Fort Worth Weekly // September 13-19, 2023

an abuse born out of fear that far too many politicians and administrators feel when challenged because far too often they have no real understanding, no substance, no knowledge of anything except perhaps doublespeak, though they are in charge, and thus they are incapable of repelling those individuals who would seek

to rise beyond their station through trickery and lies–experts.

In the grand tradition of Rasputin, these corrupters of our education system whisper lies, and those in charge obey. Change has been long overdue.

The time has come to cast down the oppressive forces embedded in our schools, in our hearts, and in our minds. We must move to stand in the warm light of the truth that our schools are killing our children and that change must come.

The fact that our education system destroys learning becomes clear when we see that students score well on tests, as they are taught the best methods to choose what answer, yet they cannot read, write, or think critically. The papers students write and the thoughts they express only touch on the surface meaning or mere memorized facts. The concept of knowing what a term means and the learning of that definition will somehow manifest as knowledge is embraced as real education.

STAAR Testing Day!

The teachers move to attempt to fulfill the requirements and mandates that students learn these factoids while they also try with all their might to help students see the deeper aspects of literature, argument, people, and society. Teachers cannot do both. Attempting to do both only results in one being learned — the one pushed, like a drug pimp, upon the teachers — the test. The pressures of administration win because the teachers fear and obey.

This is all too clear in the results of how ELA is perceived by the students and the abilities they possess after graduation. If the goal is to craft automaton from living tissue, then success is surly had. If infanticide is the goal, then we are achieving it.

“As discussed previously, state standards and assessments have had a uniquely corrosive effect on language arts. As currently conceived, [state standards and assessments] have corrupted language education and its essential mission” (Schmoker 115-6).

Common Core must not be overlooked as also duplicitous in its machinations to remove learning from education in favor of measuring and evaluation through testing. If the studies and results show clearly, which proves to be the case, then we too must concur that something is amiss. When we embrace the failures of politicians and administrations as

The pressures of administration win because the teachers fear and obey.

“The fact that our education system destroys learning becomes clear when we see that students score well on tests, as they are taught the best methods to choose what answer, yet they cannot read, write, or think critically.”