The Sad State of Affairs

As a teacher, I know that it's impossible to tell students to do one thing if you're going to do another.  Example: it would not work if I told my students to sit quietly if I sat on the phone in the back of the room chatting with a friend.  So where am I going with this?

In pondering the ever-present dilemma of public education in our country (i.e. we say it's important and yet underfund it), I have come to a conclusion:  Our administration is full of hypocrites and liars.  Nothing new, I know, but case in point:

A friend and coworker recently was named as a recipient of a huge national award.  So he was flown out to D.C. with teachers from every other state, and they had this whole agenda planned: Smithsonian, monuments, etc.  But the climax of the week-long event was a private reception with President Bush and a tour of the White House.  Each award winner would also receive a signed commendation from Bush.  

So he sends me a text the other night.  The reception with the President was cancelled.  Why?  Did he have to fly to Iraq to call off the war?  Was hiding in a secret bunker because of a terrorist threat?  Did Laura have the flu? Not quite.

Nope.  He had to meet with Super Bowl XLII Champions, the New York Football Giants.  Weak.  Seriously weak.  Our whole country is like those schools where the jocks and the dropouts are the popular ones (or Presidents) and the ones who work hard and achieve in other areas are brushed aside and never celebrated.

So while teachers are getting laid off and schools are having their funding cut because of poor test scores, our president says thanks to those who are working hard every day by canceling on them and hanging out with the football team.

But it wasn't so bad for my friend.  At least he got to meet Dick Cheney.