Thursday, November 23, 2006

Pinto's Enews Jim Pinto has sent his latest newsletter. In it he discusses Rockwell Automation News and takes (yet another) poke at education in America. In that latter case, I have to raise a question. So-called "experts" have been ranting about a decline in education for well over 20 years. When you're negative, it's easy to sell books and speaking engagements. If things have been that bad for that long, then why isn't our economy in the tank? The answer is that there are plenty of good things going on in American education. It's just not reaching 100% of all kids. And, guess what, it'll never reach 100% of all kids. If any of these ivory tower experts ever got their hands dirty actually working in schools, they'd see the good, the bad and the ugly. My wife is about to retire as an elementary school teacher (either at the end of this year or next) in public schools. I taught a year at a Catholic school (not bad for a Protestant), served eight years on our local school board and tutored in the local schools for many years (until this year when my travel schedule didn't give me any time to do it). Education is a thought and conversation constant at our house. You see good kids that try and kids from families so torn by divorce and drugs that they barely have a chance at survival, let alone academic excellence. The issues are so complex that it's simply gratuitous to just issue blanket indictments of all schools. Every day in my job I run across bright young college graduates who will do just fine in life--and for society. It's time we acknowledge good works where it happens and go mentor a kid instead of trying to play Chicken Little. The  writer to whom Jim refers should just go down to the local school and help a kid. 7:48:16 AM    comment []