Three "R" 042514

As long as one human remains on Earth the 20th century will be known as the American Century.  Immigrants from Africa, Asia and Europe laid the foundation for that title and their children became known as the greatest generation.

Of diverse origins from wealth to extreme poverty the immigrants arrived with their cultures. Native American and earlier settlers' culture were welded onto those old world cultures on forges in fields, forest, deserts, mines and factories to create a new distinct culture of what became the greatest generation. Parents wanted only one thing for their children, a good education and a life better than that they left.

Parents demanded good public schools for their children. In one room schoolhouses across the country first generation children learned Reading, Riting, & Rithmetic  (three Rs).  There were few trained teachers, mostly a literate citizen would be found to teach the basics.  Mostly these drafted teachers were dedicated to instilling a love of learning, many children would drop out to help their families.   In urban areas a guiding teacher might have a 10/11th-grade education, high learningof the era. There were few colleges and less money to attend, public libraries flourished as young and old went on to teach themselves, from a desire to learn.

Prepared by homespun teachers colleges turned out doctors, lawyers, engineers and preachers.  Teachers became professionals by teaching.  Students learned because parents and dedicated teachers took an interest in preparing them for the world.  When the children left school they knew the three "Rs" and had seen a future. Excited by visions from school the kids went on to mass produce cars, explore the sky, electronically connect the world, build wealth and better schools.  Their drive and creativity pulled the country out a great depression and led to their war time victory and led the world. The country was the world's richest with the highest literacy rate, best technologies and medicine.  Foreign student's flocked to American Universities for the best education.

Somewhere after their victory schooling took a wrong turn.  The three "Rs", parents and teachers had to step aside for Politically Correct (PC) professional educators.  Literacy began to decline and many recent graduates could neither read, write nor balance a checkbook.  Public education was demonized.  Textbooks are often wrong in the pursuit of professional educators' inspiring theories.  Classroom teachers no longer are trusted to determine if students have mastered the courses.  Parents are cut out the learning process as to stupid to accept the core theories of professional educators.  A massive educational bureaucracy has emerged in government and the private sector.  A great deal of money is made by an education industry through testing, re-testing, charter schools, educational seminars, theories, consultants, lobbyist and measurement yardsticks at the cost of learning.  Teachers remain at the low end of all that cash flow.

Literacy continues to drop while immense amounts of money are siphoned off from an opportunity to create an even greater generation.  It's time to get back to the basics, to parents voicing concerns, teachers teaching, inspired students seeking to learn and repairing public education.  Educators and government should get out of the way, let the kids love knowledge and develop visions of a better future.