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The Personal Testimony of a Teacher in the Failing Educational System In America
The Ignorant Fishermen Blog ^ | 7/29/10 | JET I.F./DJP I.F.

Posted on 07/29/2010 3:34:09 PM PDT by The Ignorant Fisherman

Right off the bat let me tell you about myself (J.E.T I.F.). My credentials – a recently retired black teacher of 40 years in the Hartford, Connecticut public school system. I was raised in a large inner city of Washington D.C. and educated in the public school system. I possess a Bachelors and Masters Degree and am a “people person” who loves teaching.

I retired this past year with great disappointment and sadness for the public school system, the individual students, teachers and parents. The current education system is failing to do the job of educating our children. There are individual successes, but for the most part the successes are very few. The educational system as a whole would be a lot better if they would only choose to do what is right for our children, but they WILL NOT. Many, many harmful changes have accrued in the 40 years that I have taught. In this post I will attempt to state these changes that I have witnessed firsthand. First of all, may I testify to you that I have personally changed.

In the first 10 years of my teaching career I was neither conservative nor patriotic, and without the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior. It was not until I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior that I saw things for what they were and how they should be (Eph. 2:1-10). It has been my personal relationship with Him that has absolutely changed my life and opened my eyes to the realities of this world (1 Cor. 1:30)!

(Excerpt) Read more at theignorantfishermen.com ...


TOPICS: Current Events; General Discusssion; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: education
A great personal testimony of a former teacher in the Hartford school system of 40 years and his insight! The bottom line is.... We are doomed!
1 posted on 07/29/2010 3:34:13 PM PDT by The Ignorant Fisherman
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To: The Ignorant Fisherman
I was raised in a large inner city of Washington D.C.

Proof readers are your friends.

2 posted on 07/29/2010 3:37:57 PM PDT by Michael.SF. (Even Hitler had Government run health care, but at least he got the Olympics for Germany)
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To: Michael.SF.

Cut this person a break. You are not perfect!


3 posted on 07/29/2010 3:39:29 PM PDT by US Navy Vet
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To: The Ignorant Fisherman

You’ve got to lay some of the blame at the feet of parents who send their kids to these failing schools and watch them turn into human debris. It may take a ton of effort and desire, but there are options.


4 posted on 07/29/2010 3:43:30 PM PDT by lurk
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To: Michael.SF.

Where is the error?


5 posted on 07/29/2010 3:45:03 PM PDT by Misterioso (The truth is not for all men, but only for those who seek it. -- Ayn Rand)
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To: US Navy Vet

I did cut him a break.

If I posted my original thoughts when seeing that sentence, that would have really torqued you off.


6 posted on 07/29/2010 3:46:18 PM PDT by Michael.SF. (Even Hitler had Government run health care, but at least he got the Olympics for Germany)
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: Michael.SF.

You would have preferred “Washington DC’s inner city.” Got it. Good catch. /s


8 posted on 07/29/2010 3:50:50 PM PDT by Misterioso (The truth is not for all men, but only for those who seek it. -- Ayn Rand)
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To: Michael.SF.

Perhaps you meant to say “to which he was referring” rather than ending your sentence with a trailing preposition. Just saying.


9 posted on 07/29/2010 3:52:06 PM PDT by mongrel
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To: lurk

I wonder what parents are supposed to do who can’t afford to home school and or pay private tutiton. It’s not like there is a competitive market private education in America. Often, private costs even more than college. The exception is Catholic schools and they are closing down at a clip.

Also there is a huge government and union push to actually blame parents for their children’s failure and punish them for public school failures.

We have been trying to fix public schools forever and they only get worse. The “fixes” usually lead to worse.


10 posted on 07/29/2010 3:52:13 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
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To: mongrel
LOL.

Good point, touche!

11 posted on 07/29/2010 3:55:38 PM PDT by Michael.SF. (Even Hitler had Government run health care, but at least he got the Olympics for Germany)
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To: The Ignorant Fisherman

Brown shirt schools will take care of everything, right Soros?


12 posted on 07/29/2010 3:57:33 PM PDT by huldah1776
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To: The Ignorant Fisherman

“We are doomed”? Then what’s the point of doing anything?

Seriously, fatalism doesn’t get anybody anywhere. I can’t see the point of reading another “we are doomed” testimony. If we’re doomed, then reading it won’t change anything. If we aren’t doomed, and this man is writing (however sincerely) from the point of view that we *are*, then his testimony is written from the point of pre-accepted failure.

Actually I did read the whole thing, but he overgeneralizes. The whole country is not like Hartford. Every district is different. He should have moved to another one while he was still teaching - that way, the kids in his charge wouldn’t have had to bear the brunt of his “everything stinks and always will, since we don’t have prayer in the schools” attitude.


13 posted on 07/29/2010 3:58:28 PM PDT by worst-case scenario (Striving to reach the light)
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To: lurk

For most parents, there has been little consumer choice as to price, quality, and desires in intellectual development. In short, a free market in education.

Kind of scary at a fundamental political level that the government though market killing government schools, kills off intellectual development of the majority of people.

Almost like a plan


14 posted on 07/29/2010 3:59:48 PM PDT by Leisler ("Over time they create a legal system that plunders and a moral code that glorifies it." F. Bastiat)
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To: The Ignorant Fisherman
The current education system is failing to do the job of educating our children.

