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Nov, 20, 2008

Rabbi Avi Shafran: Bronfman's blindness

The Kosher Gourmet By Linda Gassenheimer: Portobellos add a hearty flavor to pasta with pesto

Nov, 19, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Spread the wealth? Jewish tradition and income equality

Elliot B. Gertel: 'Mad Men': Tackling prejudices or reinforcing them?

Nov, 18, 2008

Dr. Debby Schwarz Hirschhorn: The End of the Age of Reason

Jonathan Tobin: Does Barack + Bibi = Disaster?

Nov, 17, 2008

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The End of the Age of Reason

Diana West: Gulling Americans into making terror legit?

Nov, 14, 2008

Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: The Power of Spiritual Inertia

Caroline B. Glick: The perils ahead

Nov, 13, 2008

Stratfor Intelligence Briefing: How Bush and Obama together could change the Middle East dynamic

The Kosher Gourmet by JeanMarie Brownson: Sweet and savory, crispy and meltingly tender bestilla

Nov, 12, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Tyrannical Co-Workers

Michael Doyle: High Court to consider today donated monuments that may have religious messages in public parks

Nov, 11, 2008

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Will Obama stop government officials considering institutionalizing financial jihad?

Jonathan Tobin: They Will Decide Their Own Fate

Nov, 10, 2008

Rabbi Avi Shafran: $8 billion, modern-day Tower of Babel being built?

Barry Rubin: A letter to the president-elect from a Middle East realist

Nov, 7, 2008

Rabbi Francis Nataf: Of Children and Immortality

Caroline B. Glick: Livni's Obama strategy

Nov, 6, 2008

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: How I tricked a classroom of apathetic students into grasping the fallacy of moral relativism

The Kosher Gourmet By Gina Kim: Tips for making the perfect soup --- includes recipes

Nov, 5, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist By Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Destitute Debtors

Bruce Weinstein: 'Religulos': Bad title,even worse movie

Nov, 4, 2008

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Treasury Dept. submits to Shariah law

Frida Ghitis: A surprise for Obama in the Middle East

Nov, 3, 2008

Jonathan Rosenblum: Who says Jews are Smart?

Jonathan Tobin: Was He Wrong About Everything?

Oct. 31, 2008

Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: Our Immutable Noble Essence

Caroline B. Glick: Running against Bush

Oct. 30, 2008

Jonathan Rosenblum: The End of the Special Relationship?

Steve Lipman: 'Kid Kosher' Gets A Title Shot

Oct. 29, 2008

Binyamin L. Jolkovsky: GET US THE TAPE THE L.A. TIMES REFUSES TO RELEASE, AND WE'LL GIVE YOU CASH!

Dr. Ari Korenblit: Making The Write Choice for President

Oct. 28, 2008

Mona Charen: Denial runs through American Jewry

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Sell-off to capitalism or sell-out to Islam?

Oct. 27, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Are tax deductions for charitable donations moral?

Jonathan Mark: The Mystery Of The Arab-American Vote

Oct. 24, 2008

'Why aren't all religious people vegetarians?': Response by Miriam Kosman

Caroline B. Glick: Testing Obama's mettle

Oct. 23, 2008

Daniel Pipes: Obama Would Fail Security Clearance

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: A fast chicken dish with an Asian accent

Oct. 20, 2008

Gary Rosenblatt: Still One Torah

Jonathan Tobin: Government 'Gifts' Are Not Free

Oct. 17, 2008

Jonathan Rosenblum: Sukkos and the Great Meltdown

Caroline B. Glick: The disappearance of law

Oct. 16, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Copying DVDs: RIP OR RIPOFF?

Cal Thomas: Blaming the Jews (again)

March 22, 2007

J-Rhythms with Avraham Rosenblum: JWR's cutting-edge music program showcasing performers -- singers, song writers, musicians, and bands -- who learn and live the Torah lifestyle (OUR NEWEST IGODCAST !)

Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review August 15, 2008 / 14 Menachem-Av 5768

Smart Kids, Bad Schools

By Greg Crosby


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Last week my column focused on how public schools have stopped teaching American history with a POSITIVE slant. I made the point that no longer do our schools instill patriotism and pride in our country. If that were the only deficiency in today's schools that would be plenty, but it isn't. There are lots of other things that the public schools have not been teaching - things that were definitely taught when I went to school.


Old geezers like me will recall shop classes in school. Print shop, auto shop, wood shop, electrical shop and homemaking were great ways to learn fundamental skills - whether or not you were intending to pursue those skills as a career path, you were taught the basics in things that make up your daily life. What's wrong with knowing how a band saw operates, or learning a bit about electricity? What's wrong with knowing how to sew a button on? Or being able to cook a simple meal?


The arts are another thing that schools have either cut back on or eliminated altogether. Music, drawing, drama, sculpture and other creative courses were a lot of the reason some of us looked forward to going to school at all. Removing these classes is like taking the fun out of school. But that is exactly what has happened.


And then we were taught other things back when I went to school that have fallen by the wayside. Things like right and wrong, good manners, proper diction, and penmanship were part of the normal grade school curriculum in those days.


As a culture one could argue that we might be able to get by without proper diction and decent penmanship, although it is definitely a step backward for a civilized society. Not so, however, in matters of right and wrong, good manners and other common traits of decency and citizenship. When we stop teaching our youngsters these things, we're done for.


BUY THE BOOK …

at a discount by clicking HERE . (Sales help fund JWR.).


In a new book, "Smart Kids, Bad Schools - 38 Ways to Save America's Future," an award-winning Natural Board Certified English High School teacher spells out why the schools are declining and what we can do about it. In just under 300 pages, this twenty-year veteran of the public school system offers his experience and advice to parents, education administrators, other teachers, and really all concerned Americans on how to fix a problem that has been more than 40 years in the making.


Told within a framework of five parts, the book has such intriguing and thought-provoking chapter headings as "The Good News: No More Summer School; The Bad News: No More Summer," "Let the Kids Sleep In," "Abolish Homework," "Outlaw Teachers' Unions" and "More Money Isn't the Answer."


The book is written in simple terms, easy to read, fast-moving, and at times even funny. Although he is still teaching high school English in the public school system, this author doesn't hold back one iota in his critique of the status quo. He hammers the education bureaucracy, teachers' unions, government programs, and even parents as willing or unwilling participants in the decline of public education. He is hard-hitting in his evaluation and makes his points at the top of his voice.


This author is opinionated, tenacious, and unrelenting in his passion for kids and the importance of creating a proper school system - he knows that better educated kids means a better tomorrow for all of us. And he knows that educating kids means not only teaching them reading, math and science, but teaching them right from wrong, good citizenship, and personal responsibility. It also means teaching some of our educators and parents a thing or two as well.


If I say that the writer of this book is strongly opinionated and even hard-headed at times, I know what I'm talking about. You see, it just so happens that the author of "Smart Kids, Bad Schools" is my baby brother, Brian Crosby. And even though like most baby brothers in the world, he thinks he knows it all, I can tell you this, when it comes to the public school system - he really does.


Brian may be my brother, but don't let that stop you - buy the book anyway. It's the smart thing to do.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.


JWR contributor Greg Crosby, former creative head for Walt Disney publications, has written thousands of comics, hundreds of children's books, dozens of essays, and a letter to his congressman. A freelance writer in Southern California, you may contact him by clicking here.

Greg Crosby Archives

© 2006, Greg Crosby

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