Robert Browning (1812-1889) wrote, in a poem about a man looking back on his life, “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” His message was inspirational (reach high!), slightly melancholy (we do not always win), and literal (Heaven awaits those who try). As kids struggle, my Maine education comes back. We have to return to what works.
Growing up in rural Maine 50 years ago, believe it or not, we had traditional, strong, public schools. We read Jack London (Call of the Wild, White Fang), Herman Melville (Bartleby the Scrivner, Moby Dick), Kenneth Roberts (Arundel, Northwest Passage, Rabble in Arms), and Sarah Orne Jewett (Country of the Pointed Firs). We learned to love reading (although Moby Dick was long).
Those books taught us about important things: courage, how to dream, why and how to be intrepid, to respect nature; life’s joys, ironies, and contradictions; the goodness in searching out challenges and discomfort, the importance of seeing beauty, counting our blessings, and managing loneliness.
Beyond literature, we read “The Essays” by New England’s Ralph Waldo Emerson, including “Self-Reliance,” and then “Walden” and “Ktaadn” by Henry David Thoreau, one of Emerson’s students.
In Maine’s public schools, we started with the Pledge of Allegiance, which was often taught by veterans, and all – every single student – respected their service and sacrifice. We learned languages. I read Franz Kafka and Thomas Mann in German, then Cicero, Ceasar, and other Romans in Latin.
On the geography and history fronts, we memorized the state capitols in 5th grade and got a year of Maine history by law. In sciences, we had a year of earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics. We learned algebra, geometry, and calculus, much of which we forgot, but we knew we could do it.
For those who liked to use their hands, and had a gift for figuring things out, we had “shop,” which included working under a hood, mechanics, welding, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and learning how to train in a profitable trade. For those who liked art, we had all kinds; they loved it.
Creative writing was offered, along with anatomy (dissecting frogs and pigs), and for non-athletic fun, debate, orchestra, chorus, and plays like 1776 and Bye Bye Birdie (based on Elvis Presley). On the athletic side, most participated, some running, others baseball, football, soccer, and field hockey.
In short, public schools did not dodge hard stuff; they taught it. They leaned into it and taught us that is what you do. You do the hard thing, stay calm, fail, do it over, use your eraser, and learn how to lean into it.
Our public schools were, objectively, very good. Teachers of all kinds were given the freedom to be teachers, to elevate teaching with stories, be creative, teach each child how to learn, morale high.
Teachers worked to expand our thinking and create “out of the box” thinkers, or critical thinkers. We were taught to ask questions, no questions stupid, tiresome, inappropriate, or unworthy of asking.
Teachers lived to help encourage kids to be healthy, and have strong hearts, inquiring minds, tough bodies, and integrity. Wed goofed things up, and failed the perfect line, but tried, because they expected us to try. They put us on track for whatever met us. And of course, in those days, the State of Maine – and our Nation – was filled with opportunities, business, trades, services, agriculture, you name it.
So, where is America – our public education system – today? In the tank. Most kids ending high school – if they do – have never read a book cover-to-cover. They can no more name state capitols than the planets, or food groups, or describe a color wheel. Naming the states would escape them.
They have fewer math, reading, writing, and industrial arts skills, often no “shop,” zero earth science (not taught), and no idea what prime numbers, square roots, polynomials, or long division are. Excuses for non-performance are accepted, and efforts to enforce accountability are punished. Is that right?
Sadly, while the level of any State’s education ebbs and flows, Maine is now Number 49 out of 50, inexcusable. Other states have fallen in absolute terms. America is 16th out of 81 countries in science. We are robbing kids of what they need most, a solid, strong, robust start in life.
As one study noted: “In 2022, there were 5 education systems with higher average reading literacy scores for 15-year-olds than the United States, 25 with higher mathematics literacy scores, and 9 with higher science literacy scores.” We are letting a generation down.
So, instead of teaching social policy, cultural change, political activism, and leftism, how about we go back to basics and teach skills, things that improve prosperity, not activism?
Bottom line: We need to refocus on rebuilding our schools, putting kids not administrators first, and remembering gifts our parents gave us – and taught us. As Robert Browning reminded: “The best things in life … must be given away.” Time to start giving learning away, and return to what works.
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for AMAC. Robert Charles has also just released an uplifting new book, “Cherish America: Stories of Courage, Character, and Kindness” (Tower Publishing, 2024).
Almost everything you write about in this article RBC predates both teachers’ unions and the creation of the Department of Education. Public sector unions were never a good idea, yet for some amazing reason, the public was talked into it by the Democrats. Fatal mistake number one for the public education system. The teachers’ unions should all be decertified and done away with to break the stranglehold the Left has on public education in this country.
