So… You follow up on an ad and hire Acme Carpet Company to clean your carpets. They tell you that they are the professionals and they can deliver what you want – no problem! And the job will be done by the time you get off work.
You return home from a long day at the office expecting to find a bright clean carpet. However, to your astonishment, you are confronted with a view of the same old stains and grime that you were hoping to be rid of.
You angrily contact the company and complain. You explain that you were assured that they knew what they were doing which is why you invested in their services. Clearly they did not get the result that they promised. The customer service rep clears her throat and explains condescendingly that she has a report that states that your carpet is special, it is made of resistant fibers that are quite impossible to clean. In other words, Acme’s lack of results is the fault of your floor coverings and has nothing to do with Acme’s “proven” techniques.
Now tell me: would you or any normal consumer actually stand for that explanation? No! You would demand that the offending organization make things right and deliver what they promised you for the good money you paid.
I ask you, why in heaven’s name do we seem to think so differently when it comes to the educational system for our children?
Our educators have been tasked to come up with the best ways to teach kids. Tax money is spent by the billions in this endeavor and we have been assured that these experts have come up with the best system. Yet, if a child does not perform well, it is not the system that is held accountable. The child is blamed. Johnny suddenly has a classic case of ADHD* or “mathematics disorder” or worse yet, he comes from a home where the parents are not providing him with a proper learning environment etc, etc, etc.
You see how ludicrous this is. Just as you would be outraged if Acme Carpet Company blamed your carpet for their lack of competence you should be outraged that your child’s brain is being blamed for some of the poor results within the school system. I know I am.
And why is that? Not because I have anything against educators. 80% of them are extremely sincere and very helpful folks who devote their lives to improving the lives of others. No, it is because all of the brouhaha about chemical imbalances diverts attention from the real problem – an antiquated system that in many cases does not engage children in the adventure of learning.
As a matter of fact, I believe I just discovered a new disease. It is an odd one because it affects large groups of people in one fell swoop: it’s called School System Disorder.
Lyn Demaree
*a fictitious condition, never scientifically proven to exist as an actual physiological situation