"I'm a fan of public schools, but I don't want to send my kids there."
Doesn't "fan" imply favoritism? How can one be a fan of something without participating? Granted, hockey fans don't necessarily play hockey, baseball fans rarely play anything more strenuous than softball, and NASCAR fans do occasionally turn right, but those aren't the same thing. It's more like:
- I'm not racist; I own a color tv.
- I fully support the war in Iraq as long as there is no draft.
- Heck, yeah, I support gay marriage as long as both chicks are hot.
- I'm pro-Choice, especially since I'm male and will never actually have to make a choice.
How can anyone be a "fan" and not take part in the proceedings? Yes, I realize that you can support gay marriage without actually taking part in a gay marriage, but how can you say "I fully endorse public education even though it's not good enough for my own kids?"
In Gina's defense, she does volunteer her support public education by volunteering lesson plans on her website, but that's like saying, "Gee, I really like what you've done with your house. Here's what you should have done." I'm fortunate enough to teach in a public school where the reasonably affluent send their kids to learn right alongside the low socio-economic kids. If you really want to support your public school, send your kids to that public school, not some white-flight enclave.
And by no means should you home school. There's no better way to totally fuck up your kid socially than home schooling, excpept possibly for incest. Why does it seem like the unfortunate majority of people who home school their kids are the people that "don't play well with others?" People ask me if I have any intent to home school my children. After all, they say, you and your wife are so highly educated. Hey, guess what, we're highly educated BECAUSE we interacted with, how you say, 'hoo-mons.' And before you ask me where I get off making such broad, sweeping assertions, allow me to add that every year, when we give the TAKS (state exams) and when we offer to proctor the College Board exams, we have a group of home-schoolers show up who, to a person, all seem to possess less social skills combined than Long Duc Dong in "Sixteen Candles."
What offends me more than anything about the commentary is that clicking on Gina's name will take you to her minimalist blog, which directs you to her company's website. That's right, her thoughtful commentary is a shill for Creator Kids. I have no experience with those products; heck, they might be wonderful, but spam is spam, and that's just fucking annoying.
So Gina: No, I don't believe you are a true fan of public schools. I believe you are, at best, a fair weather friend and a nimby.
2 comments:
I'm glad you had a chance to look at what I'm doing. So you say I'm spamming. Blogging is a new and exciting experience for me (yes - I did just start this past week). I was very inspired by "Naked Conversations" and understood it was imperative that as the Creative Director I become vulnerable and transparent. I offer free materials to those who are interested. And hopefully those who are interested take it to a classroom where several kids experience learning in a way that inspires them. And if someone makes the choice to buy the music from iTunes - then thats okay too. Just like going to public school - or not.
Wow! You actually read the blog again. Thank you. Anyway, it's wonderful that you want to help public schools, but you will just have to forgive me if I have trouble believing that public schools are so bad where you live that you would refuse to send your kids AND STILL CLAIM that you are a public school fan. If you believe in public education, send your kids. If your public school system is really that bad, move. Don't be a nimby.
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