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The Demise of the Education System As We Know It?

4/24/2023

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Let me start with this:  I don't blame the teachers.  I don't blame the parents.  I don't blame the principals or the staff.  I don't blame the superintendents or the school committees.  I don't even blame most of the legislators or other government officials.

They are all doing their best under often difficult circumstances.  That's a given.

The problem is they're all doing a great job at a very flawed thing.  At one time, the education system was an amazing development.  Perhaps 200 or 300 years ago.  As Sugata Mitra says, it's not "broken" it's just "obsolete."  He explains this in the first few minutes of his award winning TED talk:

https://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_build_a_school_in_the_cloud


He gave that talk back in 2013, ten years ago as I write this.  He goes on to describe his experiments in India.  But let's jump forward to 2019, here in the US.  Most adults don't remember most of what they were taught in school, and don't use much of what they do remember in daily life. This survey is just one example:

https://studyfinds.org/survey-americans-use-37-percent-knowledge-learned-high-school/

But there is a darker side, ... as a result of students having to sit through countless hours of classes, being taught information that they will largely never use (as the above study shows), it is this: Our education institutions hold themselves blameless when any problems arise.

Essentially, the school can "do no wrong" - so therefore, any failure must be "all the student's fault." The student failed to work hard enough. They didn't listen carefully enough in class. They didn't sit still. They didn't concentrate hard enough. The school *never* apologizes for any flaws in its role.  It never admits that much of what the students are told to do is tedious, boring, and ultimately pointless. Sadly, the term that comes to my mind is that the system itself is narcissistic.

Even more damage is done when the education system turns learning into a "competitive sport."  To me, there is no place in learning for letter grades, class standings, or any other trappings that imply to any student that, "Other people are smarter than I am."  To even hint at this, I believe, is incredibly damaging, and sets the stage for bullying, and worse.  Intelligence comes in many shapes and sizes. There simply is no single scale.

For the child who is not that compatible with how the system is run, as I was not, the result is often intense feelings of shame and humiliation. In this way, the school system bullies the child. And thus, already feeling defeated and "bad," students are often ripe for bullying from other students, or they act out by taking the offensive and bullying other students instead, in a vain attempt to feel better about themselves, or regain standing in the "social totem pole." This is the true cause of bullying that no "anti bullying" program in schools will ever do anything to truly remedy. Those programs are largely band aid approaches, because the central cause is not being addressed: The school itself is the original bully.

For the most part, students are powerless to change their environment.  School is like a complex dictatorship, but without a central figure to blame.  Instead, the conspiracy seems to be all over the place, like a cloud, with no identifiable source, where parents and school staff and officials are all in on the oppression together.  We claim to teach civics in school, but as far as I'm concerned, you cannot learn democracy from a book, you must live it.  But school systems are afraid to give students any real power, so there is no such opportunity.

Unfortunately, the education industry is gigantic, and thus very resistant to change. It has millions of employees who don't want to lose their jobs, both in schools, as well as in the companies who sell educational materials, and in the government agencies that are in charge of managing the whole enterprise.

One measure of the damage is the 1.7 trillion dollars of student debt. That debt, larger than any other except for home mortgages, is a bright red flashing warning light and siren that screams that something has gone terribly wrong on a fundamental level. The current attempts to "forgive" some of this debt is yet again just another band aid; it actually makes the problem worse in the long run, by not addressing the root problems that have caused it in the first place.  Colleges take advantage of unsuspecting students by working them over with an incredible convincing sales job.  And parents and public school personnel are in on the scam, without realizing the harm they're doing.  College is an incredibly bad deal for many young people, at least if they are just coming out of high school.  It's one of the most high risk investments anyone can make.  If it turns out that college is not for you, then the college and society brand you as a "drop out" and you're dumped out on the street.  You're stuck with a broken promise, poor employment options, and staggering debt.

