Update: An Open Letter to Michelle Malkin

Finally, I may have generated some debate about the topic of public schools within the conservative blogosphere with my post of last weekend, “An Open Letter to Michelle Malkin.” I have not yet heard from Ms. Malkin, but I have received many comments on all sides from around the Internet. As usual, the home-schoolers are the most defensive, but I welcome their contribution to this debate. Some of the comments posted on thespis journal, on email messages, or the many comments over at the Red State Diary are contained within this post, along with my response.

Recently, I was discussing this issue with strongly conservative friend. I pointed out the lack of intellectual honesty in the debate regarding public education. If the Republican House leadership (or the democrats for that matter) were to put up a “Murtha” style resolution stating that the US House of Representatives recommends the closing of all public schools beginning immediately, the the resolution would get about as many votes as the Murtha bill received: three or four votes. The same would be true in the Ohio legislature. While significant time is invested in criticizing teachers and students, there is not one comprehensive plan to provide a fair and equitable education for all. Nearly every half-baked solution that is suggested is nothing more than “leave any child behind” in favor of the privileged and prosperous.

In researching some information about the wonderful nominee for Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Samuel Alito, I found that his bedrock conservative values includes, “the legitimacy of a government role in protecting traditional values.” Public education is certainly one of our nation’s most treasured, tried and true values affirmed daily in classrooms across the nation. Judge Alito has also advocated the role of the conservative judge in protecting the innocent, and public education: free and equitable for all- is certainly most beneficial to the children who need the instruction, socialization, and basic life skills afforded in most every public school in every state in America.

Most voices in the conservative movement, including most of the bloggers, randomly attack the public schools without specific information, and without engaging in a credible discussion about the largely successful suburban and rural public schools across the nation. It is much easier and more palatable to fool the tax-weary public on the idea of a failed public school model, and join the coalition of media outlets which regularly bash public education in random and often undocumented ways. When Michelle Malkin posts an outrageous example of one public school teacher’s behavior, all of the people pre-disposed to despise public education recite in unison, “this is one more reason why we home school.”

Blogger Steve Walden responded to the open letter in this manner: “Whenever you group children in a class, certain behaviors emerge, such as bullying and cliques. This happens in private schools just as easily as in public schools. It can be reined in somewhat, but there is no way to eliminate it completely.Rather than put my kids in a pool where they all have to plug along in their education at the speed of average or, worse, the speed of the slowest learner, my wife and I make the sacrifice of home schooling our children. My daughter is a year ahead of her peers and all of our children receive comments from adults who say they are well mannered, respectful and delightful. We are seeing great rewards from home schooling and the idea of sticking our children in any school, public or private, is reprehensible.”

Dear Mr. Walden: I admire your efforts to educate your children at home. Thankfully, you and your wife are committed parents, educators, and role models for your children.
Many parents of the students that I work with won’t even come to school for conference, or talk on the telephone regarding their child. They also don’t provide a winter coat for their child, and tell the child to figure out dinner plans for themselves. They won’t attend any school events or come to watch their child in the school play. When we offer tutoring, and other special programs, the student has no ride home. In fact, many of these parents are happy when their child stays home several days in a row to baby-sit the other children in the family, so they (the parent) won’t have to get up off of the sofa to watch the other children themselves. We work with all of the other children who have a parent or guardian who cares, and we all strive together for the benefit of the child. It’s amazing! These students are tremendously successful. We have sent many of the students on to educational endeavors at the finest schools in the nation. Even some of the students who have no home support at all have been highly successful at our high school and continued in their education by pursuing college degrees at great schools across the nation. We, the public school teachers, served as the mentors, role models, and motivational experts, and served as the turning point in the lives of these students as we carry forth with our ministry of education and caring in the public schools.

Over at Red State, Hoosier Teacher made the following comment: “How do the statements about the goodness and capability of public school teachers have any bearing on the argument of whether the government should be in the business of educating children?”

Dear Hoosier Teacher: I am a conservative at heart, but tell me, where would the resources for a quality school program for ALL children come from if not from the government? A proper education for all is one of the core values of our American culture. The government is the only appropriate source of funding in today’s world if we wish to meet the goal of educating everyone. As a culture, we demonstrate our value on people by the amount of their paycheck. Are you suggesting that teacher’s are over paid?

Also at Red State The Sophist says, “The responsibility of educating children belongs to their parents and their families, not to teachers.”

To The Sophist I say, “Right On!” Professional Educators can work best and provide the best opportunities for students while stretching and challenging the students when parents and teachers work together. In his comments, the Sophist elaborates upon the collapse of the family, and the failure of liberal policies to fix these complex problems. Again, I agree very strongly. None of this challenges the ability of a strong public school to get the job done the best.

Jake Jacobson asks this question, “How would you respond to the endless polls that show the teaching profession overwhelmingly staffed by liberals? In fact liberals of a rather extreme stripe?”

There are many liberals in the classroom; however, I must once again make the distinction between the urban school districts and suburban or rural districts. There are many of us conservatives out there, and we are teaching our students the basic curriculum. There is not bias in everything. Many of us are fair and balanced, and we certainly have no reason to engage a political debate every day.

One final note: home school can NEVER provide all of the necessary laboratory sciences, language experts, performing and visual arts specialists, and home schooling can never provide an athletic team, a world famous choir, a competitive gifted and talented program, or all of the other components of a quality, well-rounded educational program necessary for success in today’s world. As a product of the public schools, I am proud of the achievements of all of our students. Despite this organized effort to discredit public education, great things happen every day in the public schools.

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