More Teacher Layoffs?

Or a Simpler and More Practical Solution

by Peter Stern

So, here we go again. Tax dollars for school budgets have nose-dived and apparently the only option is to fire more than 100,000 teachers? Whose political power-play is this?

I have a simpler solution. It will save a ton of tax dollars and achieve better learning outcomes.

Reduce class sizes and teach children the basic needs in learning and life: reading, writing, math along with some basic science and core history.

Then give them one elective period where they can pursue whatever topic they, their parents and/or educators want.

Teach them better communication and life training skills that actually are important in daily life, e.g., like maintaining a checking account, writing a business letter and job resume and how to interview for a position.

There is no need to teach religious thought, political philosophy or any of that other tripe that has little to do with REAL learning in public education.

Teach kids to learn for learning's sake, how to research any topic and to enjoy the learning process.

Our schools have become another business and political football field. Our classrooms are labs for babysitting our children until 3 PM.

If we do the above our kids will get much more out of education and of life and we can stop trying to run public education like an industrial assembly-line plant. We have to modify education to fit our children, not force our children to fit into education.

"I never let my schooling interfere with my education." -- Mark Twain

Instead of adding insult to injury, teachers jobs must be saved and money cut in other areas to make up the deficit. Those areas could be the ones outlined above, by changing the focus of education for the better.