ESTABLISHING HIGH STANDARDS IS PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE

ESTABLISHING HIGH STANDARDS IS PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE

By Domenick J. Maglio Ph.D. Traditional Realist

There should not be anyone against the raising of standards especially educational standards. Usually when standards and expectations are more demanding, it motivates individuals to reach them. The person or organization is supposed to be energized.

However, the motivation turns into a disincentive when standards are so unreasonable that only the chosen few can possibly meet them. Resentment skyrockets when no matter how hard the person or group tries, the objective cannot be accomplished. The fundamentals of training the individual have to be examined before we expect the impossible.

Any leader or administrator should provide the training, skills and discipline needed to obtain the prescribed standards. Many of our schools do not have discipline but rather are in chaos. This and the lack of laying the necessary foundation before establishing high standards are foolhardy. It is as if asking youngsters to accomplish Olympic records in running speeds when they have not physically developed and have not been trained in running techniques.

Our ruling politicians and educational experts have arrived at a ridiculous consensus. They think by the magical act of proclaiming high educational standards our entire national educational system would become competitive with other nations. PISA (Programe Internationale Standard Assessment) has ranked the United States 24^rd in science, 21^st in reading and 31^st in math compared to other developed countries. This is nothing to brag about.

“No Child Left Behind” under President Bush and “Common Core” under President Obama were federally directed attempts to raise student performance by establishing higher national education standards. They coordinated with individual states establishing their own unrealistic standards. The results of the state experiments have not and will not significantly increase the performance of the students.

The essential reason students’ academic performance varies from one country to another is their preparation. Students need a strong foundation in the lower grades to build upon. Individual students mature at different rates. They set their goals differently and may decide they want to finally excel academically. Unless they work hard in a safe environment to fill in the voids in their skills and overall knowledge they cannot be successful.

The earlier the filling in the gaps process takes place in the elementary grades the better the chances of their meeting their expectations of doing well. In the classroom the teacher must accurately evaluate the student’s ability in each area. The emphasis must be on reading, writing and arithmetic.

The 3Rs are necessary to move forward. Without the ability to read the child cannot do mathematical word problems or follow directions.  Basic calculation skills have to be mastered in order to be competent in more advanced math. A student has to learn how to express himself orally and on paper in all disciplines to obtain higher levels of academic performance.

Developing the motivation to do something without these necessary skills is foolhardy. It sets the child up for failure. Young children think they can do almost anything until they try. Then and only then the reality check of not being able to do it helps them listen and follow the adult’s directions. This happens with a parent at home and a teacher at school.

Too many students and their parents have been duped by grade inflation. Both think high grades mean competency in the subject. This is not the case. It is a politically correct means of deceiving the parents of the poor quality of education. This ploy might temporarily satisfy most although it will not reverse the decline in education. Throwing more money at the problem has not worked. We are already spending more total money on education than any other nation.

The ruling class should not continue to put the cart before the horse.  Instead we need to encourage changes that have to start in the early years. First, grade integrity based on performance has to be reestablished. The mastery of the 3Rs should be the basis of the curriculum instead of social engineering programs that avoid the individual student needs. Schools have to be reduced in size to make them more manageable.

The federal government should stop kicking our dysfunctional education system down the road but allow local communities to regain their power to solve the low school performance in their unique circumstances. Local school boards should take the initiative to bring back the common sense changes that were in place when we were at the top of the education pyramid. Our constitution left education to the states through the local government for well thought out reasons. 

Citizens should start by electing levelheaded, concerned people of character not people who want to begin their political careers. Changes in our educational approach need to emanate from the classroom not the bureaucracy in Washington,
DC.

Domenick J. Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.

TYRANNY OF THE MINORITY IS WHAT AMERICA FOUGHT AGAINST

TYRANNY OF THE MINORITY IS WHAT AMERICA FOUGHT AGAINST

By Domenick j. Maglio Phd. Traditional Realist

A small group of aristocrats supported King George III of England. This elite group was a minority that exploited its citizens and their colonies. Our founders realized they would not be treated with reasonable laws by this despot. Even when the majority of free colonists voiced overwhelming desire for certain changes in the destructive laws they were not heard. The minority elites dictated to the majority of the colonists, even when they were certain to provoke even the most loyal ones. The majority did not have a voice.

Our constitutional republic was based on the majority rule of its representatives. The Bill of Rights was added to forbid the government from restricting the individual’s Creator endowed rights to be free. The amendments were to stop the new government’s oppressive actions.

Forbidding the government from denying individual rights has been distorted to allow a minority of people, sometimes a very small percentage, to negate majority rights. The tyranny of the minority was the opposite of what our founding fathers envisioned when they wrote the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Individuals and small secular groups have gained more power than the majority. The First Amendment to our constitution is being attacked by a minority of atheists with backing from the ACLU (American Civil Liberty Union). The 10 Commandments, Christian crosses, Christian chaplains and Christian business people’s symbols and rights are no longer being protected by the courts.  Public prayer that was widespread behavior of our founders is being forbidden in public meetings and even in public school events. There is a war to silence Christianity by the progressive-secular ruling class.

The legal system has been abused to give non-existent rights to minorities that hinder the freedom of the majority. Local cities and school districts across the nation comply with the laws that discriminate against the majority. These entities realize they do not have the resources necessary to win a legal battle that would be financially ruinous to them.

This surrender by local officials to powerful legal interests also allows mentally ill people to be free ticking-time bombs. Most of the mass killers of innocent spectators have long histories of mental illness. The legal rights given to the mentally ill to protect the confidentiality of their mental status and behavior endangers the majority.

