Debunking education myths, urging others to do more for children | Walter Backstrom

The average African-American high school senior has the academic skills equal to the average white seventh-grader, according to Jonathan Kozol, an author, educator and activist.

If this doesn’t make you angry, then let us revisit some shocking myths about public education in this country called America.

Myth 1: All school districts want and encourage parental involvement. The reality is that most schools not only want parents to join the PTA and act as chaperones for field trips, but they just want parents to be quiet – and not raise any troubling questions about their child’s education.

Myth 2: School districts don’t spend most of the time teaching so that kids can pass the WASL. The reality is that school districts spend too much time teaching to the test at the expense of teaching so that kids can learn, period. I hope when I die, it says on my tombstone that he really worked hard getting rid of the WASL. The result will be a fast-track to heaven, where God would say to me, “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”

Myth 3: We can’t teach a foreign language such as Spanish in elementary schools because there aren’t any Spanish teachers around. This was told to me by an administrator. No kidding. I guess all those illegal aliens crossing the border are probably just English teachers.

Myth 4: Teachers need more waiver days, in-service days and navel-gazing days to help teach these kids. The reality is that waiver days can be done the first week in August instead of the last week in August so that teachers have time to prepare their rooms for these kids.

Myth 5: Kids are in school long enough to learn what they need to. Are you kidding me? The rest of the world has longer school days. Research has shown the longer a child is in school, the more they learn. My recommendation is to expand the school year from 180 days to 190 days. I realize this is not radical, but it is a start.

Myth 6: The teachers union’s main focus is the children. Reality is that the union’s main goal is to help its members. The reality is that none of them happen to be children. As a matter of fact, according to a number of school administrators and teachers, some of the regulations and rules actually hurt kids but help teachers.

Myth 7: There is not enough money to teach kids, which is why they are not learning. I will give you one example. Washington, D.C., spends approximately $12,000 per pupil in an academic year. The dropout rate is approximately 50 percent. Most teachers are African-American as well as the school board members.

Myth 8: All school board meetings are exciting, and they talk about the latest innovations on improving education. The reality is that if you go to a school board meeting, make sure you bring a double dose of NoDoz so you don’t fall asleep.

I had a meeting with the administrator of a large school district. I told him of my vision for all children. He said “Walter, you are naive, and it can’t be done.” I then realized I was on the right track because any time someone from a large bureaucracy says it can’t be done, it means they don’t want to do it. It is like someone telling the Wright brothers that the plane they are building will never get off the ground.

Another example is when some poor dude with long stringy hair named Jesus was roaming around the countryside, teaching about forgiveness and love. You can imagine some administrator probably saying, “What we really need is more input from the unions, parents and teachers to see if this is feasible.”

I point these things out because schools can’t do it alone, and the community needs to become more involved. I did not mean once a year when they have a breakfast, raise a lot of money and pat themselves on the back, thinking they have done enough. I am here to report they have not done enough.

If you are serious about wanting to improve education in this district and in this country, it will take more than just a couple of spaghetti dinners or fundraising breakfasts.

What it will take is all of us rolling up our sleeves and demanding more of ourselves. These children need and deserve our help, every day of their lives. And if these children don’t deserve our help, who does?

These are our kids. They can’t ask you for help, but I am begging that you do more for them because they deserve it.

No excuses.

Federal Way resident Walter Backstrom: wkbackstrom@aim.com.

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