Josh and Korey

I usually do not write about very serious topics here, but this has been on my mind… I am raising a person. I want him to succeed. I question the best ways to help him do this. One area I question is his education. I believe in public schools. I think they are good for socialization and morale. I know many teachers of my generation, and they are stellar. They are well-educated and thoughtful. They put a lot of emphasis on furthering their craft and they truly care about children. They can’t get jobs. When they do, they are forced to do what the administration sees fit. The administration wants the school to have a better budget, which means certifying for things like California Blue Ribbon School status and standardized test scores. None of those things (budgets, status, tests) will give my son a good eduction. None of those things will help HIM succeed. What will? Passionate teachers who care.
But they can’t get jobs.
Also, they get paid very little for what they do, and their hands are tied in the classroom. They can’t discipline their students, they waste time on problem children, they try to teach students who don’t speak English while teaching those who do…I could go on.
So how do I supplement his education? How do I make sure that he learns things of substance?

Here is a great article about the struggles facing teachers today:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/randy-turner/a-warning-to-young-people_b_3033304.html