Classrooms or Therapy Wards?

by Gary Tomak

Few adults, other than prisoners, are forced to spend their days sitting beside those with emotional or psychological disorders, convicted felons and gang members, or others causing constant disturbances. No workplace in America would force its good employees to become amateur psychologists and assist "troubled" individuals through conflict-resolution or peer-mediation. It is only public school children who are confined to daily endure these grievous conditions. The evidence is in, as academic excellence plummets and feel-good, non-judgmentalism surges, that public school classrooms are being transformed into therapy wards.

Two groups are battling for control of our public schools. The first group is led by parents and academic scholars. The second group is led by psychologists and phony educrats. The first group's goal is to impart knowledge and improve scholastic achievement. The second group's goal is to "save the children" from a world of uncaring parents, drugs, alcohol, smoking, gangs, suicide, pregnancy, poverty, AIDS, prejudice, deflated self-esteem, ecological disasters, and even their own lunch boxes. To these people, every child is "at-risk." The first group's goal cost schools money (teacher salaries and textbooks). The second group's goal brings schools money (federal and state grants). Not surprisingly, with the public school bureaucracy's insatiable appetite for dollars, the second group is winning.

Schools should be concentrating on teaching children to read, not on making them feel good about themselves even though they can't read. Today's dysfunctional classrooms are turning out increasing numbers of illiterate children. Instead of funding for more counselors, state and local governments should focus their dollars on academics, on textbooks, and on improved teacher competency. The tragedy in Littleton, Colorado galvanized support for increased gun control. Instead, it should galvanize support for returning classrooms to normalcy.

Charles Sykes' book, Dumbing Down Our Kids, an indictment of the empty, feel-good philosophy dominating public education, should send a chill down the spine of every parent of a public school student. The first three words of the book read, "In Littleton, Colorado..." It was published four years ago.

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Gary Tomak is a parent of two children in public schools and is an advocate for improved academics and higher standards. He is published in several newspapers and magazines in the Palm Springs area.

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