Opus 2014-138: Headlines: “This Is Are Story”

A headline on Drudge caught my attention.  When you followed the link you saw this headline, “Chicago Public Schools prom slogan: ‘This Is Are Story’.”

I thought it was kind of funny.  As a public school teacher I run into this kind of stuff all the time.  When I am in a hurry I do it myself.  There may be some mistakes like that in this post.  I have even seen it in work produced by my school’s administration.  The fact that this “theme” was vetted and printed up on official posters is what makes it sad.  Were there no adults involved who know basic spelling?

Of course this was used as an attack on high paid teachers.  “But while CPS students get left behind, their teachers receive generous compensation.”  It must be the teachers’ fault if kids can’t read, write or spell.  Maybe, but I doubt it. 

Read the life of Frederick Douglass.  He was born a slave and lived in a time and place that made it illegal to teach slaves to read.  In spite of that he learned.  How?  He taught himself.  With no teacher he managed to get an education.  The same can be said for others.  Years ago I was involved in a Sunday School class on the edge of the Watts area of Los Angeles.  In my class I had students who could read well and others who could not recognize the word “the.”  They all went to the same schools.  Where did the readers learn?  At home.  Regardless of the credit teachers’ like to take, that is probably where most children learn to read. 

A student can’t read after a life in public school?  If they have been continually promoted, I blame that on the school.  If they cannot read, I blame it on the student.  I could teach any student to read but on many of them my techniques would get me arrested.

An old proverbs says it best, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”  I think the same goes for a jackass. 

homo unius libri