In a comment to The George Orwell Daycare Center, one Ray De La Torre responds:
I am a teacher of history and civics. I have taught for well over 20 years in both private and public schools. I have to say that this essay hits the mark dead on.
I’m afraid that the situation may be worse than you believe. The general direction public education seems to be heading is to insure no student fails. This is surely reflective of the “fairness” doctrine as well as the notion that all must be equal. What is occuring(sic) in schools is the further erroding(sic) of student responsibility and accountability. My take on this is that eventually we will have to do their work, write their essays, and take their exams to ensure their success.
Those of us who still demand excellence from our students are few, and becoming fewer. The consequences for failure do not fall on the students as they are moved along regardless of how many courses are passed or failed. Rather, the consequences fall on those of us who expect students to learn before moving on to the next level. The stories of meeting after meeting with administrators are legion.
Unfortunately, the young teachers entering the profession are as you describe. Most are filled with good intentions and the desire to help children. Most are woefully ignorant of the subjects they teach. Far too many rely on textbooks and materials that espouse socialist ideals. Most are unaware of this simple fact.
We few will continue to fight the good fight and try to reach as many students as possible.
As I said in I Must’ve Struck a Nerve, I know it is still possible to get a decent education out of many, possibly most school systems in this country – if you want one. This is due to those teachers who really do know their subjects and how to teach them, and students willing to do the work necessary to learn them. Both still exist. But it does appear that the ratio of such teachers and students to the general population is getting continually smaller.