-=> Quoting Charles Beams to Regina Finan <=-
 CB> Quotes are taken from a message written by Regina to Dan on
 CB> 07/10/96... 
 RF>This is not the teachers fault.  This is the system in which the board
 RF>members decided to put more emphasis on the gifted and the sports.
 CB> We have the system exactly as we want it - in the hands of 
 CB> non-professionals who worry more about the tax levels for the district
 CB> than they do about educating children.  Attend one of our Board of 
 CB> Education meetings and you will hear the board members discussing 
 CB> buildings and grounds, won/loss records of certain athletic teams, the
 CB> cost of some programs, the tax rate, and phone calls they have
 CB> received  from irate parents.  You will almost *NEVER* hear them
 CB> discussing  educational programming, setting standards, quality of
 CB> textbooks or  course offerings, student performance, etc.  Two of the 9
 CB> members on our  current board have college degrees and they are running
 CB> a 21-million  dollar a year business.
 Oh I have been to the meetings.  The board member put alot of effort on
 themselves for awards on achieving the certificates they are suppose to
 have.  They give awards on children who achieve acknowledgement for
 MEAP tests (mine was one) which of course makes the school system look
 good.  But unfortunately you are right.  And as a parent when you open
 your mouth it is Oh, I will look into it.  We will discuss that at the
 next meeting, or whatever baboon answer they want to give.  And of course
 most of the parents who do have problems don't go to these meetings which
 in turn doesn't help change the system.
 CB> In our community the teachers are often disrespected, considered
 CB> over-paid, anti-religious, queer-loving liberals and so the community 
 CB> elects board members who promise to provide winning teams, keep kids 
 CB> graduating, keep the teachers in check, and keep taxes down.  When a 
 CB> resident shows up who really cares about education, they are ignored. 
 CB> Parents who want some special treatment are often forced to provide it
 CB> themselves.  In fact, the only kids who really succeed in our current 
 CB> educational climate are those who shoulder the responsibility
 CB> themselves.
 Our teachers are pretty well respected around here, except that they
 are not going to get smaller classroom size and some to the help they
 need to give a quality education.  So the classroom gets prizes to
 parents PTA participation and so forth.  Unfortunately, our city wanted
 to get a Bond to update our school and the community won't go for it.
 This is an old community so children are getting overwhelming hot in the
 summertime and freezing in the winter.  Computers are old and not enough
 to go around and the Library is very small with not much to offer. Our
 high school is 8-12 grade and our 7th grade is in a elementary school.
 So of course, I have to blame the community too for not respecting their
 own childrens education.  The principle of being sick of paying too much
 taxes (which is understandable, but also not benefical) and therefore
 turning everything down is not going to help our children.  All it is
 doing is turning a bad school system into a worst one.  So the story
 goes on and on ........................
 CB> The main reason that education is better in countries like Japan and 
 CB> Germany is that education is respected - teachers are accorded more 
 CB> courtesy and respect, schools are seen as an important part of keeping
 CB> the culture and the economy strong, and children are helped to find 
 CB> meaning in the educational process.  American schools will never
 CB> improve  until the average citizen stops viewing them as something
 CB> artificial. 
 My mother is from Germany and you should see how intelligent she is.
 She is intelligent because as you say education is very important.
 English is a required language.  There are alot more things there to
 support that everyone will get a good education.  But they are also
 smaller countries.  Well the philosophy of taking the beam out of
 your own eye before to help take the beam out of a fellow man's eye
 is not the US's philosophy.  Therefore, we will continue to have many
 problems throughout our history.
 Regina
... A feature is a bug with seniority.
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