Stop treating education as the ‘sacred cow’

printed 03/17/2023

Editor,

There is not a structure that can be built high enough nor a society that becomes rich enough to avoid investing in their children’s future. Today our county’s public school system, although one of the most expensive in the nation and the world, is a disgrace and must be promptly interceded with by the commissioners and changed.

Jim Thorpe, Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente were all heroes of mine and their books should be in every public school system but not at the expense of Christopher Columbus, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Frederick Douglass’s contribution should be taught but not to belittle Abe Lincoln.

Sexuality and racism should not be a part of public education. Public Education is the study of reading, writing, mathematics and history and nothing else. We must promptly return to teaching our children how to think not what to think. By undermining historic Christian values by teaching attitudes of privilege and letting children use pronouns, our school system has regressed back to the stone age. Public schools are based on equality not equity. We are created equal and given inalienable rights by our Creator.

The county should reject educators who compare their weak achievements to the weaker achievements of other failing school systems in the State!

When comparing Stephen Decatur today to the classes at Stephen Decatur in the past, that graduated in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, you first notice that the costs to educate a student after inflation has gone up more than 300 percent! Why? Also, that four-year college admissions have significantly declined, why?

The International PISA Tests tell the true story about failed American Public Educators and Education. In the 1960s, ’70s & ’80s the United States was peerless, number one in the world in international testing, what happened? Google PISA Test and see for yourself how pathetic we are today. Of course, China is number one. The only thing we are number one in is money spent to educate. The Department of Defense released today that 80 percent of 17–24-year-olds are not qualified for military service.

In India, the cow is sacred but their education is based on merit. County commissioners have to stop treating education like the “Sacred Cow.” Each year the commissioners struggle to make sure education is funded, why? Funding without accountability is foolish, particularly for an agrarian county totally dependent on Ocean City’s tourism.

Mr. Taylor, you must make up your mind, teaching young boys how to put “rubbers on”, even with parental consent, is not a part of your job! Hirings based on “privilege, diversity, equity and inclusion” have no place in education! Hiring should be done on merit. I was blessed at Falls Church High, a public school, to have Col. Mare teach U.S. History and Admiral Tackne teach math. Hiring teachers based on race or ethnicity lowers the quality of education for our children. Also Mr. Taylor if you have a rotten apple in the barrel, you don’t transfer them to another school, you expel them.

The Chinese are focused on merit, and where do you think they learned that from Mr. Taylor? Stick with reading, writing, arithmetic and history, please, not more. Mr­. Taylor, either fix it, resign or be removed!

It is encouraging that the commissioners and the Board of Ed voted unanimously to oppose Maryland Legislation 119. But it’s too little too late!

The commissioners must use the county’s purse strings to tame the out-of-control education beast. Failure to act soon and decisively will just exacerbate the decline while allowing the promotion of adolescent ignorance at a huge taxpayer expense.

Public education today has institutionalized and undermines the merit-based public education system that once informed the world! For the children’s sake it must be promptly changed!

With pressures from the Communists in state government, we need all hands on deck for this is a fight for our cultural and religious heritage our way of life, yes, we need your help too Mr. Taylor!

How brave is Katie Addis for almost singlehandedly attacking the education beast!

Tony Christ