Californians Settle for Something Else
Public school advocate, teacher, author and friend Ari Kaufman published this opinion piece today about the shortcomings of California’s teacher credentialing programs.
Like many young teachers, Ari left LAUSD after only a few years in the classroom because of the systemic failures of our state’s most destructive criminal enterprise.
In his column he writes:
… teacher credentialing programs have now fused into this list of revisionist, multicultural historical-social instruction. We all can reasonably speculate what a graduate-level class in journalism, political science or sociology would deduce about modern political events; however, the most fast-moving and fervent anti-establishment indoctrination is coming from the instructors at the teacher credential programs…
As if Ari’s assessment wasn’t disturbing enough, another teacher’s private response to him did the job:
August 22, 2006
Hello Mr. Kaufman,
Your article in the OC Register really hit home. Teaching is an art and it takes certain sorts of personalities to do it. I am a teacher, but I’m not working because of a different set of circumstances. You’re correct; the credentialing process is irrelevant to the actual challenge of teaching children. The classes you discussed are for the most part useless to an aspiring teacher, but very relevant if one wants bureaucratic membership. The real problem for me was not jumping the hoops to become a teacher. My problems began when I began to speak out in the hopes that I could effect change for the better. I was naïve and believed that moral conscience could win.
You obviously realize the problems with our failure in public education are multifaceted. You touched on it in your article when you said that teachers, administrators, and the union have despised your efforts for reform. I went against the administration and almost lost my credential, the very document which I valued because of the enormous work I had to go through in order to prove myself worthy to teach. I had been teaching for over twelve years when this occurred. It’s a rather interesting story and in a small way depicts what has gone wrong in what I thought was a great field for a career. One of my beliefs from my experiences is that the public education establishments don’t want intelligent and creative people to apply. They only want follower types so that they will teach children to be followers as well. Hence, a rigorous and lengthy credentialing process.
I worked in Los Angeles County, at (…) one of smallest districts in California. I had an association with that district all my life because my father was a principal and employee there for over thirty years. When I graduated from (college) and moved back to California that was the place I wanted to work because I wanted to give back to a community that helped my dad support our family. The people (there) were like a family. To make a long story short, I got fed up with the BS. One day I decided to respond to an article in the OC Register and was asked if I would give permission to let my letter become a guest column. I agreed and it ran on Sunday, March 20, 2005. Four days later, in the middle of parent conferences, I was put on administrative leave pending an investigation into misconduct.
Currently, I am rethinking whether I ever want to be a classroom teacher again. I always wanted to be a teacher or an artist. Maybe I will find a way to teach again. Your article inspired me today. I must admit I really got knocked down by my experiences with the “establishment” and often forget the really wonderful things that I did with my students. I felt like I was just getting started on a range of possibilities. I admire your ability to change careers, yet remain an educator. There does need to be a stronger reform movement that offers real solutions and exposes the real conditions in our schools. I’m very interested in the charter school movement, privatization, and exposing the truth about the teachers unions. I’m very interested in reading your book.
I just wanted to let you know that you sparked a bit of energy in me this morning and I thank you for your article.
(signed) Never to old to learn…
These words appeared below her name:
In a completely rational society, the best of us would become teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something else. Lee Iacocca
Until Americans re-think the positions enforced by our public education godfathers and their union capos, our children and grandchildren will be the ones to settle for something else.
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Clark Baker is a senior contributor to CaliforniaConservative.org. He is an author, filmaker, father and retired LAPD officer. You may read more of his work here and here.