America's Education No Longer Competitive

"A Nation At Risk"

An essay by this name was written in 1983. Unfortunately, I've forgotten the author. It  described what was then happening in our nation's K-12 schools and predicted the inevitable result. 30 years have now gone by. The essay was 99% correct. Since 1983 Americas' K-12 educational system has steadily declined. All those years of special committees, study groups, self described experts, political and union interferences, and etc. - all have failed.  Still, we continue to insist on the same programs and policies. Why?

In 1960 the system was quite different.

•  Classes began at 8:00 a.m. and  ended about 3:30 p.m.
• Teachers dressed professionally. Men: Suit & Tie / Women: Skirts & Dresses
• Students sat at their desks, feet on the floor, and spoke only when required.
• If students refused they were ejected from the classroom.
• The Principal or Vice Principal applied "corrective counseling and punishment".
• Discipline was the indispensable key to a successful school.
• Parents of students with repetitive disciplinary problems were invited to school.
• Uncooperative students with multiple infractions were expelled.
• Teachers worked on a one year to three year contract depending on experience.
• Teachers had an agent or union interface with school administration.

This format, or one that was similar, combined to educate our K-12 students for several decades. Then, at some point in time and after World War II, politicians, unions and dreamy psychologists began to tinker with the educational system. The result has clearly been awful. The do-gooders (usually with the best of intentions) have nearly destroyed the comparative excellence of our educational system. Today we have an enlightened, elitist, semi-tolerant, unprincipled, self esteem centered system that has failed to properly educate millions of students.  Politically the system has produced very liberal educators who have promoted a ridiculous standard of political correctness while not teaching basic knowledge, skills, or the other prerequisites of a well rounded education. American education no longer leads to exceptional educational achievement in the shrinking world community.