Roy Exum: Einstein Explains Insanity

  • Sunday, April 30, 2017
  • Roy Exum
Roy Exum
Roy Exum

In September of 2002, a detailed study of “Tennessee Schools on Notice” was prepared by the state’s Office of Education Accountability. This was when Senator Bob Corker was the Mayor of Chattanooga and it proves, pretty thoroughly I might add, that after millions upon millions of extra dollars have been poured down the collective drains at schools such as Orchard Knob, Clifton Hills, Howard and other inner-city schools, the results ain’t worth a nickel.

The only real change between 2002 and 2017 is we are paying almost twice for an easily-charted and ever-steady decline in what our children are learning today. Let’s face it -- If our Department of Education was a department store it would have gone out of business a decade ago. If it were a car manufacturer we would now suffer more recalls than Volkswagen diesels.

Oh, there’s enough blame for all of Hamilton County to be subjected to ridicule but to study where we were 15 years ago – when our students got a better education than today – is to accurately chart as well as predict a course of no return. Seriously, Albert Einstein once defined “insanity” as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. What we have done, and what we are doing with the new ‘balanced’ budget, is tomfoolery.

I can show you that Hamilton County’s per-pupil expenditure was among the highest across the state 15 years ago. I can show our teachers were paid over $2,000 more than the state average. Back then we got $14 million in Title 1 funds, $8 million more from the Carnegie Corporation, and $5 million from the Benwood Foundation.

Mayor Corker began the Community Education Alliance to give just the at-risk elementary schools $338,000 and the heads of 13 major businesses – that sound familiar? -- headed the task force. We were so keen on “fixing education” that parents were even encouraged to send their children out-of-zone in what was politically called a majority/minority option.

In 2002 the overall budget was $269,912,089 for 40,641 students. Now, in just 15 years, we are spending $417,716,269 for 43,242 kids. The result, based on what has happened since then, is so bad, so unsavory to anyone, it is also so saddening. Last week the state Department Of Education – after making shambles of the Memphis public schools -- announced it will force a “partnership” with Hamilton County in a way I am certain would have made famed physicist Albert Einstein break out in the giggles.

* * *

SHE IS EVERY BIT AS COOL AS STEVE McQUEEN

Over the years I have been incredibly lucky to develop some friendships with those who read my comments and, as they both agree and disagree, each and all have become invaluable in sharing their wisdom. One of my absolute favorites addresses her notes to me as “r.” She signs them “j.” and, for the record, she is every bit as cool as my lifelong idol, the late actor Steve McQueen.

Believe me, McQueen, who went to reform school, raced hopped-up Porsches at Le Mans, and dated only the classiest women, is the only human being who ever lived who I wish I might have been. Are you kidding me? He was married to Ali McGraw and then Barbara Minty (think Sports Illustrated and real small bathing suits). Listen, McQueen was so cool he not only did his own stunts in the motorcycle scenes in “The Great Escape,” they then dressed him in a German uniform so he could do the chase scenes of him chasing himself! He was actually called “The King of Cool.”

My friend “j.” comes as close to being a female McQueen as anyone I know. She has the coolest dog, the coolest husband, the coolest house, the coolest old truck, the coolest horse, the coolest hobbies and so forth. Her mind is deliciously cool, too, and after I printed some wonderful emails on Saturday, she sent me a really cool email. She wrote:

- - -

I love reading your education series. What a complex issue, with no simple solution to the problems faced in public education. I do find in many of the letters you included, that folks can easily say what is wrong, but no one offers solutions.

A lot of broad suggestions surface along the way: Pay teacher more, put students first, cut the red tape, raise taxes, lower waste,  etc., but questions remains, "How does society to create a school system that turns out educated young people, who have the ability to be independent, make a living, and be successful in life?"

The pessimist in me says, "It is the law of averages. Some will do well in school, some mediocre, others will fail, regardless of the system, the money, the teachers."

Did I ever tell you that I taught at an alternative high school for at-risk teenagers? I think I did. I only stayed one year. Truth is ... I don't like teenagers, especially when in a group. But, I will say I learned more during that one year than they did.

I learned that one on one, a teenager is a true joy, even those who live in horrific situations. I also learned how a teenager, who has a horrible home life, or is being bounced around from an aunt one week, an uncle the next week, cannot possibly be interested in learning.

