When did it happen?

many of our fellow citizens do not care that the constitution places limitations on our government. they only care about what they have come to believe is their rights. a right to healthcare, a right to an education, a right to housing and so on and so on. we have become a nation of those who ask not what your country needs from you but tell your country what you need and expect from it.

When did it happen? That’s a question I find myself asking regularly these days. When did it happen? When did our parents stop teaching morals, values, social skills, consistency, perseverance, quality, respect and love? When did they stop explaining how human beings are supposed to act and how they are supposed to take responsibility for their own choices? I ask this because I can still remember back in elementary school when we were taught how to respect authority, self and country. We were taught to listen to God’s instruction and live by that rule. We were taught to have faith and believe in our Heavenly Father. I remember having to read my bible and my parents were at home in the evening to ensure I completed my homework and got a bath. The two adults in my life helped to pack my lunch, limited my television and sent me to bed early to prepare my mind for the next school day. When will we take responsibility for our own children and encourage them to appreciate the freedom education brings? When did we as a society forget that it is not the duty of our public schools to teach birth control, religion, morals, social interaction, respect, nutrition and personal hygiene? When did it happen? That when parents do not take care of their children; teachers, nurses and administrators have no other choice but to? When did we as parents forget to be sober when our children get home from school? Are we not supposed to adhere to the founding principles outlined in the bible? Isn’t that founding document supposed to be a blueprint for living? When you and I have our children, there is a contract between us and them that we will always be a good example. In that contract, we agree to sacrifice our own personal wants to provide for them. Additionally, we are to teach our children how to love, to respect and have a sound mind for which to make smart decisions. We are to limit their sugar and process foods as this hampers their attention. We are to make sure our children go to school fed, clothed properly, clean and in good repair. We are to do whatever necessary to create a positive atmosphere so our children can think about child-like things, instead of the violence around them. This agreement includes the following; to keep pornography, alcohol, drugs, rage, guns and poisons out of their little hands and guide them in truth. We are to provide constructive activities, like dinner table discussions, where they just might discover integrity that when we speak, they will actually believe us. Is there one parent who is going to stand up for the family? Are we no longer a society who will speak out against this soft parenting? I could go on with this but it will only serve to further anger the reader. To look within our own home for a solution, would be unbearable for some, as it’s much more justified to blame some unfamiliar outside entity. The “failure” of the public education has very little to do with government regulation. Parents demanded God be removed from the schools. It is the parent who demanded corporal punishment, banned. It is the parent who screams in the face of a teacher when their child doesn’t complete work, doesn’t behave in class and doesn’t live up to their potential. It is the parent, who did not teach their child to respect other peoples’ property creating a larger materials budget, due to vandalism. Our public education is a product of what parents say they want. Every rule, every limitation is a result of a parent or group of parents. Academically speaking, public education has experienced tremendous reform. The system needed significantly more accountability and has done well to bring those positive changes. There are numerous public school teachers and administrators that serve their students selflessly. Teachers are required to hold one of the highest set of credentials and receive one of the lowest in compensation. There are many, many myths about the profession. Just as in any company, public or private; there are issues. But marking our public schools today as a failure is unmerited. The violence has to stop and then, we can begin to learn. Absences need to stop and then we can begin to learn. Disrespect needs to stop and then we can begin to learn….. Public schools don’t hand children weapons, encourage students to stay home and to disrespect self and others…. It starts and ends at home! I am a Christian, a veteran, a conservative, a parent, and a teacher. I have three degrees; the highest –a Masters. I am qualified to teach any grade, including college. My credentials are average for those who stand in front of the public school child. We have value to share, given the chance. I transitioned out of the private sector because the only discussion that seemed to matter was “the bottom line.” I felt in my heart the need to serve, to make a difference in children’s lives. I believe children are the hope of our future. I believe if you teach a child to think, he or she will develop a natural desire to excel. I want to be a part of that. I have passion for what I do, I am good at what I do, I am selfless in my service to my students and when a child fails to learn, even one concept, I take personal responsibility-no matter the condition they came to me in, day after day. Before giving public education credit for all society’s failures, take a moment to reflect on my words. Educators are people, just like you, who successfully manage homes, families, charities, businesses etc…. Many times, we send our children through the same system so we want for its success. We are well aware how the average American adult feels about public education. It comes out in the disrespect from your children. American public education is free to the parent, therefore, is perceived as valueless. I would advocate for paying tuition. This will do wonders in perception and behavior in children. Educators know better than to anticipate gratitude. Despite public scorn, I continue to serve. I continue to teach because with each passing year, YOUR child comes back to thank me for not giving up on them, for listening to their home life horror stories, for being creative and funny, for spending time with them, for caring and for teaching them about life. Do you know what your child fears most? What makes them the happiest? Why they don’t like to read? What makes math so easy? Their best friend name? Who they have a crush on? What drugs/alcohol they have “tried”? Do you know that they didn’t get much sleep the night before due to worries over money? Or the pain they are in due to your third divorce…..? YOUR CHILDS TEACHER KNOWS THESE ANSWERS! On a side note-taught at a private school one year and was treated like garbage. This particular private school made sure the child passed-Their motto was -you are paying them, they need to keep you happy.