On Education Part 1 - Public Schooling

I'm breaking this down into 2 Parts so that it's easier to digest and I'll post it over the next 2 days.

Part 1 - Public Schooling

Part 2 - Education Alternatives?

I have been reading "Weapons of Mass Instruction" written by retired New York City public school teacher John Taylor Gatto.  It is a radical look at the history of compulsory education in the United States and has challenged me to take a different look at creating my own education philosophy.  It is also biased against public schooling.  But I like that because it makes me uncomfortable.  And it's good to become uncomfortable about something you think you've already mastered.

Gatto begins with a brief history of when/how compulsory schooling began in our country.  It reminds me of the current lobbying, canoodling and deal-making that is going on in Washington now regarding the Health care Reform Bill. This by well-meaning business men - you may have heard of Carnegie? Rockefeller?   Their motivation, Gatto sites, is to create a strong workforce that will "yield themselves with perfect docility to our molding hands." (This quote is actually taken from a document called Occasional Letter to Number One, 1906 presented by Rockefeller's General Education Board.)

Wait a minute!  I thought the point of school was to receive an education - to be "the best you can be."  According to Gatto the point of public school, according to its founders is to create workers who will be compliant drones who won't challenge the bureaucracy nor question authority.  Hmph.

I think that the above can give you the gist of the point Gatto is making. 

So, I wonder, is this still the goal of school?  People put a lot of weight in "getting a job" upon graduation.  That was certainly my goal. The only interest that I have ever had in owning my own business was in the horse industry, I was 10.  Other than that, I always expected that I would get a job and work for someone.  And that is what I did.  Could I have done more had it been expected of me to maximize my potential?  Sure.  But, I was happy to live in the sea of mediocrity.  Is that really so bad?  It sounds bad and even a little bit sad.

But, this is a country created on competition.  A capitalist society where the strong businesses thrive and the weak one's get help from Uncle Sam?  Whatever - it's supposed to be a free market.  But, all of those business owners need to have employees to run their empires, right?  Perhaps.

So, what skills do we, as Americans need to have to make us successful upon graduation?  Following a deadline?  Maybe if you are a contractor - oh, wait - When I was working for Uncle Sam there were plenty of construction projects that got extended, pushed, delayed and canceled.  When I worked for corporate America, I worked on a project that was supposed to end in October, but did not get completed until February!  And, it was only completed then because of negotiations, strong-arming and much pestering on my part.  Some of what I learned in school: Hard deadlines, Test Friday, paper due tomorrow, do it this way (only this way), walk in a line (okay good to know if you are buying something or visiting Disney), timed tests (medical and law students may be happy to have practiced this in primary school), social networking and on and on.  But how do these large lessons transfer into the "real world"?

One argument that I've heard against traditional schooling is that it creates mediocrity.  "Gifted" students are slowed down, "Slower" students are sped up and "Average" students remain just that.  Educating so many leave little room for focusing on the individual, thus, seemingly creating a nation of average thinkers who can't cure cancer or make a real impact in the lives of others.

My point is to get you thinking about WHY you would/do send your children to public school apart from "it's the law" or "that's what everyone does who wants their kid to turn out 'normal.'"  To me, it's important to know why you do things and then do them on purpose.  Who knows what we will choose, but whatever it is, you can be sure we will have done our homework:-)

Some questions: Are schools preparing students for real life in the most effective way?  Is there a better way to educate our children?  What are some of the great benefits to public education?  

Comments

[Tori]

LOVE IT! Keep it coming! I am so fascinated by this discussion. I totally agree with your questions and statements above. My question is socialization. Charlie went to USAFA with a lot of really smart and home schooled kids who had NO social skills. That's my only real concern when I considering this option for our kids.....