Stephen said that I sounded a little harsh in my last post. Please don't think that I am worried about our teachers or administration. Many of these people are some of the most talented, intelligent, and dedicated people I know. For example, my friend, Beth, is the Challenge (ie, gifted) teacher at SMES. She is so smart and does some really interesting projects with her students. I pray that Mary Grace and Elsie will both have the privilege of being in her class one day. Coincidentally, she also happens to be the child of two lawyers!
Mary Grace's teacher, Mrs. Lang, is what I consider the perfect Kindergarten teacher. She is so soft-spoken and sentimental. It is clear that she loves all of the children in her class. She treats them all equally. She goes to our church and I have been in several Bible Studies with her. I have seen what a love she has for God and for these little people who she teaches everyday. The same goes for Mrs. Ricker, our parapro. We are so blessed to have both of these women as Mary Grace's teachers.
I could go on and on about the dedicated and talented people I know who work in our school system. There is our friend and church music director, Stan, who is so gifted in music and who views his profession as his calling from God and his school as his own mission field. There's Mr. McClendon, the SMES principal, who is so kind to our family and graciously placed Mary Grace with the teacher we requested. And there are so many others.
My concern is in regards to how our federal and state governments have done everything possible to stifle the creativity and uniquness of these people. The federal government demands that "no child be left behind". This has translated into the notion that everyone, despite disability, intelligence, or talent level, should be equal. I'm sorry, but that is just not reality. And to evaluate our schools and teachers on how close they come to meeting this impossible standard, our state imposes harsh, objective testing on our kids. All of our kids, even the ones who, because of disability, couldn't possibly be expected sit at a desk and take a test. Georgia does all of this while cutting state funding to education. In fact, I've read that our current governor, Sonny Perdue, has cut state funding to education every year since he became governor almost 8 years ago. On a personal level, that means that my child is in class with 22 other children. It also means that, this year, she will only be in school for 165 days. Couple these two issues and who do you think is going to be put on the backburner? The child who comes into Kindergarten knowing all of her phonics, colors, and basic shapes and how to sit still, take turns, write her name and read many sight words or the child who has never been in school, never been read to at home, and never taught how to sit and listen. If these children have to be on equal footing by the time the state starts testing them, who is going to get more attention?
My other concern is the lack of any basis for a moral code in our schools. I understand the political and legal issues behind separation of church and state. But how can a school instill a moral or ethical code in children when there is no cornerstone for it? How do you teach a child right from wrong if you don't have a Biblical basis for those lessons? Without God, what's the point?
I know that much of what Mary Grace learns, both academically and morally, will be up to Stephen and me. That is fine with me, we have the time, intelligence, academic background, financial ability, and determination to make sure she learns what she needs to be a successful adult. But what about other kids who don't have the same privileges? And what about our talented teachers who are suffocating under shorter school years, larger classes, and the requirement that all students be equal?
So, those are my concerns. I hope I don't offend anyone. If I did, fire away!
