Elementary schools should focus on their primary mission: teaching children to read, write, do arithmetic, and understand basic science; ...WM: K-8 is over two thirds of a kid's basic guaranteed education. I would hope that they learn more than just reading', writing', arithmetic, and basic science during that time. They should also get basic geography and history during that time. Fourth and fifth graders can certainly understand basics of the American Civil War, why Antitum, why Gettysburg. They can understand the Great Serpent Mound and Cahokia, Lewis and Clark (specially since the movie) and whatever historical events have taken place in the town where they live. They can certainly understand the basic geography of their state and this country. Further, this will keep them from getting bored.
WM: Teachers are basically idealists, otherwise they would never put up with the pay and conditions their jobs require of them. To translate that into "liberal activism," whatever that may be, is a disservice to teachers and students alike.Unless you are intimately involved with the educational establishment you are probably not aware that many contemporary educators openly profess liberal activism.
They are out to remake the world inWM: I sincerely doubt that, though they may want your kids and everyone else's kids to have positive ideals of some sort.
their ideal image.
Something needs to be done to provide political neutrality in the MPS.WM: This would be an impossible burden for teachers. Nothing, but nothing is "politically neutral."
My family should not be forced into the private schools to insure that our children are not indoctrinated in specific political perspectivesWM: Kids don't indoctrinate and quickly or fully as you seem to expect. I thought it was part of the
not shared by my wife and I.
mission of the public schools to introduce kids to ideas and political perspectives which are not the ones they get at home. Education is supposed to broaden a person's outlook, not regiment to tunnel vision. No matter how hard teachers try to indoctrinate, kids invariably have their own ideas.
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