We Don't Need More Money – We Need Better Teachers

Back to the Education Page

Reprinted from NewsMax.com

Neal Boortz
Wednesday, July 31, 2002

Here is a column from one of my favorite writers, Thomas Sowell. Sowell ought to run for president.

http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20020731-87081079.htm

Here's Sowell's opening paragraph:

Most discussions of the problems of American education have an air of utter unreality because they avoid addressing the most fundamental and intractable problem of our public schools – the low quality of our teachers. There is no point expecting teachers to teach things they themselves do not know or understand.

Hear, hear! Right on, Mr. Sowell! I've been talking about this for years. One of my prized possessions is a photocopy of that report card in my files … the report card where the teacher wrote a note home to parents that said, "Johnny are learning to get along with others."

Sowell writes about a new report from the Education Department. It's entitled "Meeting the Highly Qualified Teachers Shortage."

Sowell writes that the report shows us that "in 28 of the 29 states that use the same standardized test for teachers, it is not even necessary to come up to the national average in mathematics to become a teacher. In none of these states is it necessary to come up to the national average in reading. In some states, you can score in the bottom quarter in either math or reading (or both) and still meet the requirements to become a teacher."

Read it again, parents. Government schoolteachers don't even have to have average intelligence when it comes to reading and math.

This Education Department report reinforces something else I've been telling you for years. Teachers generally have college test scores that are at or near the bottom among college students pursuing various courses of study.

Wash the sensitivity out, and you have this harsh truth: On the Average, government schoolteachers come from the dregs of higher education. Did you know that some private schools even refuse to hire teachers with education degrees?

In just a few weeks, school will once again be under way. What are you going to do? Are you going to take the most precious thing in your life, your child, and turn that child over to the government with the expectation that your child will somehow be educated?

Or are you going to accept the responsibility you undertook when you brought that child into this world – and get him or her into a private school?

Neal Boortz is the hugely popular nationally syndicated radio host.