Florida believes the road to excellence in education has many paths. One of the most important is gutting the public school system. It has pursued this noble cause in several ways, beginning with spending ever increasing public funds on privately owned schools.
A major advantage of these schools, besides the low performance of many, is their contribution to solving the teacher shortage problem our state is experiencing. You see, workplace requirements open the door to instructors with nonstandard qualifications, making many more eligible for employment. Like ones not having a college degree. Like ones not having a high school diploma. Like ones having a checkered past.
Several further actions by our state leaders are either in place or being enacted in the Legislature.
A significant step in this educational awakening is the introduction of parental control over what books are allowed into school libraries. What a relief! There is, of course, the question of who would, or even could, make such decisions. Never fear. Turns out there are many willing to adopt this onerous task. They know what is best for their child—and what is best for your child.
And what’s best for your child is not to have contact with such disgusting tomes as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, James Joyce’s Ulysses, Toni Morrison’s Beloved, and William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies along with over 100 others.
Clearly our intrepid volunteers are adopting this cause to protect the well-being of your children. Or, maybe, it just could be they’re afraid their own kids may want to look at these dangerous books, not having the restraint of their stalwart parents.
The selections seem to focus on treatments of racial and, gasp, sexual issues. Definitely best not to have young minds dwell on such subjects, especially when racial tensions surround them on a daily basis and their bodies are doing enough to remind them of the changes occurring in them. Don’t want knowledge to get in the way of what those circumstances and bodies are demanding.
Going right along with this is the desire to protect children from feeling uncomfortable. A noble goal.
For example, we don’t want a white child made uncomfortable or feeling guilty by learning there might be white responsibility for slavery. Or that our founding fathers weren’t perfect. The solution? Don’t teach such trash and discipline or dismiss instructors who dare to. It appears as if it’s acceptable for Black children to be uncomfortable.
Especially we don’t want any discussion of nontraditional sexual orientation. No gender discussions will be allowed. If a gay child or one unsure of its identity needs a sympathetic ear, that ear better not be attached to a teacher. After all, the child should instead be speaking with its parents. And if the parents throw him or her out of the home, well, too bad. It appears as if it’s acceptable for gay children to be uncomfortable.
This concern for the comfort level of our children helps them avoid any threat of conversations on controversial subjects or of opening their eyes to alternative ideas. Excellent training for their future.
It’s a wonderful restricting concept, this saving of our darlings’ feelings, and it’s one that can be extended. For example, some have suggested Nazi parents could object to the teaching of democracy because it will raise emotional stress in their indoctrinated children. More realistically, perhaps, is parents demanding mathematics not be taught because of the widespread discomfort of having to face up to solving for x.
Yes, in many ways Florida is the leader of educational reform that will make us one of the best at being the worst.
A major advantage of these schools, besides the low performance of many, is their contribution to solving the teacher shortage problem our state is experiencing. You see, workplace requirements open the door to instructors with nonstandard qualifications, making many more eligible for employment. Like ones not having a college degree. Like ones not having a high school diploma. Like ones having a checkered past.
Several further actions by our state leaders are either in place or being enacted in the Legislature.
A significant step in this educational awakening is the introduction of parental control over what books are allowed into school libraries. What a relief! There is, of course, the question of who would, or even could, make such decisions. Never fear. Turns out there are many willing to adopt this onerous task. They know what is best for their child—and what is best for your child.
And what’s best for your child is not to have contact with such disgusting tomes as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, James Joyce’s Ulysses, Toni Morrison’s Beloved, and William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies along with over 100 others.
Clearly our intrepid volunteers are adopting this cause to protect the well-being of your children. Or, maybe, it just could be they’re afraid their own kids may want to look at these dangerous books, not having the restraint of their stalwart parents.
The selections seem to focus on treatments of racial and, gasp, sexual issues. Definitely best not to have young minds dwell on such subjects, especially when racial tensions surround them on a daily basis and their bodies are doing enough to remind them of the changes occurring in them. Don’t want knowledge to get in the way of what those circumstances and bodies are demanding.
Going right along with this is the desire to protect children from feeling uncomfortable. A noble goal.
For example, we don’t want a white child made uncomfortable or feeling guilty by learning there might be white responsibility for slavery. Or that our founding fathers weren’t perfect. The solution? Don’t teach such trash and discipline or dismiss instructors who dare to. It appears as if it’s acceptable for Black children to be uncomfortable.
Especially we don’t want any discussion of nontraditional sexual orientation. No gender discussions will be allowed. If a gay child or one unsure of its identity needs a sympathetic ear, that ear better not be attached to a teacher. After all, the child should instead be speaking with its parents. And if the parents throw him or her out of the home, well, too bad. It appears as if it’s acceptable for gay children to be uncomfortable.
This concern for the comfort level of our children helps them avoid any threat of conversations on controversial subjects or of opening their eyes to alternative ideas. Excellent training for their future.
It’s a wonderful restricting concept, this saving of our darlings’ feelings, and it’s one that can be extended. For example, some have suggested Nazi parents could object to the teaching of democracy because it will raise emotional stress in their indoctrinated children. More realistically, perhaps, is parents demanding mathematics not be taught because of the widespread discomfort of having to face up to solving for x.
Yes, in many ways Florida is the leader of educational reform that will make us one of the best at being the worst.
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