In the past the dangerously insane have been institutionalized to protect the innocent and themselves. Disregarding the safety of the majority through progressive regulations has limited mental health professionals from reporting their findings. Status evaluations that recommend the institutionalization of a patient have become very rare. The fear of violating confidential laws and appearing inhumane has resulted in insane people committing horrific mass and individual killings.

Empathy for criminals and violent students in our schools has reached absurd proportions. President Obama used an executive order to summarily release thousands of drug pushers back on the streets to lead many more young people into an addicted existence.

Thug behavior of students is being appeased through a policy by the Department of Education and Justice Department’s new enforcement of “restorative justice.” This “so called” anti discrimination policy is meant to intimidate school districts to develop a quota system to decrease suspensions of disruptive and violent students. This policy lessens the consequences for out-of-control and dangerous students, which negatively impacts the majority of students who are being threatened and abused daily.

Illegal immigrants flooding the USA also are treated to extraordinary privileges that surpass those of citizens. Most illegals in various states are given free K-12 education, free higher education, free healthcare and dental care through mandates prohibiting hospitals from turning them away. There are free legal services, food stamps, housing and childcare vouchers and mental health services. Under the expanding of the Affordable-Care Act that announced future presidential executive orders , which may eventually give all illegals these free services. These welfare benefits are taxing all of our institutions especially our solvency as an nation.

These and other special interest groups such as LGBT have made deep inroads into the First Amendment rights that are splintering and pitting one group after another against the majority. These special interest minority groups are given rights the majority of people no longer have but will have to pay for through their taxes. The majority of citizens are suffering the loss of physical security, justice and the rule of law, which is un-American. This has to be reversed to have a stable, well-functioning society.

This oppression and exploitation of the majority by arrogant elites creates resentment and alienation from the ruling class. It breaks down the cohesion of society and can lead to an uprising.

US citizens are fortunate to have a release valve to redirect the out-of control ruling class. Our constitutional right to stagger elections every two years is the best method to restore the silent majority’s power. Please use the vote to regain sanity in our nation.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.

BEING DUTIFUL IS THE CORNERSTONE OF ANY CIVILIZATION

BEING DUTIFUL IS THE CORNERSTONE OF ANY CIVILIZATION

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

We are living in a period of time where too many people are self-absorbed. The possibilities are endless in this electronic age. People play on their cell phones instead of conversing with family and friends who are right next to them. They choose to live a virtual existence on their Facebook pages rather than solving difficulties and enjoying real life. We have become the “me generation” on steroids.

Modern parents are devoted to making money. Their duty of raising their family and caring for their parents and relatives has taken a back seat. The elderly parents of their adult offspring are put in nursing homes. Most modern parents use daycare, school and afterschool programs to teach and train their children. These parents are “givers of things” to win their children’s favor. Even children’s family obligations such as chores have been abandoned or are paid for with substantial allowances for assisting with the simplest activity. Modern children are unconsciously being taught to be slackers/takers not producers/givers.

It is little wonder new generations are less likely to pitch in when they see a person in need. Although many people look the other way when they see people in need there are some who rush in to do the right thing. There are incidents where a small child is locked in a hot car and is seen by a stranger. The person informs the officials and proceeds to break the window to save the child’s life. Other heroes put themselves in danger by rushing into a burning building or car to save someone. Some people are willing to do the right thing to help others regardless of the consequences to themselves but are becoming progressively rare.

It should be the duty of every human being to help each other. There is no way any government regardless of the number of employees can substitute for people doing their duty. The most good intentioned government employee is restricted by time and bureaucratic red tape to spontaneously decide on their own to assist the person in need. They have a heavy predetermined caseload to manage.

Great civilizations such as the Incas, the Roman Empire and Chinese dynasties understood the need for citizens to do their duty. The emperor, great military strategists and philosopher of the Roman Empire, Marcus Aurelius, understood the importance of citizens internalizing the concept of duty. Decadence and disorder arose when people became self-absorbed. As the leader of the most powerful civilization of the world he instituted a campaign to help people understand their duty, acceptance of one’s faith and well being of all the people. It revitalized the empire.

Confucius, the great Chinese philosopher codified and taught to establish and maintain social order people had to be responsible to each other. Leaders should lead by positive virtues rather than by force. Confucius stressed superiors should set good examples for inferiors while inferiors owed loyalty and obedience to their superiors. He found these plus other moral values of honesty, hard work and concern for others in highly functioning societies. Confucius’s ideas spread throughout the world.

Our founding fathers realized government could not legislate morality. They understood the importance of the belief in God and relying on God in everyday life of citizens. These educated men learned from studying history that men needed moral and ethical values generally communicated by religion to do the right thing when no one was there to look over their shoulders.

Wise leaders intuitively realize that when citizens lose the interconnectedness to others the glue of the society disintegrates. The self-centeredness of citizens of developed nations has weakened the family and the social order of the nation. The citizens of these nations expect the government to care for them instead of caring for each other. This entitlement mentality has dissolved the social fabric of these societies and has led to dissention, the breakdown of law and order as well as random acts of violence.

As President John F. Kennedy said in his inaugural speech, “It is not what your country can do for you, it is what you can do for your country.” Current advanced nations need to reassess their out-of-control welfare policies. Government robbing productive citizens through confiscating their assets only alienates them from the non-productive people who are receiving handouts provided by those who produce.

This divides people by eliminating the ability of doers to willingly assist welfare recipients.  The all-powerful state divides the doers from the takers robbing the doers’ assets by taxation making it financially impossible to do their duty to the less fortunate.

For any civilization to thrive people need to support and help others to become self-sufficient and self-reliant. It starts in the most powerful social unit in a society: the family. The revitalizing of the family will result in citizens doing their duty in all facets of life. This makes society function smoothly, effectively and efficiently.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.