When you went to school, how many students were in your classroom?Did your teacher(s) have any trouble maintaining order?
Were failing students passed just to move them along?
Were your teachers afraid of censure or worse if they failed a student?
Did you have any idea what the political leanings of your teacher(s) were?
Did your teacher(s) ask you or your parents for the assistance in any actions for or against education related ballot measures?
Did your teacher(s) dress as professionals or did they dress down to the level of their students?
What were the actions of your parents to a failing grade or a problem with your conduct in school?
Did you have any idea of the sexual orientation of your teacher?
In my grammar school classroom Sister Mary Christine, all of 5’ 4” taught 38 students seven different subjects and never had any trouble maintaining order. Every student earned a passing grade. Once in a while someone would receive a rap on the knuckles or a tap to the back of the head for some transgression. No one was ever maimed, nor did any parent race to protest. I never heard anyone verbally attack, disrespect or use any vulgarity directed towards any of the nuns or lay teachers during my 12 years in grammar and high school.
Marginal students were given extra attention after school or the parents were notified and additional homework was assigned. No one ever failed a subject so it was never necessary to pass an unqualified student along to the next grade level. Parents and teachers alike felt it would be a personal failure if a student failed to pass a course.
The only politics that were ever discussed during my, or my children’s elementary education was when JFK was running for president. “He was Irish and Catholic, what other qualification was necessary?”
We were never asked to march, for any reason or bring political literature home to our parents. We, as students and parents, expected teachers to teach the assigned subjects...period.
The role of the teacher today has changed dramatically. They are unable to maintain order in their classroom, physically reprimand a student or hug a frightened first or second grader and almost ordered to pass a student along whether they actually learned anything or not.
Where did all the money we poured into education over the last thirty years go? Class sizes were cut in half, the number of teachers were doubled and administrators tripled. A Department of Education was established in Washington and a number of questionable and often unfunded regulations were imposed at all levels of education. We allowed Unions to control our children’s education. One local union leader in California, when asked about the effect of a mandate on the students, responded “I’ll start worrying about the students when they start paying dues”. Troubled schools are the rule rather than the exception in our inner cities while our supposedly concerned President cancels a Successful Charter School program in D.C. Where do we go from here?
Fred J. Huebner, Jr.
About Me
I’ve been publishing and editing regional magazines and weekly newspapers for over 30 years and have been writing Real Estate, Sports, Political and General Interest columns in “View From The Street” for more than 40 years.
During the past several years I’ve read a number of books by Conservative, Libertarian, Republican, Independent, and even Progressive writers that I felt obligated to pass on to friends, relatives, and acquaintances. I made it a point to follow up these gifts only to learn that most of the recipients never got past the first chapter for a variety of reasons. Most often I was told that the writer failed to catch the interest of or convince the reader of the soundness of their argument and thus lost the opportunity to gain a supporter.
While many have questioned my style, I’ve consistently been able to gain the attention of any audience and most of the time get my point(s) across. I may split an infinitive, dangle a participle and frequently use a comma to allow my readers to catch a breath, but readers of my columns never had any doubt about where I stood on any subject.
I’m a fiscal and social conservative all the time, a Republican most of the time and oppose the ACLU and other “progressives” even in my sleep. I support the Melting Pot approach rather than the Diversity fad and have never learned how to stand mute in the face of idiocy.
I’ve been motivated by the number of LIES the general public has come to accept as fact, simply because they have been repeated ad nauseam by the media and others. Readers may love me or hate me, but I’ve yet to meet anyone who was indifferent to my columns.
Fred J. Huebner Jr.
Contact Me
Feel free to send any comments/questions to my e-mail: fredhuebner@comcast.net
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