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06 October 2004: The Only Republican Teacher I Know (3 of 3)
Teachers and politicians alike have many explanations for why public schools are not equipping students with necessary knowledge and skills. As current legislation indicates, many of these explanations hinge on the belief that teachers haven’t taken enough tests. But that’s really just the beginning. A myriad of voices are citing inadequate student nutrition, dysfunctional family lives, ineffective or inhumane materials, overcrowded classrooms, inexperienced administrators, language barriers, poverty, and racism as possible reasons for the failure of our public schools. I’m not going to discuss the validity of any of these so-called reasons. I bring them up only to illustrate that the culture of public education is one of blame and excuses. My expectation is that Miss Bush, in her first year of teaching, will experience some of these factors; probably not all and maybe not most. More troubling to me is the likelihood that she will not encounter teachers with a grave sense of responsibility.
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