| Show TED TUTTLE TERMS COLUMNIST DR JEKYLL FOR OUR SCHOOLS ARTICLE Mr Roscoe Cox Editor Manti Messenger Manti Utah Dear Sir In reading Mr Pecks Peck's article Our Schools I find that it could better be entitled Dr and Mr Hyde Mr Peck may be a critic but nolan not nol an He did not seek for thereal the thereal thereal real reason WHY the schools do not if they do not turn out self r self reliant students He is content merely to place the blame on the teacher and let it go at that He says The liThe child is taught to look to his teacher for forthe forthe or orthe the method of doing things even for forthe forthe forthe the way he should think about them The pupil is taught to memorize and not to think Im not so sure that the ones who teach the child to look to his teacher teacher teacher teach teach- er are not the parents who haven't the he time to bother or are too busy or dont don't care whether their child learns learns' earns to look to himself or or someone else to learn what to think Mr Peck has taken no cognizance of the responsibility of the parents for or the thc educational function as well as the biological function of parent- parent hood lood Which is my contention and andor for or which I can provide a scriptural reference However if the school does docs not take the r responsibility even evenor for or teaching students what to think nowadays who is going to do it The blame for the condition of the public schools today rests squarely with the owners of the schools the PEOPLE Pr Professional educators have tried ried unceasingly to raise the minimum minimum minimum mini mini- mum standards of education to secure more competent teachers and to provide provide provide pro pro- vide a type of educational program that thal will best suit our cultural heritage heritage heri heri- tage and meet our present d day y problems pro pro- But they have not been supported supported supported sup sup- ported On the contrary they have been outright thwarted in these efforts WHY The old age-old reason TAXES This same Dr Jekyll who yells who yells for better schools and better teachers and self reliant students becomes becomes becomes' Mr Hyde when the educator says it il is going to take a one-mill one levy to do it Lets Let's be a little more consistent one I way or the other How can the public public public pub pub- lic reasonably expect a better educational educational i program program than they are willing willingto to pay for I think what Mr Peck I needs is the elementary course in Economics Economics Economics Ec I and a glance at a chart showing that out of a national income of 40 billion in 1932 the U. U US U.S. S S. S spent approximately 2 billion on education as compared to approximately 27 21 billions in 1942 Perhaps this may help Dr Jekyll to see a reason be behind behind behind be- be hind the present deplorable school situation To quote Mr Peck again Today I due in large degree to faulty teaching I in our schools we are developing into a nation that looks to government in every extremity forgetting that ina in ina a Republic we ourselves are the government government government gov gov- and should take care of our our- selves To me this glittering generality generality generality gener gener- is typical of Dr Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps Per Per- haps a little higher higher salary for the teaching profession would not stand in the way of attracting to it a more competent type of teacher than the emergency certificated teachers out of the approximately one million teachers throughout U. U US U.S. S S. S And it might not be amiss to attach a little blame to the governmental policy of the past fourteen years for that look to government in every extremity idea I whole-heartedly whole agree with Mr Peck in his closing statement T Take e a alook alook alook look at the schools and school teachers in your community If they are falling down on the job of turning out good Americans then do something about it Yes Dr Jekyll you can And it will be done when and if you go to school board meetings to school board elections to budget hearings and let your influence be felt And when you are just as concerned about paying paying paying pay pay- ing the teacher the molder of your yow childs child's character and thinking just justas as much or more than you pay your i garbage collector When you you you- d do that that you will be closer to developing a I self reliant student than you arc are today Wish I had more time time and space to more thoroughly analyze Mr Pecks Peck's article This itself is rather super- super A A. Ted Tuttle Ave Menlo Park Calif |
