Evaluation of Education

WOW!! What a very poignant e-mail. I almost never answer this type of email...BUT, this is such a multilayer email which evokes many thoughts. I agree as well with this email in the way in which...sometimes it's not so much about the amount of money a person makes...it's the amount of positive inspiration one is able to impart to a young mind...

At the same time...in the totality and absolute value of this communication....let's not us forget that small business... and the CEO's of this country generate 65% of new jobs; so it is important once a young person is educated...that they do not feel badly if they wish to be an entrepreneur or a CEO or even become wealthy. America's one of the only places left in the world where a person may live out their imagination and turn it into profit in order to create jobs for many, many people.

I grew up in a time, not so far away where it was my parents' responsibility to inspire me and spark my imagination through the teaching of classical literature, music, art, humanities, etiquette, sports, machinery, and business, etc. They were absolutely not wealthy...my father's family grew up on dirt floors. I believe they were "hungry" to know about the beautiful things in the world and how to be successful and no one "handed" them anything. It's my belief our wonderful teachers are the catalysts, communicators to a student's education. I think many times parents think it is the job of the teacher to raise their children. It is not the teacher's job. Period.

Why is it other countries in the world produce students who have much higher over all test scores? These students are educated with a fraction of the costs of what the U.S. spends on its students. Foreign students are able to discuss geo politics, music, literature, quantum mechanics...etc It's because the students are EXPECTED to learn and be successful... parents expect it and so do teachers....oh... and another thing....when these students do not make the grade...they are retained...numbers really mean numbers...Period.

I believe when our state and our country STOP with all the expensive and ineffective "programs" such as "free lunch/breakfast" (when our own population at Ross has a high rate of overweight students..and I see students throw away milk, apples, fresh fruit on a DAILY basis) and start EXPECTING students to be excellent in every way.....guess what? Human nature will take over...and these kids WILL expect themselves to work harder; to their true potential. When a person is "given" things..such as credit for showing up, special consideration because English is not their first language, students with evasive and non-conclusive diagnosis...just "to label them"...our students will step up and make the grade. (My husband spoke hardly any English when he immigrated the legal way to the U.S....he was escaping a civil war...he had no "special help", programs, no food stamps, medicare, nothing!) .. Too many excuses, options and "programs" to help the "behind" students are producing a generation of excuse-seekers and wimps. I long for the days when people were tough and had a "whatever it takes" attitude....

I loved many of my teachers....those that I loved did inspire me to use my imagination and taught me critical thinking skills and they were very very tough teachers and they expected me and others to make high grades. I commend teachers whom are passionate about teaching kids...but it's also okay to inspire students to BE CEOs....Small businesses owners and job creators...Who's AGENDA are we working for? The kids? or our own? El Paso's largest industry is education.....hmmmmmm.....something to think about...?

Printed by the permission of the author,
L. Skaf, RN, BSN