Mal-Educating America!

Mal-Educating America

by Alfred Lehmberg

This bitter writer should be as baffled as most regarding the state of our American public education system—its aims and desires or goals. Only, he is not. 

This is especially in light of the fact that he arduously satisfied the requirements for teaching professionally within it. Yet... he never found a lasting job. ...Circumstances on this writer? ...Maybe. A hard look at oneself is always in order. Not many live by THAT sentiment, eh?

This is a "professional" shunning despite a long certified record of exceptional performance, awards and decorations, tip-top academic accomplishment, and absolutely superb references. A Bronze Star and a Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters in 23 years of veteran military service prefaced a Bachelor of Science earned Summa Cum Laude. The writer was not shoving any of this up anyone's nose. The writer knew he was in at the absolute bottom of a new career track and he had no experience, but experience. He aspired to an intelligent humility. 

This is despite a much-ballyhooed and allegedly critical shortage of trained personnel in the public education sector! Remains, it's clear he's not wanted. How does this irony work? A mirror of self-reflection doesn't seem to provide enough of the required constructive feedback. He'd own up to fault, his own, having internalized over many years that unadmitted error only compounds itself. 

This writer thinks; however, he might know. Fresh off a 23-year professional military career where he had functioned splendidly, by report, as a team member in an organization that had to work (emphasize had to work!), he was oil in water as regards the public education community. Why? 

Forget this writer's passionate interest in "twitchy" social issues like abortion, racism, LGBTQ+ issues, better-cited historical "revisionist" positions, or UFOs with all their associated subjects and ancillaries... and lack of interest there may only paint one as unintelligent, unprogressive, unimaginative, and unbrave! Forget this writer's rational support for unpopular positions, difficult causes, and cleaner less hypocritical ideals. These are not germane to the discussion at hand... and were never a problem in the military. 

The reason the writer had not found a job in public education is that he was all too well aware that, and contrary to a military system, the public education system, and by design one supposes, does NOT have to work! Kids, too many kids, can fall through cracks... and that's just fine.  Well... isn't it? History would seem to point to that.

Moreover, the power people engaged in it are too busily prosecuting their dictated social imperative to discourage critical thinking and intelligent patterning leadership, thus facilitating the production of docile "employees," and for as little expenditure as is humanly (and inhumanely!) possible! 

Public education (as it is now practiced) is a likely sham and an evil hypocrisy, this writer continues to discover, and getting worse over time. The writer is quick to add that Public Education cannot be abandoned... only certainly improved, of f'n needs. 

Currently, it but does its part to fill our Nation's prisons, it but celebrates only the blandest of forgettable mediocrities, and it but vigorously discourages creative individuality. Its work is to disempower the individual, corrode our personal autonomy, and produce, ideally, an ignorant but malleable American citizenry with artless souls as dry as old chalk dust in a decaying classroom smelling of urine and vomit. 

That classroom is a real place. It is filled with real people... in America. Alabama, to be precise.

This writer has the number of the public education system, and it is a number that stands contrary to every valid educational ideal presently getting lip service (only) in our American culture today. Flatly, it doesn't have to work, reader! That's what slums and prisons are for! 

Moreover, "polite society" is loath to spend coveted dollars producing a creative and intelligent society...but, a society more difficult to betray, mislead, and otherwise manipulate or conveniently control. Too, the perspective of our public education system includes the jealous maintenance of an old guard's status quo, the continued resuscitation of outmoded ideals benefiting the few, and the convenient reproductionist's production of the lowest of low common denominators. 

This reality lacks art, has no music, prosecutes the homogenization of individual souls to soulless sameness, and is the shame of a sentiently woke first world... It's just the way we want it, apparently.

Woke? Cool jets! Woke means conscience. If you don't aspire to one, you're a beast. There's no lipstick for that pig. Woke used in the pejorative self-defines one as uninterested in having a conscience... or a proper public school system for our children. We could all be better served... we're not served short-sheeting our kids. Posted!