But there is an even darker result.  Ask yourself: Why do you think many mass shootings are targeted at schools? Why do a significant percentage of shooters attack the very school they attended? Why do they enter the very same classroom they themselves were students in, just a few years earlier? It's obvious to me that they are the ones for whom the humiliation, shame, and despair have reached such an intense level, that they finally go over the emotional edge and decide to commit one last violent suicidal act.

Each one of these people represents thousands of others who feel just as despondent, but would never think of harming anyone else. Instead, large numbers of them, under the burden of the education system, the economic imbalances, and the isolation of our current culture, just quietly kill themselves.

If you see anyone on the news or hear anyone say that we don't know how to stop this, then please, if at all possible, let them know that we do know the causes. We do have an opportunity to stop this, not only the mass shootings, but the increasing suicide and overdose rates.  Claiming that nobody knows how to stop it is a tragic lie.

No, it's not easy. It's hard. It's going to take supporting alternatives to most of the institutions that we currently trust to manage our society. This is no small feat no matter how you look at it. But the time for "reforms" has past. The changes we need are so widely sweeping that no baby steps will suffice.

If we don't take a pro-active approach, then these institutions are bound to crumble anyway, into a chaotic mess. It's already happening with rancorous school committee meetings, teacher strikes, rapidly rising local budgets for education and special education, poorly maintained school buildings, and so forth. You've seen it all on the news by now. So please, put it all together. There is a major revolution going on.  We have been supporting a dying, harmful system that abuses young people, with out-of-control costs.  It is largely funded by an obsolete property tax system that leaves many in poorer areas with an even more deeply flawed education.

So, please, please. For the sake of the children whom we all say we love and care about. Please open your eyes and let's get to work! Look into the alternatives. Research how it's done in other countries (e.g. they eliminated homework in Finland and have better outcomes than we do, by far). Listen to the families that practice home based education, practice unschooling, or have the means to send their children to independent schools. We must learn to trust our young people, from a very young age, to make their own decisions about what to learn in life, how to learn it, and provide them opportunities to collaborate with others in the process.

We don't have to close all the schools at once.  Indeed, some young people may want more structure and feel comfortable with or even encouraged by competition.  But meanwhile, the time to prepare is now.  Don't wait for the collapse and then try to work on alternatives.

We can do this. I say we must do this, or it will be done for us as the system devolves into chaos and bankruptcy (along with even more taxpayer revolts). Most of us will likely be very upset if that happens.

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The Warning Signs

4/23/2023

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Recently, there have been a number of articles and news features about the Sandy Hook school shooting of December 2012, just over 10 years ago, as I write this.

I have seen a lot written about the victims of the shooting, the increased use of military style automatic weapons (and the need for legislation to ban them, etc.), and the increased rate of mass shootings since then.  I have also talked with friends and acquaintances who are understandably upset about the "monsters" who cause these horrible events.

But I don't think it's wise to label the shooters as "monsters" and separate us from them, no matter how tempting that can be.  After all, we think of ourselves mostly as "nice people" who would never, ever do anything like that! Any suggestions that we have anything in common with such people seems insulting at best and highly upsetting at worst.

For decades, I have found myself adopting a different attitude.  Specifically, I don't see these mass shootings as isolated incidents at all.  Rather, I see them as an important signal of some very serious problems in our society and culture as a whole!  The people who do these things are like the tip of the iceberg, or perhaps more appropriately, the canary in the coal mine (because the canaries indicated declining air quality in the mine by actually dying).

Today, I finally decided to speak out more widely.  I'm writing this entry and have sent a letter to the editor at a major newspaper earlier today.  Before writing that, I decided to do a quick search of the web for articles related to my theories.  It was easy to find something:

"The Shocking an Unexplored Mass Shooting-Suicide Connection" by Scott A. Bonn, Ph.D., Psychology Today February 22, 2018

Even though this was written five years ago, the analysis is still quite relevant, in my opinion.  Even with that, the facts still hold, and some factors have only gotten worse:

• There are at least three times as many suicides as homicides.
• Homicides are on the decline, whereas suicides are on the increase.
• Suicide is a social fact rather than an individual pathology.
• Alienating social forces are on the rise (the article I cited & linked above gives a list)
• Mass Shootings are suicides that have become "catastrophic acts of rage and violence."