Certainly, some students might rise up out of such disparaging situations and succeed, but it is difficult and rare. I also learned that when a teenager has to bail a parent out of jail for smoking crack, studying is the last thing on their minds. I also learned that our age of the internet, although good in many ways, is distracting to a young mind.

Teachers who go the distance are at the top of my admiration list. Discipline seems black and white. Kid breaks the rule, consistent punishment enforced, and they learn not to break the rules. Seems simple enough, if only it worked. It does sometimes, other times it does not.

One disruptive student is like a virus that runs through the class; everyone is infected. Paddling them seemed to work for my brother, but the difference (back then) was when a child was disruptive and the school disciplined, the parents were informed and the kid was disciplined at home, too.

Many poor kids at big public school have no one at home. I found this out when our little school had an after-work Parent's Day. All were invited, and out of 80 students, five parents attended, and it may have only been one parent. I can't remember the number of students that lived in a two-parent home, but it was very small.

I think birth control should be available and free. A third of the teenage girls at this school had a kid or were pregnant. Teaching abstinence DOES NOT WORK. Another time for that topic!

A couple of times, I had to go to (two regular high schools) for a meeting. Once, I was in the hall when the bell rang and what seemed like a herd of wildebeest poured out into the hallway, and I just stood in the middle thinking, how in the world can anyone learn in this over-populated environment? Public schools are too big. They are! No question about it.

Of course, we all know about the kid who grew up in a dysfunctional disruptive home, or a poor home, rose up out of that to become a leader, a successful business person, wealthy, famous. Those stories are out there, and all of us think, "If they did, so can everyone." If that is true, we would all be robots, but alas, we are not.

The most important thing I learned during my one-year stint in public education, is that if a student does not step up to the plate, even just tiny, tiny bit -- just one inch of interest in learning -- teaching becomes impossible.

I would like all of those calling out for teachers to teach that kid who closes off his or her mind to learning to step into that classroom with 30 other students at a massive public school and give it a try.

One can be the best teacher in the entire world, and if a young person closes you out, for whatever reason, your job cannot be accomplished. No kid is a lost cause, certainly not, but when you look at young people who are in jail, or in gangs, they have put up this wall to learning.

Learning to embrace learning begins at home, when they are young. Without that background, most will fail. I mean, that is not hard to understand. It is not the schools that are failing, it is parents who are failing their kids.

* * *

Don’t you see? We are a community of smart and amazing people. I think “j.” is so very right in her idea that we learn from the past but must change our plan for the future. The world has drastically changed. We’ve been hurling millions backwards at our problems instead of facing the solutions nobody wants to talk about because it boils down to poverty, race, and neighborhood environment.

Let me close with three ideas:

First, I am told on “the down low” the search for a new superintendent is all for show. Please, we need to face stark reality. I personally believe Interim Superintendent Kirk Kelly has conducted himself so well in the past year he’s got five majority votes right now no matter who shows up for interviews.

Before we jazz through another $100,000 in expenses and waste a lot of people’s time, I propose School Board Chairman Rev. Steve Highlander should call for a voice vote immediately and – if the board shows its hold cards -- let’s move on. I’m saying let’s forget transparency if its real name is drama. Our time and money are too valuable to waste.

Secondly, is there any way the County Commission could grand a “provisional” budget for the schools? I am hardly in the minority when I believe our public schools are broken.  We are getting ready to shovel close to half-a-billion dollars at guaranteed failure. When do we say stop, look, and listen?

Let’s take a drastic and quite honest view of our entire catastrophe because between failing tests scores, school buildings in blight, the appalling state takeover, loathsome athletic facilities, unrealistic anger over new charter schools, critical overcrowding, Signal Mountain’s pull-out, busing shenanigans, and an outdated administration hierarchy – my goodness -- we need to totally re-invent our public education model rather than let it dictate further insanity any longer. Until we commit to finding the answer, we’ll forever be asking questions.

And, last, with the jail four-to-six years away, our county roads worn, other county services strapped, our biggest line item (education) abysmal, could we please hold hands and realize a tax increase is the only possible way for Hamilton County to thrive in the very way every single one of us desire?

Let’s curb our anguish because, I believe, that is what the majority wants the most.

royexum@aol.com

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