Ah, but it is succeeding in doing what it was designed to do. It is making good little citizens who'll accept the status quo, few of whom will ever escape Plato's "cave". They'll accept the major part of what they're told, do the jobs they're supposed to do, buy what they're supposed to buy, vote for those for whom they're supposed to vote, and swap their freedom for security.

Oh, no, our public school system is far from a failure. Rather, it is, in the eyes of its inventors and their successors, a resounding success!
15 posted on 07/29/2010 4:01:28 PM PDT by LearsFool ("Thou shouldst not have been old, till thou hadst been wise.")
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To: SaraJohnson

With adjustments, anyone that truly wants to homeschool could find a way. It may take downsizing and creativity but I think other homeschoolers would be willing to lend a hand and give advice. We are a family of five living on $32,000 a year. We wouldn’t be able to afford private school even if I worked but homeschool has been a great option for us.


16 posted on 07/29/2010 4:06:07 PM PDT by christianhomeschoolmommaof3
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To: Michael.SF.

If that is all that you got out of this.. then indeed you are truly the idiot!!

Go back to watching Chris Mathews...


17 posted on 07/29/2010 4:11:42 PM PDT by The Ignorant Fisherman
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To: lurk

Some do not have a choice.. True also though.. that many parents are drug addicts, welfare-ites etc... The children suffer the most.


18 posted on 07/29/2010 4:15:15 PM PDT by The Ignorant Fisherman
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To: SaraJohnson

I had a friend who homeschooled her two kids at a cost of less than $300 a year. She used Saxon Math and the public library. Much of the costs were related to pencils, paper, notebooks, etc.

The hardest part is time. Kids under 14 really do need the supervision and interaction with a full-time parent. Older kids who’ve been trained can do it on their own. (My friend has been homeschooling her highschool daughter and she’s a single, working mom.)


19 posted on 07/29/2010 4:22:40 PM PDT by Marie (Obama seems to think that Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel since Camp David, not King David)
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To: The Ignorant Fisherman
then indeed you are truly the idiot!!

Nice comment. You must be so proud of your logic and rational attitude.

20 posted on 07/29/2010 4:29:10 PM PDT by Michael.SF. (Even Hitler had Government run health care, but at least he got the Olympics for Germany)
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To: The Ignorant Fisherman

Describes himself as a “black” teacher. Why? Is there some difference between black and white teachers? If so,what are they?


21 posted on 07/29/2010 4:32:36 PM PDT by FreeDeerHawk
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To: huldah1776

it’s coming...


22 posted on 07/29/2010 4:40:12 PM PDT by The Ignorant Fisherman
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To: Marie

The largest cost of homeschool is the loss of income for the parent/teacher. I did it for a while to rescue one of my sons who desparately needed one on one attention. Full time attention is needed for the operation, from our experience. It was an expensive education but it was priceless to him - or so he seys.


23 posted on 07/29/2010 4:49:33 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
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To: Michael.SF.

The point was... that if you were calling this man an idiot because of the way he phrased his wording and missed the message he was giving.... then you.. are the idiot... not him. It was not name calling or lashing out...etc... just an observation...


24 posted on 07/29/2010 9:22:29 PM PDT by The Ignorant Fisherman
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To: LearsFool
lol.. Well... that is one way to put it.. but it is to the demise of our youth and future..
25 posted on 07/29/2010 9:24:31 PM PDT by The Ignorant Fisherman
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To: FreeDeerHawk

the black teacher is black..and the white teacher is white...


26 posted on 07/29/2010 9:27:29 PM PDT by The Ignorant Fisherman
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To: The Ignorant Fisherman; Michael.SF.

Discuss the issues all you want, but do NOT make it personal.


27 posted on 07/29/2010 9:27:33 PM PDT by Religion Moderator
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Placemark.


28 posted on 07/29/2010 9:28:46 PM PDT by little jeremiah
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To: Religion Moderator

Thank you


29 posted on 07/29/2010 9:56:41 PM PDT by Michael.SF. (Even Hitler had Government run health care, but at least he got the Olympics for Germany)
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To: The Ignorant Fisherman
if you were calling this man an idiot because of the way he phrased his wording and missed the message he was giving

I called him no such thing, nor was it intended to imply any such thing.

I was merely stating that had he, or had he asked another, to read his comments the points he wanted to make may have been enhanced.

I was a bit put off by the fact that a person who has dedicated such a significant portion of his life to teaching would open an essay with such a poorly phrased sentence.

We all make mistakes, I was corrected on this thread for poor grammar, but I am not an educator, as the writer states that he is.

There was absolutely no reason for insults to be directed regarding this and I stand by what I said to you in a private communique.

If you wish to discuss this further, respond privately as I believe very few are interested in this being carried on further.

30 posted on 07/29/2010 10:05:38 PM PDT by Michael.SF. (Even Hitler had Government run health care, but at least he got the Olympics for Germany)
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To: The Ignorant Fisherman

Completely disingenuous,trivial answer you’ve given me.


31 posted on 07/30/2010 6:42:59 PM PDT by FreeDeerHawk
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To: FreeDeerHawk

I know...


32 posted on 07/30/2010 10:56:40 PM PDT by The Ignorant Fisherman
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