RE: Campaign Against Public Schools

Bonnie Nardi (nardi who-is-at research.att.com)
Fri, 14 May 1999 09:42:49 -0700

This has been a really interesting discussion.

I for one am deeply fearful of a country without public schools, or at least
a U.S. without public schools. No matter how much they need improving, the
big picture is that they continue to provide a path toward better job
opportunities for many many people. Neither the Catholic Church nor any
other private institution is in a position to take in all the poor,
underserved, etc. That should be a national commitment we make as a society,
not something we cede to private institutions whether religious or
capitalist. Neither religion nor profit should be the guiding force behind
education on a national scale.

It's instructive to look at some of the excellent programs in public
schools. My 6 year old is in a wonderful program in a public school called
"two-way immersion" where she is learning to speak Spanish. Half the class
comes from Spanish speaking homes and half from English speaking homes (and
one from a Korean speaking home in her class). Most of the class in in
Spanish at the first grade level, and then it gradually becomes 50-50 over
several years. The Spanish speaking kids hear a lot of English from the
English speaking kids and so their English improves rapidly (no one is
forced to speak in any particular language in the class except the teacher
who always speaks Spanish. A different teacher always speaks English during
"English time.") My daughter's Spanish is coming along nicely and the there
is not one child from a Spanish speaking home who does not have substantial
English (and some of the children have parents who only speak Spanish and
have very little education).

My daugher's school is not unique; there are many of these programs in
California, Texas and other states. The public schools pioneered these
programs. I think we should champion more of these innovative programs and
insist that they be funded by the government. (By the way there is all kinds
of research data that the children from these programs perform as well as or
better than children who do not learn two languages. I'm not an expert in
this, but there are data out there.)

In our district there is also a parent participation program in which
parents do a lot of the teaching. And then there's regular old school. So
parents have a choice within the public school system.

Magnet schools are also examples of great education in public schools. I
have done field work in a magnet school for performing arts and was
extremely impressed with the variety of students and their accomplishments.

At my sons' high school, there is a special sort of sub school for
"troubled" teens. The teachers are very dedicated and every year kids who
finally stop doing drugs, etc. and graduate, write or call with grateful
thanks to these teachers. While not everyone is fully helped, these programs
do make a difference. What is important to me is the public commitment such
programs signal: we will try to help you in the public sphere no matter what
your problems are. We don't have to make a buck to help you, or convert you
to our religion.

What I'm saying is, take a look at what's going on in local schools. Some of
what is out there is inspiring. It forms part of our national culture in a
way that cannot be duplicated by religious or capitalist institutions.

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Bonnie A. Nardi
AT&T Labs West
75 Willow Road
Menlo Park, Californai 94040
(650) 463-7064
fax: (650) 327-3796
www.best.com/~nardi/default.html