Saturday, February 5, 2011

A public service announcement

I am a product of the public school system; and very proud of that fact! I never had to wear a uniform, learn any specific theology, or endure unreasonable expectations. That's not to say that I loved every single part of the public school experience. I did not. My biggest complaint was the restrictions placed upon the students by the administration. It felt more of an obligation to go to school than a personal enhancement regimen.


I hated getting into trouble; which is odd because I so rarely did. I suppose it was more disappointment that bothered me more than anything else. I had the disorder known as "people pleasing" from a very early age. Once I arrived at Junior High School the disorder became more intense; yet at the same time it battled against my ever growing independence. It was about that time in my life when I realized that my opinions were valid, even though they were not always asked for. You become a teenage and all of a sudden the level of respect you receive severly diminishes. Why? I don't know. What I do know is that it bothered me beyond reason.


Once I got to high school the irrational rules and expectations placed upon the students by those in a decision making position was at a frustrating level. I distinctly remember receiving the Student Handbook one year, which was almost as thick as a Shakespeare anthology, and being told that you couldn't graduate unless you turned in the signed page showing you read the Handbook. Really? That determined my ability to graduate? That meant that I had achieved what was needed from an education standpoint? It was absolutely ridiculous to me, but I signed the silly thing; without reading it.


I have a great respect and admiration for those who choose education as their chosen profession. I have from a very early age. At this point in my life I am surrounded by teachers in my private life. Numerous family members and dear friends are among those who work so tirelessly to impart wisdom, education and opportunity to the future generations. I loved my teachers, from a child's perspective. I didn't always like the teaching style of all of my professors but I respected their position. Their hard work and dedication to their craft impressed me and demanded my affection. Just as in any other line of work, there are always those who lose track of why they ended up in the career they're in now. You can easily become disillusioned, feel unimportant and disrespected despite the passion you have for the job you do. Teachers are not alone in that plight.


It wasn't until I CHOSE to continue my education on a university level that I realized why I disliked my high school experience so much. And it had nothing to do with my teachers; it was the self-serving, afraid of lawsuits, taxpayer pleasing administrators who treated the students as inferior that riled me up so much. In college, I didn't have to raise my hand or ask for a hall pass in order to use the rest room. I simply would get up quietly, leave the room and return just as unobtrusively as I left. Yes, it's possible! I also was responsible for my attendence, and subsequently what I put into my education I received two-fold. I so wish, looking back, that I had been treated with the same level of trust and respect in high school that I received in my college years.


What do I value most about my public school education? The diversity; among the students, the teachers and the subjects. I went to school to strengthen my education, not to socialize. That was a bonus! It was up to me whether I succeeded or not. And my definition of success may have differed from others. I failed in high school because I didn't have the confidence to speak up and voice my opinion when I felt it could improve the situation. I succeeded in college because I understood that it was up to me to detemine my own path in life.