During the recent School Board campaign — my first as a candidate and possibly my last — I was characterized as temperamental, among other things.
I have been told more than once that I came across as being mad (no, not crazy). I once described myself as an angry Black man.
There is game being played by our elected politicians that affects our kids’ future. It is called:
“We do not have any money for your kids’ education.”
The state doesn’t lack money. It lacks common sense about how to distribute it.
This is not the first time I have mentioned that the classroom in the elementary grades really is stressful for both the kids and teachers.
Discipline is a real problem inside the school environment.
The kids do not listen or respond to commands the first time.
Teachers have to get upset and raise their voices to get these kids to respond.
I am not talking about the regular two or three kids, as it used to be.
More like 14 to 16 kids out of a class of 23. There is little support from the parents and from the community.
A lot of people just drop their kids off and leave, rarely stepping inside the classroom.
Volunteering doesn’t require a lot of time, 45 minutes to an hour would help big-time.
Even a Little Work Helps Out
Collect and check the homework. It would be a big load off of the teachers. There should be a mandatory 1 to 2 service hours per month, with the option to buyout, of course.
The lack of participation saddens me, but not to the point of being mad.
Many people believe that the federal government is bankrupt.
Unless they run out of paper or ink, that never will happen.
It is mistakenly believed that the feds spends tons of money, rather than a small percentage of the budget, on the arts, education and foreign aid.
In fact, about half of discretionary spending goes to the military, the largest and most expensive military the world has ever seen. One that costs nearly as much as all the other militaries put together.
In discussing the national financial crisis, the military was never really on the chopping block, even though its budget could, with a little paring, provide health and education and all other pieces of a good society and a great nation.
I have a bright friend who was raised in France. His two sons and my youngest are playmates.
His wife, Meghan, is running for City Council. I do not know if my supporting her publicly would cause her more harm than good so I have not offered to give it. Anyway, I believe she would make a lousy politician because she is smart, honest, sincere and fair.
Back to my friend.
We were discussing some aspects of the School Board race, and the subject of the School District being run like a business came up.
He made a point that was well taken by me. He stated that an education is like a big money pit. You just keep pouring money into it, and the reward is what is produced: Educated kids.
My friend’s comment made me think.
America has this thing all backwards.
Its military and prisons are its money pits, and we are reaping the disastrous results.
Do we really need several hundred military bases in more than 125 countries?
And all those expensive toys?
Do we need them more than we need to educate our kids and keep them healthy?
What makes me angry?
Not one elected official is complaining about the cuts to the educational and social programs.
Guess if they start complaining, they may be cut out of the blood money.
Has the public school system has become the farm system for the military and prisons?
Mr. Abrams, a longtime daily classroom aide at Lin Howe School and a former candidate for the School Board, may be contacted at gabrams@ca.rr.com
