Public Education and the foundations of failure that are still being used.
This is an essay I wrote while attending Philadelphia Community College. While I was proud to have received an A for this mid-term paper, my words and all I learned ended at that mark on a piece of paper.
I present it now in the hopes that someone else may gain some value from its existence.
I present it now in the hopes that someone else may gain some value from its existence.
Breaking away from the
Mold
In this modern world we are told
we can grow to be whatever we want to be; through hard work,
perseverance and a traditional education. This is almost the truth,
and an almost truth is a lie. Without being fed an almost truth we
can accomplish the goal of being whatever we want. The problem is
that we are being told what we should be and the proper way of
achieving that goal long without ever being given the chance or
guidance to figure out ourselves first.
The system that we are told
serves us in our personal growth has been designed to mold us to be
its servants; proud facets of the status quo . In “Against
School” (John Taylor Gatto), we are shown the structure of
compulsory education and the frustration felt with that system from a
revered educators point of view. Gatto in his need to break away from
a school system that was not living up to its own potential found
that it was in purposely designed to hobble educational potential of
his students found out just how hard it is to bring positive change
from within this systematic tradition of class-ism in public
education.
This man who has been decorated
as “Best Teacher of the Year” in New York City and awarded
equivalent acclaim and awards from the state government as well refused to
stand by and perpetuate this farce any longer. He tried to use his
status and popularity earned by him giving the best education to
every student to bring the much needed change. He stepped forward
publicly to his peers, leaders and board committees; he spoke openly
for reform of those ancient statuettes and guidelines which were
shamefully designed to actively supported a dogma of targeted
oppression of students in those districts servicing lower income, and
minority areas.
He spoke openly of creative
solutions to the issues at hand, that new and progressive curriculum
was possible and needed. Mr. Gatto called for action and argued that
educators have a moral and ethical duty to strive for the highest
standards for all students. But then he started asking hard questions of those
actively responsible for maintaining these old foundations and was met with angry silence and complete disregard. He brought forth the proof and looked towards his
fellow teachers to help bring positive meaning to the cause they had
dedicated their lives to; he met only resistance and contempt
from his peers.
The stress and anxiety caused to
himself during his campaign for social and student justice caused
his health to fail and a medical leave of absence was taken so he
could recover.
Mr Gatto returned from absence ready to continue his life as a teacher only to find that every trace of his official
status as a teacher, employment history and all documentation of his
existence within the New York City School System had been entirely
destroyed. They simply attempted to erase his existence. “ The
empire struck back of course; childish adults regularly conflate
opposition with disloyalty.” (Gatto Against
School par.5)
What hope does a child have
against a century of structured molding based on class, ethnic and
social background? A system designed to cull individuality and
enforce obedience is not the island of personal growth we have been
sold. This system was founded on the principals of the
Prussian system of the 1820s; a carefully designed diagram for compulsory education with defined guidelines on producing and controlling an entire
population of workers. Gatto comments “ But what shocks is that we
would so eagerly have adopted the worst aspects of Prussian culture:
an educational system deliberately designed to produce mediocre
intellects, to hamstring the inner life, to deny students appreciable
leadership skills, and to ensure docile and incomplete citizens- all
in order to render the populace “manageable.”
What has changed in the 2
centuries since we adopted this course of teaching? Personally, I
have been a victim of many of its cruel policies and can bare witness to their continued existence. I broke free and
educated myself mid-way through high school. Not everyone has the
will, or self assurance to stand alone and find their own truth and the facts that make truth worth working for. Malcom X in his essay “Learning to Read” found his
escape from the schools that had held him back, but at the cost of
his freedom. It was in prison that Malcom found the time and the
drive to self educate. “Many who today hear me somewhere in
person, or on television, or those who read something I've said, they
will think I went to school far beyond the eighth grade. This
impression is due entirely to my prison studies.”(Malcom X)
The alternatives to compulsory
education do exist but have been demonized by our society; home
schooling being the most common faces its own challenges; just
because a parent can be home to teach, does not mean that they know
how to do so to the best benefit of their children. Charter schools
lack unified over-site; employ curriculum that may have the best
intentions but has not been openly peer reviewed or properly tested
under controlled conditions.
So what do students today have
to say about the system? In the online video “ A vision of Students
Today” (Professor
Mesch) we
are given a taste of what it means to sit through a schooling system
that does not inspire or even attempt to challenge the majority of
its attendants; individuals who spoke about this had many things to
say, “ I will read 8 books this year, 2800 web pages and over 1290 Facebook profiles.” A sign held up by one of the classmates
embodies the feelings of apathy that have become the norm in many public
community colleges.
Even with the alternatives to
compulsory educational at a young age, young adults still face
a huge struggle within our public community colleges. It could be said
that it has taken 39 years to write this essay as an educated person,
capable of articulating the problems and presenting positive
solutions; yet had I placidly filled the roll I was told I to fill, I would never have had the strength of character nor the education to have written this paper. I walked away from a system that had marked me for belligerent medicority. I stepped forward and made the
effort to learn who I am, and what kind of person I want to be. I fought the status quo and made damn sure that I was getting the best out of my education. Positivity and open communication are weapons of
change that we all have in our possession, right now.
Be strong, and speak kindly against the tides of ignorance. You will not win every battle; in fact all you can hope for is that just maybe, you can help someone stop and think for themselves. Knowledge and positivity share a common factor in the war against ignorance and negativity; each person effected, effects others and we can make a difference one person at a time.
Works Cited
Gatto, John Taylor.
“Against School.” Rereading America. 8th Ed.
Gary Columbo, Robert
Cullen, Bonnie Lisle. Boston:
Bedford/St.
Martin's, 2010. 148-55. Print.
Malcom X. “Learning
to Read.” Rereading America. 8th Ed.
Gary Columbo, Robert
Cullen, Bonnie Lisle. Boston:
Bedford/St.
Martin's, 2010. 210-18. Print.
Professor
Wesch. Mediatedcultures.net, 2008. Internet Video. 09/28/12,
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