Meanwhile, the news continues to focus on the politics of so-called "gun control" and largely ignores the huge and complex topic of societal factors that are the motivation!  Not only the motivation for mass shootings, but for the increasing numbers of suicides and related "deaths of despair" which includes alcohol poisoning (drinking oneself to death) and other drug overdoses.

To put it bluntly, mass shootings are essentially suicides where the individual is so enraged and despondent, that they decide to take as many other people down with them as they can, as they head toward their own death.

I'm sorry to bring the bad news, but in my opinion, we would do well to gather our courage and face these issues head on, rather ignore or run away from them.  I know that not everyone can tolerate or stomach anything related to mass murder, but for those who can, please join me and help in the effort.

I plan to write more about the social factors involved, in another blog post soon.

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The Missing History of Pandemics

1/4/2021

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Thoughts on Memorial Day during a Pandemic.  (reposted by me, here, 4 January 2021)

25 May 2020

Back in late April, I watched a documentary on the flu pandemic in 1918 (see video, Here).  One comment read, “Why didn't they teach this in school? So much focus on the world wars, they basically skipped this. Now look at us.”

This got me to thinking.  So I wrote this:

“War gives us the illusion of control.  The better armed, the more clever tactics, the braver the soldiers, the more likely victory.  To die in the war effort was considered heroic.  “He gave his life for his country.” People fought wars to right wrongs, to prove something.
But disease is different.  Disease is involuntary.  Dying of it is not heroic, just tragic.  Disease brings a sense of helplessness and despair, not control or noble purpose. We were taught enlist, to run toward war and to fight.  Not to do so was thought to be cowardly. Contrast that with disease, where the best way to fight it is to run away from it, to hide, to isolate.
Wars and armies are social institutions, masses of people join together to fight.  Disease is anti-social.  We become afraid of each other. There is no human enemy, there are few tactics.  Without vaccines, there is nothing to fight with. We are only victims, not honored warriors. War holds the promise of success through victory so we suppress our fears through vigorous action, to win. Disease instills fear without any way to deny it. As with any tragedy, any great loss, we wish to leave it behind, to move on.  We behave in a way similar to whole nations who have lost a war. Or we behave the way soldiers, once returned home when the war is over, prefer to forget the whole thing, for what they’ve seen and experienced is so horrible that they have no desire to ever think or speak of it again.”


Later, in early May, I added this:
“I’ve been told that the doctors and medical personnel and essential workers are the heroes in a pandemic.  And, yes, we would do well to honor all those who have died and who have not died but had the courage to risk their lives and stay with their tasks.
But remember, even though we say we honor those who died in war, we have a terrible record when we fail to support veterans who did not die in war, but return home to find a government and even a culture, a population, that would prefer to forget the war and instead divert the money needed for their care to spend on other things.”

Today, I remember back to Jon Stewart's fight for the first responders who rushed in to rescue people in the the Twin Towers on 9/11.  (see story, Here)  Many of those who survived ended up with terrible medical problems but nobody would put up the money to pay for their treatment.  It's the same thing, really - terrorism is just the latest form of war.  It seems that we'd just rather forget and move on to spend our money on other things. I hope we find a way to stop for a moment and reflect ... on who helped us when the crisis ensued, and care for them in their time of need, either at the time, or after it's over.




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Check out my brand new video, direct from my kitchen!

6/12/2018

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For weeks by now, I've been thinking of creating and posting some new videos.  I had plenty of ideas, but nothing clicked. Then, yesterday afternoon, I got this one idea that was simple enough to produce right away.  And within 24 hours of concept it's done!

OK, it's nothing more than a recipe for chocolate pudding, without cane sugar.  It's a bit frivolous and runs too long (which can happen with a short schedule for editing).  It's here on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUxc_TjAHl8 and on Vimeo if you prefer that site (somewhat less cluttered) https://vimeo.com/274735817.

