Spanking Parents

The states of Florida, California, and Alaska are discussing, and proposing, legislation that would reprimand, if not down right punish, the parents of children who consistently perform poorly in public education. Parents of children who display patterns of tardiness, absenteeism, misbehavior, and perhaps even poor performance, may be subject to fines and /or other penalties.

I say it is about time! Too often mothers and fathers demonstrate inadequate interest in the educational welfare of there kids. Too often teachers are seen as tax payer baby sitters for lethargic, inattentive, and uninvolved parents. They are oh so eager to point a bony, blameful finger at teachers for their unmotivated children.

The educational system of our country is under attack from shortsighted politicians, feckless administrators, and  hapless parents. The United States of America consistently scores lower in scholastic performance than students from other developed nations around the world. Unless this trend is halted, and improved upon, the middle class of this nation is doomed. Uneducated people don't vote, can't find decent paying jobs, and are far more inclined to criminal activity and imprisonment than those who perform well in secondary and post secondary educational settings.

Fewer middle income voters makes for an easier route to fascist and extremist rhetoric and law because of political apathy. Without adequate paying employment potential for future generations our country's tax revenues will further plummet. More incarcerated individuals translates into more tax dollars wasted on human zoos. Parents are the linchpin, the key, the answer to improved scholastic achievement by the youth of our nation.

I would go further! I'd suggest that if your kid makes less than a B- average, the family looses its tax deduction for that dependent. If you are on government assistance (welfare, disability, food stamps, ect.) and your kids (too often too many kids) demonstrate lackluster performance, you loose those government benefits. Fine them, tax them, jail them, kick them in the ass, but get parents involved in their kids schooling. Our nation, and ultimately our civil rights, depend on it.

Scold me, or agree with me, just let me here from you.

Education or Bust

The U.S. should make education in this country more centralized and uniform. Drastic measures are now necessary. Boot camp for kids' education. Parents should be held more responsible for their children's success in learning from the ABC's to calculus. Tax incentives and / or penalties for families can be tied to their kids' attendance, discipline problems, and other performance parameters. School hours should be from 9 to 5 just as if they were part of our workforce. During these extra hours at school homework could be completed, tutoring provided if necessary, and activities such as sports participation, band participation, and other personalized activities be made mandatory to teach character and to reduce lethargy and indifference.

Parents of kids from "welfare" homes should have their benefits tied to their children's education performance as well. If government supported families' kids fail in school or drop out of school all together those families should lose that government provided support.

The burden of a child's learning is dependent on the involvement of their parents. Teachers can't teach kids
who do not believe that their life depends on it. I families have their own economic welfare at stake they will become more involved. More kids in school, fewer dropouts, greater performance, less crime, fewer prisoners, and a greater competitive advantage for our country.

Come on, let's hear from you. Get involved!

Busting Public Education

Some decades back, some would argue after forced busing, the quality of public education in this country began to decline. The decline continues to the present and is about to bottom out. Students in America test well below students  of most other industrialized countries and even worst in math and science. Our students are not well prepared for the economies of the future which will rely heavily on science, math, and engineering skills.This is the result of the pathetic quality of those in the teaching profession, or more ominously, those damn teachers unions. Right? Wrong!

At one time it was believed that an educated work force was necessary for our democracy to function satisfactorily. Additionally, it was reasoned, that to compete with the Soviets and to win the Cold War American students must be better educated and have a superior intellectual skill set than the Bolsheviks or the American way of life be defeated by the communist's. This proved to be correct. The Cold War is over and  and American ingenuity proved to be the difference.

From that victory continuing to present day the cabal of political power and money mongers no longer deem an educated America a necessity. Hell, better yet, lesser educated people of this country are not even likely to participate in our electoral process and that is just fine for those fortunate enough to gain a quality reasoning ability through education.  The assault on public education was on.

Budget woes abound these days from local and state governments all the way to the federal level. Spending must be reduced and revenues must be increased. One hardly needs a masters degree in math to manage this calculation. So where do we find the "fat" to cut? Politicians representing the money interests agree that one budget category that can afford to lose funding our public education system. I mean, after all, our education system is failing anyway so why fund it?

The governor of the great state of Florida has just announced that 1.5 billion dollars or so in education cuts is necessary to help balance his states budget expenditures  for the nest fiscal year. Without hardly a spare breath of fresh air in his lungs the then announced about 1.5 billion dollars in tax cuts for businesses and property owners. Balanced budget my ass. Not hardly one penny of total deficit reduction. Right in line with the Wisconsin govenors' efforts to break the public employees' union in his state. He too says it is necessary for these unionists to sacrifice benefits to save tax payers' money to reduce the red ink. A ruse! Concessions were agreed to by those dastardly unionists but that wasn't enough. Breaking that pesky union is the only solution.

Sure. That's OK must be their logic. Idiots don't vote so what do the money interests have to fear? I'll tell you what is wrong with this tactic. There are still enough educated "idiots" remaining to kick their asses out of office this next election cycle.

What do you think?