The pitiful truth of this situation is that America DID indeed have the perfect school system. Think back to the 1920’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, to the OLDE DAYES. No educators, just teachers. No theories, just learning. No “building of self esteem”, just STUDY or else. Some students picked for an accelerated, more intensive course of studies. Some given an easier, less intense course, all geared to actual abilities.
How many of today’s brightest could pass a 1948 high school final exam. School then had 1 teacher per classroom, 25 or 30 students, one principal, a janitor and the students learned. Without computers, they used their brains. No calculators..just brains. No spell check..brains again. Students could fill in the names of our states on blank maps (fifth grade). Then fill in “most” of the countries names on a blank map of the world (sixth grade).
A WORLD CLASS EDUCATION SYSTEM? Is that your wish. Go back 50 or more years..we had it and screwed it up royally.
I have read a number of articles and book reviews that hammer the foundations of American education that were implemented in the early decades of the 20th Century -- particularly the pernicious influence of John Dewey on our education system. The whole point of "education" under that system was not to educate children, but to train them to be functioning parts in the machinery of the American "corporate state." Even something as simple as the bell that rang in the school yard in the morning and after recess had a very specific purpose: to prepare children for the day when they'd work in a factory or mine and respond to the same kind of bell or whistle at different times of the day.
The fact that Dewey's philosophy on education was built on the eradication of any religious aspect to a child's education was a clear indication of his motivations.
That was before the NEA was formed and the busy bodies in DC figured they knew more than the states about education and started taking over. Now we have about $9,000-$20,000 per kid, per year being spent "educating" the skulls full of mush and are ranked 21st and 25th in the world in math and science. Good job, Washington.
And what do the parents do, nothing, as their children's brains are destroyed by the beauracrats. The parents are to blame for going along and not in the streets in a rage!!