Education with Michael Moore and Jerome Stern

What would happen if Michael Moore and Jerome Stern had a say in the education system? Starting from pre-school to college? Would it be different? The answer is yes. The education system in our great country would be completely different, and for the better. Corporate America would have minimal influences in curriculum, college class curriculum would be taught in high school, high school classes taught in middle school, and middle school subjects would be taught in elementary school. Students would be taught to question, to challenge, to imagine, to use their brain, and to most importantly to think for themselves.

There would be more critical thinking with in the classes. Politics would be discussed in class and not just in the hallways. They would be taught to question everything and not take “No” for an answer. The buildings would not be falling apart.

They would be designed with large windows, lots of open space, and a library with thousands of book. There would be everything a school would need and plenty of it. Students would not be asked to bring their own toilet paper, or supplies. It would simply be given to them.Each student would have their own top of the line computers and all the support that they would need. Each grade would have its own building or section of campus.

In the cafeteria there would be fresh meals every day. Students would not have to worry about having money for lunch or a snack. Every student would have access to a free healthy lunch. Both Moore and Stern would add different aspects. But, they would both teach us how not to become these robots that everybody desires for young children to be.

In Sterns essay “What They Learn in School” he points out that our education system is a viscous cycle.They want them to know all about marijuana, crack, heroin, and amphetamines, because then they won’t be interested in marijuana, crack, heroin, and amphetamines, but they don’t tell them anything about sex because if the schools tell them about sex, then they will be interested in sex. (1) If students are educated about drugs, sex and all those other “scary” grown up things, kids would not be so stupid. If students are educated with the right information then this vicious cycle ends. Then again you can only teach them so much at school.If students have a safe non-judgmental place outside of the home to ask questions and a place to get the answers without being sugar coated; more students would use their brains and think for themselves besides having mommy and daddy do their thinking for them.

Stern says “…they mainly want to teach them not to question, not to challenge, not to imagine, but to be obedient and behave…” (1) This has been proven time and time again, with the corporate America in our schools. Yes, having corporations like Coke-Cola, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper in the schools generates money, but it is training our young kids.Michael Moore states “ …school district officials urged principals to allow students unlimited access to Coke machines and allow students to drink Coke in the classroom” (144). The future adults of this country are slowly turning into robots.

Robots that do not question anybody in a high position, more or less cannot think for themselves and are taught that being different is the worst thing you could do in your life. Corporate intrusion would not be allowed in to the school. The money that they are giving to the school is nothing compared to the damage that the companies are doing to the students.The funds that would have been donated would come from fund raising, donations, and from tuition. The tuition would be adjusted to each family’s needs.

And the family’s that would not afford the tuition would not have to pay tuition. If Michael Moore had the power to recreate the curriculum in every school, each student would have a greater knowledge of life and subjects that are not even discussed in schools. English classes would be structured with more critical thinking, books that have been banned for one reason or another would be taught.Books that question the ideology, and that make the students think about would be the biggest addition. Classic novels like Robinson Crusoe, Huckleberry Finn, The Grapes of Wrath, and Ulysses would not be just something that I brought up in conversation, but taught about the issues that are in the books.

Sex Education would be another subject that would be discussed more than it is now. The more students know about having sex and the repercussions the better off they would be. Sexual education at the right at and taught for ach gender would have a better effect then having all the students in one room. They would be taught about teen-age pregnancy, STDs, HIV, AIDS, and all the other horrible things that could happen to them. Other subjects that are not in the typical school would be taught. Civics, sociology, physiology, would each have a place in the curriculum.

Each of these subjects would help each student teach them how to think outside of the box and to question everything and everyone. Within these classes they would be taught how to spot what is true and what is not.To do more than just Google something and read the first link, but to pick up a book on the subject and to read it or to read every article that has been published. Foreign languages’, art and music, would also be another huge addition to the schools. Yes, they are in the schools now but they do not play as big of an impact as they should.

Spanish or any Asian language would be the main languages, because in 10 years everybody will be speaking Spanish and Chinese. And it is highly doubtful that either France or Germany’s population will immigrate in the next 10-15 years.Stern points out that, “… they don’t want them to know anything about art because that will make them weird, but they do want them to learn about music so they can march in the band” (1). When people look at students who major in art and music or that they are passionate about the subjects, they automatically are labeled as weird and outcasts.

After so many years of being called that, students start to shut off and they distance themselves from everybody. With art and music as a main subject the students would be able to express themselves freely.Students would be able to explore all mediums of art, and would not be limited to just band. For the older students there would be work force programs and technical schools. They would be able to work part time and also earn class credit.

They would be able to work in a field that they are passionate about and use the skills they acquired back into their education. Once they get to a point they can continue into the technical school that would help develop their skills and send them out into the “real” world.Once they are done with the technical schools they would also have a degree in that profession. Teachers would be paid double of what they make these days.

They would have all the resources and supplies that they would ever need. Their funding and their jobs would have nothing to do with the government. Each state would have their own representative in the government that is a teacher or a retired teacher. Since Congress has no clue what goes on in the class rooms, and think they know what is best for schools, teachers votes will be considered before any state representative.

Each state would have its own funding for books, supplies, and anything else the students or the schools would need. And the government would not be able to touch one cent of it. This crappy writing is brought to you by the amazing education that I was given growing up. In my experience, my college technical school experience was ok until the end.

We had the basics of what we needed to get through the program. Some of the things we needed, we never had because it was not in the budget. It also does not help that the stress of running the program put our director into a medical leave and then into an early retirement.During the year in the program we had 4 teachers for one class. One of those teachers was dying of cancer.

He worked 4 days a week, and on Friday he would drive 3 hours for chemo treatments. Another teacher retired the year prior, and the lab instructor would come in after work to teach for another 3 hours. In my last year at the program, it was turned from a two year program with two classes a night, to a four year program with one class a night. This was all due to budget cuts in the state.

Education is a huge part of everybody’s life.Everybody has their own reasons to go back to school or to continue on. Money, a better future for themselves or their children, or to learn about more about their passions are mostly the main reasons. For me, it is to learn more about my passion, and to better my life for my future children. To show them that hard work and dedication pays off.

But then there are some people out there, which school is not for them. They much rather work and use the skills they learned from working to better their life’s.