by. The essay has proven to be 99% correct. Since 1983 Americas' K-12 educational system has steadily declined. All those years of special committees, study groups, self described experts, political and union interferences, and etc. - all have failed.  Still, we continue to insist on the same programs and policies. Make sense to you?

In 1960 the system was quite different.


  • Teachers began classes at 8:00 a.m. and school ended about 3:30 p.m.
  • They dressed professionally. Men@Suit & Tie / Women@Skirts & Dresses
  • Students sat at their desks, feet on the floor, and spoke only when required.
  • The Principal or Vice Principal applied "corrective counseling and punishment".
  • Discipline was the key to a successful school.
  • Parents of students with repetitive disciplinary problems were invited to school.
  • Uncooperative students with multiple infractions were expelled.
  • Teachers worked on a one year contract.
  • Teachers did not have an agent or union interface with school administration.
This format, or one that was similar, combined to educate our K-12 students for over one hundred years. Then, at sometime after World War II, politicians, unions and dreamy psychologists began to tinker with the system. The result is a terrible mess. The do-gooders, with the best of intentions, ruined the education of generations. Today we have an enlightened, elitest, semi-tolerant, unprincipled, self esteem centered system that has failed to educate millions of students. Our far left liberal educators have given us a system that applies a ridiculous standard of political correctness, and does not teach basic knowledge, skills, or other prerequisites of a vocation.

American education is no longer able to lead educational achievement in the world.




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