Enjoy!

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I can't believe, ...

6/6/2018

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You know what’s most discouraging?  The number of people who go to the grocery store without something as simple as a reusable bag.  We outlawed plastic bags in Arlington, so now I see people walking out of the store with their groceries in paper bags instead.  Sure they’re recyclable, but it takes trees, water, and energy to make them.

The price of gasoline was low for the past few years.  So did people learn?  No, they bought bigger vehicles.  Trucks & SUVs.  Now the price is going up again.  I can’t believe that most people just don’t seem to learn this!

President Trump is nothing compared to this.  This stuff is what really scares me.

Just to be sure, I looked it up.  This is one of a number of sites with a good analysis.


https://ecomyths.org/2014/05/27/myth-paper-bags-are-greener-than-plastic/

They say, reusable bags have a bigger environmental impact, BUT you after a few times for plastic, or over 100 times for cotton, you’re ahead.  Yes, I've used my cotton bags over 100 times easily.  And now that the handles on one have almost worn through, I'm going to sew new handles on.  The rest of the bag is fine.  I can even wash it, but in cold water only!  I once washed one in warm water and ended up with a miniature shopping bag (the shrinkage was astounding!)
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My first book is now available!

10/10/2017

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I have just published my first book! It's called "a man wearing a dress," and it's now available online and at bookstores everywhere. See the Message Rain web site for complete details.
Picture
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Site Update, more changes coming soon

5/2/2017

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I just added a photo to the home page, and revised some of the text on the other pages. Soon, I plan to post my new personal "Health Manifesto" - things I'm setting as process goals for my daily life.  Stay tuned!
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One year, in perspective

4/12/2017

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A year ago, I predicted that Donald Trump would not be elected president in this blog (see post below). Well, I was wrong.

I guess I had good company (the election results were a surprise for many people!). But I take little solace in the idea that I have a lot of company!  After all, I pride myself as a radical 'out of the box' thinker, and to find myself just as wrong as many other people bugs me a little. Why didn't I see this coming when others didn't?  What kind of prophet, futurist, visionary am I, if my prediction was no better than the common one?

Ok, enough of my personal lament!  Let's get down to business.

First of all, I have been much more active in posting to the Topic Blog on my Message Rain site. I really went to town, the day after the election (around 3 AM, as soon as I got news of the election results!) by writing up a storm. I posted frequently in the weeks that followed.

Second, I posted there a lot because I'm about to come out with a book. It's a memoir and reflections on gender identity, and that's the site I'm using to publicize it. But now that the book is written and I'm in the editing phase, I'm starting to think more about health, the main topic of this web site. I'm also planning to integrate these two sites more closely in the near future, although I'm not quite sure exactly how a the moment.

My motivation is this:  I have a pretty good sense, based on some symptoms, that I would do well to change certain factors of my diet and lifestyle to improve my health and stay away from the doctor's office. My mother is 96, eats tons of vitamins and supplements and swims 1/2 a mile at the Y at least twice a week. In contrast, I sit too much and take a minimum of vitamins and minerals. I eat a lot of carbs & dairy and my A1C came in at 5.9, which they consider 'borderline' - or 'pre diabetes.'  That means my blood sugar was elevated over normal for the last 3 months, on average. My armpits have started to really stink for the first time in my life. Something is going on and I'm starting to think I have to make some major changes. I think the bicycle is the ticket for me. I bought a new one last fall and I'm going to hop in and  ride about a bit more starting around now.

Meanwhile, I'm starting to learn of more progress in understanding soil health, which leads to better food nutrients, which leads to better human health. Hmmmm....

So, stay tuned.
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Politics in the near future, here in the USA

3/2/2016

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Back in 2014, after the mid term elections, the Republican Party took control of the Senate, thus controlling both houses of Congress.  At that time, some friends of mine lamented that 'things are getting worse.'
​
I told them that this was, "The Republicans' Last Hurrah."  I am not sure exactly why, but my intuitive sense told me that this was the last two years they would have to make trouble.  I say 'make trouble' because of their own commitment to stop anything President Barack Obama proposed, regardless of the merits of the legislation.

