Education

 Education

 Education

During the course of almost every campaign where someone is running for any office, be it local, state or nation the candidates always discuss education and the importance of an excellent education for our future adult citizens.

Except for the people who run for their respective school boards there is little discussion and even action by other candidates once they are elected.  Yes, they may continue to talk about education which makes great sound bites for the local, state or national media; however they rarely generate appropriate policies to improve education.

While I reside in Bibb County Georgia I am also aware that providing an education for the future adult citizens in every county/school district in the United States of America is a challenge for every elected Board of Education. 

What I am suggesting today is we really do not need more talk about improving education; we need action and action now. 

From my own past I have fond memories of education in a one room country school in Jefferson Township, Clayton County, Iowa as you can see from the picture below.

Some may suggest that I was the Teacher's Pet.  I am the one standing next to her; however I can assure you that this was not the case.  I was most likely the most challenging Scholar she had to teach.

I will be the first to admit that education is vital and very important for everyone in the World We Live in.  We must teach our scholars for the job opportunities of tomorrow.  That stated, I am also aware that we much teach our scholars the basics. 

I have never been made aware that the sum of two plus two is different than four.  The basics such as math, reading and readable writing is a necessary foundation for all peoples everywhere. 

I recently was informed that the SAT scores of our current High School Scholars in reading comprehension has dropped.  While I am not an educated education scholar I would suggest that we must place emphasis on reading and writing complete papers.  Texting and the other current forms of communication are great ways to communicate with friends and peers; however if we are to regain our status in the World as regards "work ready graduates for the employment opportunities of the future" we must educate in the basics and also the essentials.

There must be no excuses for the shortfalls we currently see in our education endeavors.  We must all work together to achieve excellence.  We must all be aware that excellence in education may not require vast sums of expenditures of funds, but an emphasis on what is important.

Educators should be allowed to educate.  Parents must be required to discipline their own offspring.  We have all taken a back seat to discipline and just about let our Children rule the roost.  We are currently suffering the results of the past and current "hands off of children" as regards discipline.

Children need to be allowed to suffer the consequences of their bad/inappropriate actions.  The task ahead is filled with major challenges; yet we can, we must do better.  We simply cannot ignore the problems of today, or even think that by spending more money for and in education endeavors will result in the needed improvements.

We must set moral expectations and appropriate standards and work to insure that the expectations and standards are met.  Yes, I know this is no easy task; but one thing is for certain, if wait much longer the challenges will be even more complex/almost impossible to overcome.

I would submit that the last thing we need is more talk.  We need to be actively involved in education and educational matters.

Not only School Boards, but every adult, every elected official and every educator.  Note that Parents are vital, all Adults are vital, all Teachers are vital and all Elected Officials, including every offical at all levels must work together to achieve the results our Future Adult Citizens need.

We simply need more than the U. S. Department of Education and the myrid of employees they have.  We need grass roots action by everyone who is an adult.

Thanks for taking the time to read this Post.  Hopefully you will become involved today, note I stated today, not tomorrow!!!!

By the way the eight scholars in the picture with this post were from two families.  There were four from each family.  We have all went on to achieve successful lives in the communities where we currently reside.  Two served in our Countries Military and others were involved in the fields of Agriculture and Agribusiness.