If you question the decline of America…
If you question the idea that the USA is in decline just watch this video. Karen Huff Klein (more) was the subject of this weeks viral video. This video is a graphic example of the out of control nature of a lot of our youth. These smart teens show the world that if they can’t pass chemistry it doesn’t matter because they’ll just bully their way into a job and to the top.
There is outrage over this as there should be but I guess I have to ask, if Karen is the bus monitor why doesn’t she have any authority to ‘do’ something about these kids. Who is she protecting if she can’t even protect herself? This is no indictment of Karen but of the society that would allow this. What investigation needs to be done? The evidence is all on the video. I’m sure she didn’t incite these teens into being bullies.
My wife taught school at North Highschool in the Kansas City, Missouri school district. She quite after being struck by an out of control teen who was strangling one of his classmates. My wife thought for sure this boy was going to murder the boy he was fighting with. She tried to intervene and was the object of a kids elbow to her head. At this same school a seasoned and accomplished teacher was fired for “strong arming” a boy in his class who was becoming violent. That is a classic example of the heart of the problem.
Schools in the Kansas City Missouri school district have lost accreditation and the state is threatening a take control from the elected school board due to their lack of leadership. Fire good teachers, have other good teachers leave, expel kids that are causing the problems and tell me what do you get? I’ll tell you, shamed teachers that have spent a lifetime at their profession and teens on the street who now have time to deal drugs, fight in gangs and murder people. They keep the Black Community in fear of their lives so no one rats them out. These teens either end up dead or worse. The communities they live in are in terror of them and society has failed in its mission to be the village that can raise a boy up into a productive and honorable man. Same goes for the girls.
No amount of money, welfare, government housing or food-stamps will fix this. Government does not hold the answers to this problem. They help to create it. Our government will pay off the student loans of college grads that are willing to teach in the urban core for two years. Sounds good. Here’s what the website says:
Teach For America
As a corps member, you will be a full-time teacher and receive a full salary and comprehensive health benefits from your school district. Additional benefits, such as funding for relocation and help with student loans will ease your transition and allow you to be financially stable as a corps member.
Snapshot of Corps Member Compensation
- Salary ranging from $30,000 to $51,000 »
- Health insurance »
- Retirement benefits »
- AmeriCorps education award of $10,700* »
- Loan forbearance and paid interest for two years »
- $1,000 – $6,000 of no-interest loans or grants for relocation and transition »
- Educator discounts »
- Exclusive scholarships and benefits from grad schools and employers »
The unintended consequences of this program results in the firing of seasoned and qualified teachers who are replaced by green and untested (and unprepared) teachers who cost the district a lot less money. These teachers leave the urban school setting as soon as they’ve done their time leaving the community at a loss for qualified teachers.
The discipline issue is left on the way back burner. It’s time we as a nation pull together regardless of sex, race, political affiliations or social class and get serious about finding a true solution to these problems. What we are doing now isn’t working and to keep applying the same solution over and over gaining the same result is the definition of insanity.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. – Albert Einstein
The issues of bullying, teen suicide, and societal displacement are huge yet we do nothing. It’s time for change.
Can do better…about the apology.
The Family Crisis Group - blog 