The creation of the Department of Education was fatal mistake number two, as our educational standing relative to the other major nations of the world has only declined steadily since then. We spend the most per student and yet the end product produced has steadily declined since the DOE came into being. The cause of course was that the so-called Progressives who have run the DOE since the beginning have concentrated more on political indoctrination and dumbing down the youth of America, than training our youth to be the best and the brightest. The absolute best option to pursue would be to shut down the DOE completely and return control of public education to the individual states.
RBC, BRAVO! How right you are that the country’s educational system tanked. Reversal is definitely needed. Parents do need to get involved to get their local school systems back in line. It will be a hard fight but is needed to save the children and country for a better future.
Getting rid of Teacher’s unions would go along way to improve education in public schools. In many large cities (including Phoenix) the unions close down schools if they don’t get what they want just like in L.A., NYC and Chicago. And the process of actually getting the increases in monies, for many system are convoluted and little of the money gets to the classrooms. It ends up padding upper administrations pockets.
This article is important in many ways – it is one of the natural characteristics of people to learn new things — based on what works . So the title “Education – Return to What Works” – works , for sure. The Australian expression. ” Up a Gum Tree ” ( meaning having some sort of difficulty) could be an accurate way to describe the results of having. an education system that doesn’t work properly Chaos could be another possibility in certain places, at certain times – due to lack of a sensible approach to education. In order to fix the broken education system several things could be tried — school projects that encourage preservation of buildings, bridges, ships, airplanes , machinery, instruments ,such as microscopes. cameras, etc. and the mathematics and physics that made all of those things possible. Communication is vital , English Grammar could be presented in a manner that would be truly interesting, and even in some cases humorous. There is plenty that needs to be done , Thoughtful article RBC , much appreciated.
Having served as a mentor in public schools for about 35 years, I have a few specific suggestions to improve our schools: 1) Eliminate or strictly limit students’ uses of cell phones during school hours, 2) Restore real discipline and accountability, and 3) reinstate merit-based pass-fail. I had a 7th grade mentee who failed every class except P.E. He was more concerned about not being on the football team than passing. He was passed on to the 8th grade.
Scrap Teachers Unions
Merge like schools
Cut Dept Of Ed.
CUT local bureaucracy
Automate
Hands on Education
Sadly true.
Taught in Maine 1999-2017. Accountability and high standards fell by the wayside. Graduating seniors who’d taken US History couldn’t explain the impetus of WW I and WW II and struggle with long division.
Look at the last generation to experience a traditional education (Baby Boomers) and compare to every generation since.
My junior in high school grandson, didn’t know who fought in WW2!
Return to what works not only in school system but in every aspect of our lives, which means all the programs and agencies would have to be examined to see the results of their performance ,I hope red pencil will be slashing left right and center.
My mom still has my ceramic pots I made and fired in high school.
Mr. Charles strikes again, with pragmatic observations about how to enable better, happier, more educated, and more productive American citizens, who lives are immersed in intellectual discpline and “culture” that actually means something more than pretentious, pseudo-intellectual posturing.
I can partially agree about getting back to the basics of the 3 R’s, but Advanced Math should always be an Elective. Since graduating in 77, I don’t think I’ve ever use Geometry, Trigonometry, Algebra etc. and I’ve had a great Law Enforcement Career. As far as “Social Passing”, it has destroyed the learning ability of those who want to learn since the class is taught “Down” to those who can’t get it.
Since there has been multiple decades of deteriorating education, finding teachers who have the ‘education’ to honestly Teach the basic subjects may be difficult. Any revamping must be at all levels but especially at the college level so we will more quickly have teachers learned in the foundations to impart the basics and beyond to K-4th and then 5-12.
I taught for 30 years (Five during my military career and twenty-five in high school auto tech). For 12-15 of those years my students loved it and totally enjoyed teaching them. They worked hard, tried hard and wanted to learn. In addition to all the automotive subjects, I taught them leadership skills, initiative and integrity traits, giving them daily opportunities to practice using them as team leaders, shop foreman, safety officer and several other key leadership positions throughout the school year. And to always take pride in their workmanship.
Then Left-wing liberalism crepted in. (Like a deadly cancer it was already destroying high schools and was infecting technical education, and moving down to indoctrinate K-9 as well). Every year, beginning in my 16th year through year 25, every year more and more students started showing up with ‘attitudes’ – not wanting to learn, disrespecting other students, staff and school property, and causing minor to major disciplinary problems. Grades began falling, parents blamed the teachers when Johnny or Suzie failed, and administration refused to back their staff (afraid of law suits from coddling, Left-wing parents). From my teaching years 20-25 this far Left-wing Marxism had taken over. We were told by Admin that regardless of any student’s performance we could not fail them. Rather we had to develop an IEP (Individual Education Plan), which basically was NOTHING MORE THAN LOWERING THE STANDARDS.
You can see what that has done.
Bottom line – Anything that the Left-wing is involved in or controls, ends in devastating chaos, substandard products and outcomes, heartache, misery, bankruptcy, and or ruin for all those subject to such insanity.