Failing Schools

Everyone knows that the California public school system is failing.  Many of us also know that it had a long way to fall from its heyday back in the 1950s and 60s when it was the envy of the world.  Under the leadership of Max Rafferty (California Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1963-1971) and other conservative educators, the system flourished, producing some of the top students in the country, indeed in the world.  Competition for entry into the college system was fierce among the many highly qualified students who were prepared well by the ‘professional’ teachers of that time.  Sadly, the school system is now run by the California Teachers Association and the National Education Association, the state and national teacher’s unions respectively, and these two entities must be held accountable for the dismal situation the public school system now finds itself in.

Other Contributing Factors

To be sure, there are other factors that have contributed to the failure of public schools and the dissolution of the family is certainly one of them.  As we saw in our last article, ‘Where Did California’s Education Money Go?’, another reason for the demise of California’s once outstanding schools has been the squandering of public funds by the Democrat and union controlled California legislature.  Finally, the expenses and accommodations required to assimilate the non-English speaking students who have overwhelmed so many schools have provided the coup de grace or finishing blow.

Public School Students Have Been Cheated

Under the tutelage (see WOW) of ‘union shop’ teachers, today’s students waste valuable class time on liberal indoctrination and many graduate from high school without even the basic skills required for success in the real world, let alone college. With college admission standards lowered and curriculum requirements adjusted to accommodate students who really are not equipped to succeed in college, the marketability of a college degree is now in question.  As a result, the final indignity that students have had to bear is the outrageous and continually rising college tuition fees that they must now pay in return for little value received.

Get the Unions out of the Classroom!

There are some very obvious ‘fixes’ that could greatly improve the California public school system.  First and foremost, the unions must be removed from the classroom.  The negative impact that the CTA and the NEA have had on the quality of public school education across the nation cannot be underestimated.  They are largely responsible for the time wasted on liberal indoctrination, the protection of poor teachers through tenure and the outrageous benefits granted to public employees.  Imagine if instead we rewarded the many wonderful teachers who, against all odds, provide inspiring instruction and serve as excellent role models for today’s students!

School Vouchers are the Way to Go

Next, a school voucher program must be established so that parents who opt out of public school education for their children do not have to pay twice, once for private school and again for the public schools that they choose not to use.  Many more students would be able to transfer out of failing schools and take advantage of private and charter schools under a voucher system.  Public schools would have to compete and would be forced to improve.  This will not be an easy task, because a union’s worst enemy is competition.  The CTA and the NEA will tenaciously cling to their empire at the expense of both students and teachers, rather than submit to competition.  Why?  Because unions know they would lose not only the battle for control, but also the mandatory union dues from their members…the cash that keeps the fat-cat union bosses in clover.

We Must All Get Involved

Finally, parents must get involved at the local level in their children’s schools.  They must visit the classroom and attend school board meetings regularly to demand quality education, a return to teaching the basics and accountability in the spending of public funds.  Even concerned citizens who do not have children in school can make their voices heard.  School board elections and bond measure initiatives are just one example of how we can all influence the quality of a public school education.  After all, as taxpayers we own the schools and the teachers and administrators who manage them work for us.  It is up to us how our tax money will be spent in teaching the next generation of doctors, mechanics, teachers, engineers and small business owners.  If we can do these things, California schools could once again be at the top.