Now, it looks as if I was correct in my prediction.  The rise of Donald Trump as a candidate for President of the United States is strong evidence of a fracturing of the Republican party.  There are probably more than two factions, but there are at least two at the moment.  The language on both sides is intense, each against the other (in favor of Trump, or opposed to him).

My prediction now is that the Republican candidate for president, no matter who it turns out to be, will lose this fall, in the general election in November.

So, what of the Democrats?  My message to Democrats is, your turn will be next.  The public statements between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are much more polite, of course.  But the blood of the people is boiling beneath the surface, now that the Occupy Movement has done its job.  That job was to give us the terms "the 99 percent" and "the one percent" for use in daily conversation.  Of course, the Occupy movement did a whole lot more than that, but that's a story for another time.

Although both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders seem to represent strong central government, moving toward more socialist programs, more of less, my prediction is that the days of the US government managing giant social programs is largely over.

If you look at the tenor of the Trump supporters, for example, they are not going to stand to have huge government programs 'shoved down their throats.'  Whether these programs could benefit them or not, they are the 'horsepower' behind the fight in Congress against Barack Obama and his agenda.  They are 'fed up' with Congress, not because it blocked the President's agenda, but because their own agenda is also going nowhere and even falling behind.

One example is the advent of same sex marriage, from one state in 2004 to national policy in 2015, just 11 years.  Put yourself in the shoes of the person who thinks this is 'going in the wrong direction,' for just a moment.  They have a lot of fear that 'traditional moral values' are losing ground rapidly.  If anything their cries for 'smaller government' seems contradictory to their wish that federal policy would reach down to the individual and control who can marry whom, who can have an abortion, who can patake cannibis (smoke weed), etc.  Sorry, but you can't have it both ways.

As we now see, the power of the Federal Government to limit personal choices such as these is more and more limited, whether it's access to abortion (the left wants it, the right doesn't) or easy access to guns (the left doesn't, but the right does).

So, if the Federal Government is becoming less and less effective in dictating what everyone in the entire country can do, what happens next?  The answer is that the USA is breaking apart, in a sense.  No, no, there won't be a revolution tomorrow.  The US flag will continue to fly over the White House for many years, and we're not likely to need a passport to travel from New York to Pennsylvania. But power clearly is shifting down to a more local level.  The less that can be done in Congress in Washington, D.C., the more that will have to be done elsewhere.  That means the state level, in cities and towns, neighborhoods, etc.  And overall, progressive causes will continue to gain over regressive causes.
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History Test

5/18/2015

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When I was in school, I thought I hated history. A lot of it was about war. Who won or lost each battle.  Which general outwitted the enemy?

Why would most of this matter to me?  I was certainly not interested in a military career! The rest was mostly about government and politics.  OK, but it was still too much detail for me.


Later on in life, I realized that I love history. I was always excited about discovery, invention, creativity, and breaking new ground. It turns out that I was studying plenty of history, I just didn't call it that. In junior high school, I was often in the library after school, reading all about the discovery and use of electricity, radio, electronics, computers, engines, motors, the power grid, movie production, audio and video recording, and so on.  All of these things are intimately connected with
 art and culture as a whole.

As I looked back I felt cheated by the public education system (and yes, I went to "good" schools). I never got any grades or credit for what I was doing. I realized that all the things that I was excited about have had a significant impact on life today, but were omitted from the history curriculum, and still are, even today!

In a moment of anger and frustration a few years ago, I devised this test.  It's a PDF file, so if you want to download it, print it, or share it, that's fine.  There is a link below.  Please just make sure you give credit to me when you do.
historytest.pdf
File Size: 28 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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    Glenn C. Koenig is the creator and webmaster of New Health Plan.  He is an author, a generalist, and a media analyst living in Massachusetts.

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