Quick Hits (12.7.12)

I just read a column by your John E. Chubb in my local paper. I left the following comment. I like "Old Saws". They are often a form of distilled wisdom. This piece reminds me of the one that says, "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." As crass and uncaring as it may sound, it fits. Schools are not involved in the conception of children. They bear no responsibility for prenatal care. Schools are not present in the critical formative years of a child's psyche and health. Even after a school system accepts some degree of responsibility for children, the amount of time during which they can influence the child is a small percentage of the total. When Society decides to accept rational responsibility for the circumstances that affect the lives of children outside the influence of schools, progress will begin to occur inside the schools. I just read an article about a professional football player who spends 20 minutes before each game punching the padding on the goal post. His stated purpose is to relieve the tension that results from the actions of his coach. There is no discernable result, only a futile public display. Public Education is Society's padded goalpost.